Janelle Shannon began volunteering at The Next Step, A Place Where Families Recover, as a way to determine the next steps along her own career path. "It gives me experience as to what it would be like (to be a counselor)," said Shannon, who has volunteered at the substance abuse counseling office since February.

Shannon returned to the United States in January of 2009 after 27 months of Peace Corps work in the Kingdom of Tonga. As she sought to re-adapt to life in Colorado, she volunteered to help families and individuals dealing with substance abuse at The Next Step. Shannon helps clients with paperwork and creates brochures for health fairs.

"Janelle displays incredible customer service skills," said Stephanie Salter, administrative assistant at The Next Step. "She has a willingness to get involved with new projects and takes the initiative to do the research."

Shannon's volunteer work has helped her decide to pursue a graduate degree in counseling. "I am very fortunate to be able to volunteer," said Shannon. "They have helped me more than I've helped them."

For information about volunteering with The Next Step, A Place Where Families Recover or other agencies, call the Volunteer Connection at 303-444-4904.