Giving back while fulfilling your dreams with Timethea Slade

Timethea Slade is a dedicated volunteer and Senior studying Biology at Georgia State University! She is creative, sociable and committed to making a difference in Atlanta! She serves with our Discovery program and Giving Hands Food Pantry.

Get to know Timethea, her passion for service, and how she continues to give back while completing her degree!

What impact areas or pressing needs facing Atlanta do you care about most? Why?

Growing up I was always taught the importance of an education. Without a proper education, one may not understand how to emerge in this world and utilize different aspects to reach their fullest potential. Thus, every chance that I get with the youth, I always advocate for them to be "active learners"

What do you love most about an organization you volunteer with? Why do you volunteer with them?

While volunteering at Discovery I love how I get to interact with different people. Each person that I meet, always has something special about themselves and after interacting with the children, they now have that “something special” too.

“Throughout all my experiences volunteering, I always leave with a smile on my face. No matter what I may be going through the interactions with everyone brighten up my day. Especially during Discovery, the children and their adventurous minds are the cause for outburst that keep me on my toes because you never know what they are going to say.””

— Timethea Slade

How has volunteering impacted your personal/professional life?

Volunteering has helped me become more open minded. My experiences have given me the privilege of being exposed to different backgrounds, cultures and ways of life that I would not have been able to encounter on my own. It helps me to live out my motto of being an “active leaner”.

What skills have you honed or what have you learned through your experience as a volunteer?

The skills that I have acquired are an increase in communication skills through the many interactions that I have had, time management because a delayed start can disrupt the flow of a project and lastly leadership in the cases where I have had to take over yet still complete the task effectively. These are skills that I will carry with me throughout my life.

Why Atlanta? What do you love about this city and/or tell us a bit about some of your favorite Atlanta things - people, places, things to do, etc.

Being from Atlanta, I will always consider this home. It has developed some of the greatest leaders and entrepreneurs today. It is a market that enables everyone the opportunity to be innovative, gain knowledge and fulfillment while pursuing their dreams.

What advice would you give to someone who is interested in getting involved with volunteering?

Just start! One service act can turn into over 500 hours, and you will then look back and see how much of an impact you have had on others, just as much as they have had on you.

Volunteering in April? Share where, when and if others can join you or how they can get involved.

While Discovery has come to an end, you can join me at City Bridges Food Pantry on Mondays & Fridays from 11am - 3pm and Saturdays from 10am - 12pm. Also feel free to check out the many other opportunities on Hands On Atlanta!

Please list anything else you think our community should know about you, your volunteer service, or your commitment to Do Something Good!

I am an open-minded individual who is always looking for new opportunities to develop myself. Next year I will further my education in nursing, in hopes of becoming a Nurse Practitioner. I look forward to seeing what the upcoming year holds.