I blinked, and suddenly Fall is upon us. Crunching leaves, swirling winds, and a trail of wrappers from the Halloween candy stash. Before we know it, we’ll be setting our tables for Thanksgiving.
But, wait! Before we dive any deeper into Autumn, we have some amazing MOD Moms of the Summer Months to recognize. How did our little community ever get so blessed to be filled with so many wonderful and talented women?
June Volunteer of the Month: Sarah Zabel
If you’ve enjoyed a MOD Mom’s playdate (at Mountain Kids, Xtreme Altitude, Great Play, Monkey Bizness … and so many more!), you have Sarah Zabel to thank: she’s our Director of Monthly Events.
Sarah relocated to Colorado with her family: husband Jeff and their two boys, Will (7) and Ryan (3.5), three years ago. A planner by nature, Sarah researched and joined MOD Moms before the moving trucks ever left the West Coast. She knew she wanted to be plugged in to her new town right away. Before long, she began volunteering with our group.
“I always like to be involved in something in which I truly believe,” says Sarah. “A community of local moms . . . how great is that?”
In addition to her work with MOD Moms, Sarah assists several other local organizations as well. “I’m a school teacher currently staying at home, so I love to volunteer at Eldorado to get my classroom fix. I am co-coordinating the MOPS group at Ascent Church this year as well.”
When she’s not volunteering or organizing events, you might find Sarah working out at Lakeshore, hiking, reading, cooking “attempting Pinterest-inspired, home improvement projects” and watching her kids play sports.
Thank you, Sarah, for fitting MOD Moms into your busy schedule! We are so grateful for all that you do for our group!
July Volunteer of the Month: Cory Malloy
Cory Malloy, aka, the MOD Moms’ Big Event Planner, keeps our group festive and fun with amazing events like the ever-awesome Trunk or Treat, the Holiday Party, the Spring Egg Hunt, the splashing Broomfield Bay party, and our incredible private movie showings at AMC Theaters.
Cory and her husband Kevin have one “super-cool kiddo,” Finn who is in first grade this year. “We are your typical suburbia family juggling our jobs with running to after-school activities, keeping up with homework, birthday parties and games on the weekends.”
They stay active as a family bike riding, hiking, swimming, skiing/sledding in the winter. They also love getting out and exploring. “We have started to travel more with Finn this year, highlights were a Disney Cruise and RV trip to Mount Rushmore.”
Cory, an independent executive assistant, loves creating beautiful meals for family and friends. “I’m in love with food,” she says. She gets inspiration from the Food Network (“It’s my favorite past-time”), the MOD Moms Cooking Club, and through experimentation in her own kitchen. Cory also loves being outdoors — hiking, hanging out at the pool and walking. After a foot injury sidelined her running, she hit the trails at a more relaxed pace. “It’s my new obsession,” she says. “I’m averaging about 50 miles of walking per week.”
Thank you, Cory, for helping all of our MOD Moms families enjoy so many wonderful activities — and for sharing your delicious meals and treats with so many of us.
August Volunteer of the Month: Laurie Cook
Philanthropy is ingrained into the ethos of MOD Moms. As a group, we support three main philanthropic partners: Impact on Education, Community Food Share and A Precious Child. Laurie Gilden Cook has been a part of this mission and vision for philanthropic giving since the beginning of MOD Moms. She works tirelessly, often behind the scenes, to ensure that our annual drive for Crayons to Calculators along with other efforts are a great success.
Laurie, who lives in Superior with her husband Bob, their 11 year-old, Jack, and their crazy golden retriever, Cali, has been volunteering for her entire life.
“My own mom impressed on me and my sister how important it was to give back to your community. I don’t remember a time I didn’t volunteer,” Laurie says. “I’ve been involved with Big Sisters, I was the Philanthropy Chair in my sorority, I volunteered with Meals on Wheels and Literacy Volunteers of America, and I have spent much time volunteering at Jack’s school and with his Boy Scout Troop.”
For Laurie, the volunteer opportunities that she helps cultivate within MOD Moms are not just an important act of giving, they are a vital lesson for her family. “I want Jack to learn that it is his responsibility as a citizen to volunteer.”
Laurie, a former litigation paralegal and speech pathologist, keeps busy when she isn’t volunteering by staying active in her book club and the MOD Moms Cooking Club. “I am not a great cook but Cooking Club gets me to prepare things I wouldn’t otherwise try. The women in Cooking Club are fun to hang out with and the food they make is delicious!”
Laurie loves living in Colorado, but her heart is in Hawaii, you might find her dipping her toes in the sand there on vacation, locally, you might spot her around town on a Friday night enjoying some amazing Mexican food with her family and friends.
“I feel very fortunate to live in such a great community,” she says.
Thank you, Laurie, for helping MOD Moms families help others.
Volunteers of the Month
The MOD Moms Volunteer of the Month will receive a $25 gift certificate to use at OMNI Resorts, one of the many great MOD Moms partners. The gift certificate can be used at any of the OMNI restaurants, the Mokara Spa or the hotel!
MOD Moms simply cannot function without all of the dedicated, hard-working volunteers who make the events, clubs, playgroups, partnerships and behind-the-scenes stuff happen. Thank you to all of you fantastic women who help make this group a wonderful place!
