Employee volunteerism

MGE employees play an active role in helping improve our community. Hear from a couple of our employee volunteers who share their service experiences in their own words.

Miranda Weber

Talent Acquisition Partner - Human Resources
Former Chair of Habitat Young Professionals and member of Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity of Dane County

I grew up in a low-income family with some housing instability, so I feel a personal connection to Habitat for Humanity’s mission. I first got involved with Habitat when I was a student at UW-Madison. I took a trip to Florida to help build homes in a low-income neighborhood outside of Naples. This experience sparked my passion for the organization. A few years later, I was looking for a way to get re-engaged with Habitat, and I joined the Habitat Young Professionals group in Madison.

At Habitat for Humanity of Dane County, we offer a hand up, rather than a handout. Through our volunteer network, generous donors and sales from our two Habitat ReStores, we help families achieve strength, stability and self-reliance to build a better life through shelter. To put it simply, we believe everyone deserves a decent place to live!

I love seeing my volunteer efforts make an impact in real time, and being able to work alongside the families who are soon-to-be Habitat homeowners is a very meaningful experience. 

I am passionate about bringing other young people together through meaningful social, volunteer and professional development opportunities. Our most notable events are Build Days and ReStore Nights, but we also plan social fundraisers to help raise money for Habitat for Humanity of Dane County.

I believe we all have a responsibility to give back to our communities, whether it’s financially or by volunteering your time. I’m proud to volunteer and proud to work for a company that supports my efforts.
 

Lisa Walton

Customer Service Representative Customer Center
Dane County Humane Society

I have been an Advanced Feline Friend volunteer with Dane County Humane Society since July 2017. I’ve worked with cats at the Humane Society since I began volunteering and have clocked in more than 440 hours with them, including some during the COVID-19 pandemic.

My main duty is to help socialize both adult cats and kittens so they will be ready for a new family to adopt. Some are dealing with fear or trauma, so it may take a patient person for them to be able to connect. In addition to working with the cats, I also help with enrichment feeding, laundry, washing dishes, cleaning cages and training new volunteers.

There’s also the work we do that not many people are aware of. For instance, the community outreach we do for families providing food, supplies and vet care is very rewarding. We also take animals in for temporary care during times of crisis and offer training classes for dogs and puppies. We are once again starting to do large group educational tours of our facility and birthday parties, which are great fun for both the kids and animals.

I enjoy volunteering for the Dane County Humane Society, not only because I love animals, but because it’s such a great feeling to be able to help those who don’t always have a voice. It’s also an amazing feeling when people come in and meet their new family member for the first time. That never gets old.

People always ask me, “how can you work there and not want to take every animal there home with you?” Sometimes it’s hard, especially during kitten and puppy season. I usually volunteer once a week and almost always work with different cats, so I know they’ve gone into a great and loving home. Plus, my own pets might not be too happy with me if I brought new ones home with me every week!

I truly love going to the Humane Society every week. There is never a dull moment and always something new to experience or someone new to meet.