Volunteer Spotlight: Yael Nagar

Yael Nagar is one of Calvary’s tried-and-true overnight volunteers. She heard about Calvary originally through Terps4Change, a volunteering club at the University of Maryland. Yael says, “Calvary gives women a second chance at a good life, and does so with integrity and a commitment to respecting each woman in her journey.”

We thank Yael for treating women with that same level of respect and commitment every time she spends the night with them.

Why do you volunteer at Calvary?
Originally, I started volunteering at Calvary because I was looking for a volunteer opportunity that happened outside of business hours, which is actually a lot harder to find than you might expect! That was almost two years ago. Now I volunteer at Calvary because I’ve come to learn what a special place it is.

What do you like best about your work with Calvary?
I love the opportunity to engage with the women at Calvary; they are so warm yet feisty and it’s a pleasure to spend time with them. 

What has surprised you most about volunteering?
Calvary exudes warmth and joyfulness. It is such a space of love and support. The women at Calvary feel like sisters in their relationships and in the ways they treat and look out for each other. I think that’s something I wasn’t expecting to find at a place for women who have experienced so much hardship.

Share a fun fact about yourself!
I spent a semester studying abroad in Zanzibar learning Swahili. It came in handy because now I work at the U.S. African Development Foundation and will hopefully get a chance to use my (now very rusty) Swahili in Kenya later this year!