Celebrating National Volunteer Month with Calvary Volunteer and Partner for Tomorrow Cecilia Kane

April is National Volunteer Month, dedicated to honoring the volunteers who make our work possible. We want to take a moment to spotlight Cecilia Kane, a passionate volunteer, Partner for Tomorrow, and member of CREW DC, Calvary’s 2025 Partner of the Year.

Cecilia works in commercial real estate and has for the past five years. She is also a member of CREW DC, a long-time partner of Calvary. Through this connection, Cecilia was introduced to Calvary and its work supporting women rebuilding their lives after homelessness.

Cecilia spoke about why Calvary resonated with her, describing Calvary’s mission as a perfect match for her interests and passion. Growing up as one of four daughters in the DMV, Cecilia has always prioritized women’s empowerment and community involvement.

“I’ve always lived and breathed womanhood and female empowerment. I really aligned with Calvary’s mission, so it’s easy to donate.”

Her dedication to women’s success led her to become a Partner for Tomorrow, a group of donors who make monthly gifts to Calvary, fueling compassionate care year-round.

Cecilia also highlights Calvary’s strong success in volunteer engagement and retention, noting how welcoming the organization feels to those who want to get involved.

“Calvary makes it so accessible to become involved in a lot of different ways, whether it’s in-person, virtually, or through financial donations.” 

At first, Cecilia’s involvement began through donations, but over time, she found herself wanting to become more directly involved in Calvary’s work and community. She described her journey from simple donations to a desire to engage more closely with the organization. “Crew DC has been pivotal in encouraging and facilitating my in-person involvement with Calvary.” 

Cecilia stays up-to-date on Calvary’s current events and opportunities through newsletters and social media. She also encourages others who are interested to join the communications list to learn more about future opportunities. 

One example stood out to her in particular. In one of the newsletters, Calvary was calling for a photographer for their social at Immigrant Food. She shared, “This was a skill that I have, an organization I support, so I wanted to add value to and support them while also meeting their stakeholders and program graduates.”

What started as a simple way to use a skill she already had quickly became something more. By stepping into opportunities like this, Cecilia found herself getting to know the Calvary community beyond the emails and event invitations. Being present at events and meeting the people behind the work gave her a deeper understanding of Calvary’s mission. Instead of just hearing about the impact, she began to see it firsthand through conversations, storytelling, and the community that gathers around Calvary’s work.

Experiences like this have also allowed Cecilia to build meaningful relationships with Calvary staff, learning more about the people who are critical to Calvary’s success and mission.

While participating in Calvary’s events, such as its community walk and happy hour, she emphasizes that the sense of hope and energy within the community is what stands out most.

“It’s hard to find that kind of intangible spirit because we often feel so heavy and brought down by things going on in the world and here in DC, but everyone at Calvary is so positive. The staff really believes in Calvary’s mission and purpose. It is contagious, but also powerful to have witnesses there hearing the storytelling.” 

Cecilia emphasizes how Calvary makes it easy for volunteers and supporters to clearly see the impact of their involvement. 

For Cecilia, being involved with Calvary has reinforced the importance of community and showing up for causes that matter.

“Participating in something bigger than ourselves and giving ourselves to the community is really powerful.”

As Calvary continues its work supporting women rebuilding their lives after homelessness, community members like Cecilia play an important role in helping that work move forward. From donating and volunteering to attending events and sharing skills, there are many ways to get involved and support the mission.