During my undergraduate
program I took an Abnormal Psychology class (and of course self-diagnosed
myself throughout the semester). I was required to complete 20 hours or so of
volunteer hours. While in college I missed spending time with kids (“back home”
I had babysat frequently and worked at a day camp summer after summer with
three and four year olds). After looking down a list of possible agencies
provided by my professor I decided on volunteering at a domestic violence shelter
for two reasons; I could work with children and because I had a close relative
who had been raped and subsequently volunteered at a rape crisis center. Twenty
hours and four years later I received an award for being “Volunteer of the
Year” and I moved to Wisconsin with the plan of finding a shelter there to
continue my volunteering at.
Skip ahead 20 months. I was working a job, not to be confused with a career job. I loved everything about my new town except my job.
It was clearly time to call that shelter I looked up 20 months prior. I walked
through the door prepared to fill out a volunteer application only to have the
volunteer coordinator encourage me, tell me to apply for the open
children’s advocate position. I had no experience I told her. “You have lots of
experience,” she insisted. I had three days to turn in my resume.
I was given an interview. I
had nothing to lose. In mid August dressed for an interview and nervous as all
get out I declared that if they thought I could do the job than I’d do it. I
recall sweating my way through the interview and while walking out to my car
taking a deep exhale. Linda Madigan, the director, was one of five people
interviewing me.
Fast Forward ahead 5
years. Linda, who encouraged,
supported and expressed her belief me was no longer there and neither was I.
Change the clock ahead
to today. I attended Linda’s
memorial today. On April 1st she past away from cancer. Damn cancer.
Linda never introduced
herself as the Director of New Horizons, she never once made staff believe she
was better than any of us. Her support meant more than anyone’s to me at the
agency, and it wasn’t because she was the director. It was mostly because she,
too, had been the children’s advocate before, she knew what my job entailed and
because she was the director who never gave herself a title in a group of
people.
She had a heart full of
passion and a green blazer hanging on the back of her office door. Linda was
always dressed comfortably and her blazer hung there in the event the media
wanted to talk with her. That green blazer dressed her up and was worn in every
TV interview with Linda I ever saw.
Linda was a quiet, private
person and after her retirement I only saw her once. We shared a plane out of our town’s small airport. My family
was on our way to a vacation and Linda was on her way to a Hurricane Katrina
ravaged New Orleans. This did not surprise me one bit. Of course Linda was volunteering with the American Red Cross,
she was the epitome of activist and I wholeheartedly admired this in her. She
once told me “DV (domestic violence) work gets in your blood.” A year after I
left New Horizons to be a stay at home, full-time mother I completely
understood what she meant. I will forever envision Linda Madigan on an airplane
destined to help where people need her.
8 years later I continue to
volunteer in my community.
RIP Linda Madigan, those,
including myself, who were fortunate enough to see your passion to help those
in need firsthand will never forget you.
To read more about Linda click here to read an article in the La Crosse Tribune published after her death.
