03/25/2026
I’m Jen, and it’s my 20-year anniversary of volunteering with All As One! I asked to write this month’s note, because I wanted to share just a few of the many ways I’ve received FAR more from AAO than I’ve been able to give over these two decades.
Research tells us that helping others can increase happiness, reduce stress, and strengthen our sense of purpose. I’ve found all of that to be true. But what I didn’t fully grasp early on was how deeply this work and these incredible kids would shape me over time.
Volunteering with All As One has…
• Given my life a steady thread of meaning—something larger than myself. I have a sense of belonging to a mission, to a community, and to something enduring. Some of my dearest friendships were born out of a shared love of these kids, and, as evidenced by all of you, AAO attracts an extraordinary bunch of people!
• Softened and expanded my perspective, reminding me what truly matters and what doesn’t. This has been extra important during these troubling times, when it's far too easy for me to slip into old patterns of worry and despair. This organization and these kids have modeled resilience and hope in the face of things that feel impossibly heavy. I'm learning to trust in a benevolent undercurrent MUCH stronger than my tiny mind can even fathom.
• Connected me to others in ways that feel both grounding and expansive. Watching my family and friends care and/or give so generously over all these years has only deepened my affection for them. In these past couple of months, after my dear mother-in-law's passing, I’ve felt this in an especially profound way. In lieu of flowers, my father-in-law asked that donations be made to All As One. Each time I see that someone has given in Carolyn's memory, I feel a wave of warmth, love, and gratitude. It's felt less like something has ended and more like something is continuing—like she is still loving these children the way she always has. And now, through the generosity of others in her honor, that love continues to reach them. It has been one of the most unexpected gifts in my grief—this sense that love doesn’t simply disappear. It continues to move. To reach. To help.
The kids pictured above are the newest arrivals at the Children's Center. And, as Deanna shared last month, we now have 290 students attending the All As One Academy! We're still in need of $10,000 for a new classroom, and any help would be appreciated on that front. Perhaps there is a business or group you know that might have a desire to increase education opportunities for kids in need.
The simple truth is that when we give—our time, our care, our attention, our funds—we also receive. Not always in obvious ways. Not always immediately. But steadily, over time, in the form of meaning, connection, and a life that feels a little more aligned with what matters most.
For that and for all of you, I am endlessly grateful.
Jen Brauer
AAO Volunteer (since 2006)
[To view our March Newsletter on our site, visit bit.ly/AAO-Mar-2026.]
