Q&A with Volunteer & Board Member Monique Pappas

1. Tell me about the moment you knew you wanted to be a volunteer with His Grace Foundation?

His Grace Foundation was one of the new philanthropies my daughter’s National Charity League group supported. Cia & I loved working with children, so we started volunteering by providing wish list supplies for BMT patients and we enjoyed every minute of it. Our NCL chapter went on to do a DVD/CD drive to establish the Movie Library on the BMTU!

2. What do you love most about volunteering with HGF?

I love volunteering with His Grace Foundation because of their can-do attitude and the positivity that is always there. No request or need for a child and their family is ever too large to handle.

3. Is there a specific story (or moment) that comes to mind through your volunteering that you know you will never be able to forget?

I’ve always done behind-the-scenes style volunteering with HGF — financial support and shopping for wishlists, etc. When Val invited me to join the Board of Directors this summer, I knew that was the moment to step from behind the scenes to the forefront and really make a difference. Sometimes you just know something is meant to be — that invitation was one of those times.

4. Tell us a bit about JPMS and why they chose HGF as a beneficiary this year?

The Jimmy Pappas Memorial Shoot is a non-profit that was started eight years ago by my husband’s best friends and brothers. The original goal was to bring his family, friends and business associates together to remember Jimmy and support cancer organization(s). Since that first event, JPMS has grown beyond family and friends. We now host an event to raise awareness and support for patients and their families, who are currently facing cancer-related illnesses.

This year, we chose His Grace Foundation as one of the beneficiaries as Jimmy needed a bone marrow/stem cell transplant. Our daughter, Cia Pappas also chose to be a pediatric oncology nurse at Texas Children’s Hospital because of her father’s journey and her love for children. She began volunteering with HGF in 7th grade and it, too, helped guide her path.

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Click here for more information on the Jimmy Pappas Memorial Shoot.