United Way of Hunterdon County (UWHC) has the privilege of working with volunteers of all ages. This month, UWHC is happy to feature one of their most active youth volunteers, Jacob Lachow, who has volunteered with the organization since 2021. Now a high school senior at Hunterdon Central, Jacob has been a fixture in the UWHC Volunteer Center on Fulper Road in Flemington. In 2023, Jacob gave over 150 hours of his personal time to support UWHC programs including Holiday Hands, Tools 4 School, and Thriving Communities. He has even served as a translator for Spanish-speaking clients participating in VITA, UWHC’s free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance service.
It all started in 2021 when Jacob’s mom, a social worker, suggested he investigate volunteering at United Way of Hunterdon County because she had witnessed its community impact. “It was so easy to get involved,” Jacob shared. “The staff members are all nice and approachable. You feel like part of a team, part of a community.”
Jacob primarily works as a Spanish interpreter for UWHC programs. He shared that his Spanish was a bit rusty when he first started volunteering and even made a New Year’s resolution to dedicate more of his free time to learning Spanish. “Through the United Way, while improving my fluency in Spanish, I've gotten the chance to understand the plight of Hispanic immigrants who live just minutes away from me who have such moving life stories. When I sit down as an interpreter with each client, no matter what program it is, I always start the conversation by asking them what country they are originally from. This opens the conversation up and allows me to start to understand their individual story.” Jacob continues, “I've really gotten to know and understand a whole new demographic of people in my community.”
“When a client sits down, [because] I'm not visibly Hispanic, they can't tell that I speak Spanish. However, when I introduce myself to them as their interpreter (in Spanish) I literally see the relief in their faces as they say, "Oh que bueno que hablas español" which in English means "Oh I'm so glad you speak Spanish." Or at the end of my time interpreting for a client, I always hear "muchísimas gracias por toda la ayuda" which in English means "Thank you so much for all of your help.” Some clients also call me "mijo," which is an endearing term from an elder/adult in Spanish towards a younger person like [me], and it shows the care they have for me.”
When asked what his favorite experience has been as a United Way volunteer, Jacob recalls his experience working at the holiday store for Holiday Hands, which provided holiday gifts to 1,850 Hunterdon County low to moderate income children and families, elderly residents, and individuals with special needs. “I’ve enjoyed Holiday Hands the most because I get to see how [the program] directly affects families as they pick out what they want for Christmas and see the smiles on people’s faces.”
Gabriella Bonnavent, Thriving Communities Program manager, had this to say about her experience working with Jacob, "When Jake volunteers, you know he is here to work. He always helps with a big smile. He is reliable and, on top of that, he is smart. It doesn’t take any time to explain what needs to be done, whether it is helping families to fill out a consent form to get a vaccine or to fill out applications to get health insurance for their children. He is always respectful. With Jake, you know the job will get done."
Jacob will be attending Temple University next fall to study social work and Spanish. United Way of Hunterdon County is grateful for Jacob’s continued service to our local community and wishes him well as he pursues his dreams. His future is bright!
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United Way of Hunterdon County loves to share their volunteers’ experiences through Volunteers United and other local publications. If you have your own United Way of Hunterdon County volunteer story to share, please visit their website at www.uwhunterdon.org/form/tell-your-volunteer-story-.