Meet Pamela Severa. She dons a lot of hats with the Quail Hollow Volunteer Association
Pamela Severa started volunteering in high school.
Today, she's a board member, membership chair, docent and volunteer coordinator with the Quail Hollow Volunteer Association. She moved from Painesville to Hartville in 2016.
“Who could guess that volunteering in high school could lead to a future career?" asked Severa, who moved from Painesville to Hartville in 2016. "Well, that is just how it happened for me! Volunteering in faith-based and community organizations has always been my lifetime priority.
"My first experience with the Quail Hollow Volunteer Association was in 2017 when board member Gary Miller knocked on our door to introduce himself and personally invited us to a QHVA meeting. My husband and I went from attending meetings to volunteering as docents to board members to my currently serving as both membership chair and volunteer coordinator.”
The association promotes and supports Quail Hollow Park and the H.B. Stewart family Manor House in Lake Township.
She graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor's degree in education. Her work experience began at the age of 14 working in her grandparents’ grocery store in New Castle, Pennsylvania.
“I’ve enjoyed working with people ever since," Severa said. "I volunteered in my high school library and eventually became a student worker at my college library. That opened the door to a part-time library position at Lakeland Community College which led to wonderful years working in the Human Resources Department. After 30 years at Lakeland, I retired from my position as the administrative coordinator at the Holden University Center.”
She is married to her husband John of 48 years, and they have three children, Jason, Jessica and Justin; seven grandkids, Hope, Holly, Hayden, Hadley, Liam, Levi and Katrina; three great-grandkids, Ronan, Leo and Nicco; plus Pierce, Darin, Sophia and Samantha who adopted them as their grandparents. Living next door to their daughter’s family allows them to share her pets, Spurgeon, an English mastiff; and Onyx, Lake Elementary’s school facility dog.
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What does volunteering mean to you?
I view it as a privilege and an honor to be entrusted with responsibilities to maintain the well-being of an organization.
American author Elizabeth Andrew writes, “Volunteers don’t necessarily have the time; they just have the heart,” and that sums it up very succinctly.
To me, volunteering provides the opportunity to invest time, talent, material and financial resources into what really matters for the benefit of others and for the success of an organization. It is giving yourself in your skills and experiences to receive in return the satisfaction of accomplishing something far greater than what one can do alone.
Representing the organization and drawing others in for support is a very challenging and rewarding task
Why did you want to volunteer with the Quail Hollow Volunteer Association?
The association was founded in 1982 when the state was experiencing problems with an aging manor house and talk of demolition was less costly than restoration. The Quail Hollow Volunteer Association became the heart, the hands and the pocketbook for the property.
Today, its mission remains the same with the added caveat to promote and preserve the Stewart legacy.
As membership chair, it is very encouraging when people say they love Quail Hollow Park and want to support our mission, and it is very exciting when they want to volunteer. When leading a tour, there is great pleasure in older folks remembering and children discovering the past, in sharing the unique secrets of the home and in telling heartwarming family stories.
When receiving a donation, there is great pleasure in accepting a monetary contribution to further preserve the home or in receiving vintage items that portray a bygone era. Stark Parks is a wonderful asset in the county; adding volunteer strength to an organization that sustains the natural and historical treasures in the county is very important to me.
How many volunteer hours does it take to host the annual holiday?
Stark Parks personnel prepare the outside holiday displays at the park and Quail Hollow Volunteer Association volunteers carry out the beautiful decorating in the manor house.
Rhonda Seaman selected the theme, “Welcome Home for the Holidays,” last year and her team began in October pouring hundreds of hours of time and talent to showcase each room. The exact number of volunteer hours for the event is difficult to calculate as planning and prep for the event occurs all year, however by the end of October our volunteer corps served over 4,500 hours at Quail Hollow Park.
The current estimate for volunteer time is $31.80 per hour, revealing a volunteer is a very valuable commodity. The goal is to align a volunteer’s skill and passion with the organization’s mission and tasks and to create a perfect match.
What is your favorite season in Stark County?
Can’t really say I have a favorite season because I like them all, as each one has its own beauty, holidays and special events, and of course, a few unpleasantries, too.
What are a few of your favorite things to do in your downtime?
Family time is important to me as are those who are “like family” to me. I’m an active member of Parkside Green Church, where I help lead Bible studies and Primetimers, hosting events and activities for older adults.
I love flower gardening and thrifting. I am always researching and thinking about what to do in my “uptime” to increase Quail Hollow Volunteer Association membership and to promote new fundraising opportunities like the teas and tent sale we held last year. For me, sleep is overrated!
Editor's note: Five questions with ... is a Sunday feature that showcases a member of the Stark County community. If you'd like to recommend someone to participate, send an email to newsroom@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: 5 questions with Pamela Severa of Quail Hollow Volunteer Association
