Lauren Wolf | YWCA Women of Excellence Honoree
What inspires you to get up and do the work?
What inspires me the most in my professional life is the desire to have real impact. Helping to protect vulnerable Kansans across the state has become a real passion of mine. Inspiration is important when you are tasked with working with victims of abuse and neglect. My inspiration is knowing my organization, as a whole, is doing good for our state and the people within it.
What have you learned about yourself through the challenges you have overcome?
Raising a family and working full time, all while being active in my faith and community leaves little time to spare. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside extremely talented, kindhearted professionals in my career. One of the lessons I’ve learned from them is to do what you love. Life is too short to wake up every morning and dread going to work. My position, as with most, can be stressful, but loving the work I do, makes me come back every day with a smile on my face.
How do you take care of yourself?
Faith, family, friends and yoga. In the busy world we all live in, it’s easy to overlook self-care. I enjoy making time to spend with my friends and family.
What is the best advice you've ever been given? Or what advice do you have for others?
My all-time favorite advice, is a classic, treat others the way you want to be treated. Everyone is fighting some sort of battle in their personal lives; it doesn’t take much time, energy or money to simply be kind and treat others well.
What is your vision for our community? Has it changed through the pandemic and racial justice reckoning of recent years?
My vision for our community is one that provides basic services, education and advocacy for all those who need it, in a safe, welcoming environment.
The mission of YWCA is to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. What does YWCA's mission mean to you?
The YWCA mission motivates me. As a mother of little girls, I’m proud to live in a community where YWCA is so active in supporting women’s growth, making women stronger and more confident.
