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German citizen awarded for volunteering
Regina Brauch, a German citizen living in Sterling, is making the most of her three years in the United States by volunteering as much as she can -- even to the point of petitioning the German government for permission to work more hours.
Brauch, 42, was recently honored for her work as a services coordinator by Opportunities, Alternatives and Resources of Fairfax County Inc. and named “Outstanding New Volunteer.”
Many volunteers are recognized for their long work hours or personal success stories in their organization's field. But Brauch was honored for her dedication and the measures she has taken to be able to volunteer for OAR.
“Regina's willingness to learn and to stick with this job in a dedicated way impressed all of us,” said John Callaghan, a director at OAR, a nonprofit agency that provides services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. “It's the quality of her efforts [at work] and her strong desire to be of service and to 'get it right' that is so meaningful.”
Brauch came to America from Wilhelmshaven, Germany, in December 2005 with her husband, Jorg Brauch, an officer in the German navy who is based in Reston for three years.
In June 2007, she began working seven hours a week for OAR, handling front desk duties such as walk-in inquiries, constant phone calls, faxes, tracking appointments and requests from staff. After a few months, she said, she wanted to work more hours but her work contract with the German government would not let her. While in the United States, she can only volunteer one-fifth of the hours she works in Germany.
“It's a law. I don't understand,” said Brauch, whose job in the German Labor Administration is on hold until she returns to Germany. “It [shouldn't] matter to [them] if I am walking at the beach or do something useful.”
She had such a desire to volunteer more hours, she wrote a letter to her employers in Germany requesting special permission. She received an extension to work 14 hours a week and now volunteers two full days at OAR.
Before beginning with OAR, she took three months of intensive English as a Second Language courses at Northern Virginia Community College.
After finishing the courses, “I was anxious because of my language barriers,” she said. “But [volunteering] was also important to me. I thought it would be wonderful if I could put my own skills into work, and I would love work with people.”
She took an Internet volunteer placement test and was recommended to OAR.
“It was the first place I found, and it was the right place,” she said.
“Regina is very organized, reliable and flexible, and has even helped recruit another volunteer,” said Fran Furman, volunteer coordinator for OAR. "She's done so much for us in a short time. We can't thank her enough for her dedication to our mission.”
Brauch said, “My gosh, to work ... it's just important to me. It doesn't matter if I get money for this or not. It was important to me to involve myself to the community to get a real sense of life in the United States. And in addition, I would love to do something that is useful. I know I'm in a very good position here, and some people are not. And I just think it's important to help.”
Brauch and her husband will return to Germany in December, and she will resume a full-time position working for the government. She said she will miss her time with OAR.
“I was really overwhelmed with the honor, and because I thought it is an honor that I got the chance to work with OAR,” Brauch said. “It's helping people get into a better position in life. ... It's so rewarding to work there. You can see the people's faces that ... they know they can trust and find help through this organization.”
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