Think it’s hard to find true connections these days? While we can’t guarantee love, it has happened here! Believe it or not, couples volunteering together with United Way of Greater Atlanta creates plenty of connections.
Maybe becoming a donor or volunteer makes you a little more magnetic. Or maybe when people come together to do good, good things find them too. Whatever the spark may be, this Valentine’s Day, we’re celebrating love stories that started right here at United Way of Greater Atlanta, from friendships to romance.
Love at first volunteer shift
Jennifer & Chris’s story
Jennifer Camacho first noticed Chris at a United Way of Greater Atlanta’s Young Professional Leaders volunteer event, mentoring high schoolers. With a background at Channel 2, Jennifer volunteered to take some photos at the event, and in one of the photos was a guy she thought looked pretty cute. She got Chris’s number with the excuse of sending him the photos she had taken, in case he wanted them for LinkedIn.
They reconnected at another YPL event two months later, “Black Tie Brunch,” and finally they went on a first date. Also, actor Chris Evans happened to be at the same restaurant sitting right behind them! Now, Jennifer and Chris Camacho are married and still make time for couples volunteering at events like Stuff the Bus with their family, because, as they teach their kids, “The Camachos are helpers.”
>> RELATED: You helped us Stuff the Bus!
“Volunteering is one of the best ways to meet somebody. It’s immediately an indication that you have aligned values, because you’re working on a cause that you’re mutually willing to give up a Saturday to go do,” said Jennifer. “I remember the dating world was tough. I think people are searching for authentic connection, and what better way to do that than in a group of people who are already aligned with your values?”
From leaders in-training to partners for life
Darien & Ashley’s story
Darien and Ashley Dabney were each new to Atlanta in 2013, with career changes bringing them to the city. They both applied to United Way of Greater Atlanta’s Volunteer Involvement Program (VIP) to learn more about board service and establish connections in their new hometown.
During the class, VIP participants are typically asked to rotate tables and sit with new participants each week—and it only took four weeks for them to end up at the same table. Darien remembers cracking a couple jokes to get Ashley to notice him during the class session, and it worked.
She saw that he had a beautiful smile and was pretty charming. He noticed Ashley was a great public speaker and that she commanded the room. Two weeks later, they had a first date that confirmed what they already suspected—with aligned values, similar upbringings, and even some mutual friends, they were meant to be.
They said if you’re interested in applying for VIP, whether to make a difference or a connection, to do it! It’s even a great volunteer idea for couples who are already together.
“The program is really thoughtfully designed and the sessions equipped us to serve as board members. Janice Robinson is an excellent trainer and facilitator, and so are all of the outstanding experts who coached us in the program. We also made lifelong connections with other program participants. Some of our fellow program participants even attended our wedding!”
>> READ MORE: Take your seat at the board table
Today, they both serve on boards in the Richmond, Virginia area where they live with their two children, and remain committed to giving back in their local community.
A match made in marketing
Ashton & Brina’s story
Brina Jolin, a former Creative Director with United Way of Greater Atlanta’s marketing department, first noticed Ashton Brasher, a staff member from a different department, at a fundraising event. Brina came up with excuses to talk to her.
Ashton’s first memories of Brina were in her interview to move to the marketing team, where Brina’s unique sense of humor shown through.
In their time in the marketing department, they worked together on events and fundraising campaigns, poring over programming during late nights and lunches. Despite disagreeing at times, each remembers the other only making their work better.
“Brina and I were never single at the same time. It was just like we just kept missing each other,” remembered Ashton.
They stayed friends through the years after they both moved on to other jobs. Neither could have predicted that they would reconnect years later over a dinner that Ashton definitely should have known was a first date—one nine years in the making. Now, they live happily together with three dogs, a Subaru, and a Jeep Wrangler.
Brina’s advice on finding your match? “Listen to your friends!”
She recommends having people that you trust, and listen when they tell you that this person makes you better.
“Yes, that’s actually great advice, because my friends were all telling me, like, you obviously are in love with this person,” said Ashton. “Imagine the time we could have saved!”
Not all love stories are about romance—their connection built a business!
Evia & Katina’s story
Katina Asbell joined our Women United group in 2013, after hearing about it from another mom in her daughter’s class, and quickly got involved as a Tocqueville member and then the group’s board chair. That year, Women United launched a statewide campaign to pass a Georgia constitutional amendment called Safe Harbor. The amendment focused on rescuing children from sex trafficking, an issue Evia Golde was already working on with several nonprofits in the area.
Evia joined the group as campaign co-chair while Katina stayed on as chair of the board, and together they coordinated events, speaking engagements, and grassroots efforts to get the amendment passed. The constitutional amendment passed with an 83% voter approval, the highest ever—and after hours spent working together, the two knew they made a great team.
>> RELATED: 25 years of impact by women, for women
It didn’t take much for Katina to convince Evia to get her real estate license, and the two formed the Asbell Golde team. They now work together as business partners committed to helping the community reach their real-estate goals. To this day, their business donates a percentage of their commission to charitable causes. And they credit Women United with helping create some of the strongest and most meaningful friendships of their lives.
“We seem to all get stuck in our little bubbles of finance, medicine, consulting, advertising, real estate, etc. and rarely step out,” said Katina. “This is the beauty of United Way. It puts us all in the same room and amazing collaborations, both philanthropic and business, come from the interactions.”
211: Great for resources, but not for dating
If you’re looking for rent assistance or referrals to other resources, 211’s your line. If you’re looking for “the one,” you’ll need another number entirely.
Our 211 Contact Center has received calls before from people looking for love, thinking it was a matchmaking service. While we love the idea of using United Way of Greater Atlanta to find a connection, unfortunately this isn’t the kind of referral you’ll find in our database of community partners.
Veteran 211 Community Connection Specialist Janell Johnson says that when she triages these calls, she politely redirects people to Google, or even a local church. Based on these connection stories, we suggest considering volunteering with United Way of Greater Atlanta, joining a donor engagement group, or applying to VIP!
Changing lives has the potential to change your own. The easiest way to share the love is by making a donation to help Greater Atlanta thrive.