Volunteer Spotlight: Jessica Mumma

As part of the ongoing Volunteer Spotlight series, we checked in with volunteer Jessica Mumma on why she chooses to donate her time and energy to Alphapointe.

Q&A with Jessica

Tell us about you………
I was born and raised in Kansas City, most importantly in the “Northland” or “North of the River.” I am a mom, wife, sister, aunt, great-aunt, niece, PTSA member, co-worker, friend to many. I have been married for 22 years and have a son (almost 21 years old) and a daughter (15 years old), a chocolate lab-retriever (Tucker) and a cat (Pedro). Family is very important to me, and they are my WHY. I am the Sales Manager for the Hampton Inn & Suites Country Club Plaza, where I have been for the last 13 plus years.

Why do you volunteer at Alphapointe?
Until about a year ago, I was not aware of the opportunities that Alphapointe had. One day Jake McLaughlin with Alphapointe happened to come to the hotel and was stopped by the Front Desk Manager, and he handed him his card who then gave me his card. I proceeded to email Jake and that is where it all started when he told me about the C&C Group Alphapointe Pro-Am tournament. When you read stories about the kids at camp and what others learn in their training program – knowing that I was a part of how Alphapointe was able to provide those services is just amazing. That is my WHY for volunteering.

What does volunteering do for you?
I feel that it gives you a sense of purpose, as what you are doing is larger than you are. It makes me feel good and love the friendships I have made while volunteering.

What do you want to share with others about Alphapointe?
I feel that Alphapointe is still a hidden gem in Kansas City and people are still finding out about them and their services. Besides assisting those with sight loss and low visibility, they also package many different products for varying types of customers.

Why should others get engaged with Alphapointe?
Getting involved is so fulfilling. When you see the looks on the kids’ faces in the pictures from camp where they were able to act like other kids to those who are looking to be able to live on their own and signing a lease on their first apartment to a college student that earned their degree is truly amazing – they wouldn’t be able to do it or be like this without Alphapointe. You also gain an understanding of what others take for granted on a daily basis.

What is something you think everyone should know about Alphapointe?
With the services they offer they can make a real difference in the life of a person with loss of vision or with low visibility.

What’s the most important thing Alphapointe does from your perspective?
They offer training for people from other states to come in to learn how to do all the typical daily activities like laundry, cooking, etc.

If there’s one public policy change you could make to help people with low vision, what would that be?
For states to make it not so difficult for someone to come to Alphapointe to get the training they need to lead an independent life.