Her New England childhood with easy access to nature inspired Helen Chisholm to want to share that opportunity with those less fortunate. “Everyone deserves a chance to get out around the trees, sunshine, and fields of flowers,” she says.
Her particular passion is opening the outdoors to people with mobility issues. As a board member of the Farmington Valley Trails Council in the early 1990s, Chisholm championed the creation of paved greenways in her Connecticut community. Still an active greenway user, Chisholm feels a sense of gratification when she sees a child with special needs or an adult on a handcycle enjoying the outdoors alongside able-bodied cyclists, runners, and walkers.
When Helen and her husband retired to North Carolina, she began volunteering at the East Coast Greenway’s Durham headquarters. For the past six years, she has spent a few hours each month processing thank-you letters to members and donors. “I used to think when I sent money to a nonprofit, it went there and was anonymous. Here, you get an idea that the staff is more keyed into the individuals,” she says.
At its core, the East Coast Greenway depends on passionate people working toward a common goal. Chisholm is encouraged by all Greenway donations – no matter the amount. “They decide to give to something like this – hundreds of people. I get to connect with them in a small way and I find it very inspiring.”
