Hello! My name is Rachel Ozols, recently minted Manager of Fundraising and Special Events- I am so excited to join the team here at Volunteer Odyssey. A few quick things about me: I was born and raised in Columbus, Indiana. After completing my undergraduate degree in Vocal Performance at Ithaca College in Upstate New York, a touch of kismet drew me to Memphis where I spent four years living and completing my Masters in Vocal Performance at the University of Memphis (go tigers!). After finishing my degree, I took a Memphis sabbatical in Miami, FL running Artistic Operations for the nonprofit professional music organization, Seraphic Fire. In my spare time, I love to workout at OrangeTheory, walk my boston terrier, Lexie, run, and try every restaurant experience Memphis has to offer. 

From the moment I stepped into the South Main office, the energy within Volunteer Odyssey was palpable. It is really special to find a group of people that truly love what they do and work tirelessly to innovate and strengthen volunteerism in Shelby County- it’s even more special to have the opportunity to work full time with them. I can’t express the excitement I feel to be a part of an organization dedicated to enriching the community we call home. My position with Volunteer Odyssey will allow me to oversee fundraising efforts, project manage Mix-Odyssey, cultivate and retain donors, manage grants, and spearhead Public Relations. 

My mother worked for United Way throughout most of my childhood so it’s safe to say that volunteerism was a recurring affair in the Ozols household. I was very lucky to be raised with a deep understanding of the importance of volunteer work and believe it gave me a strong sense of empathy as well as a clear view of the economic and social impact acts of service brings to a community. A favorite organization of mine in Memphis has to be Opera Memphis. Not only are they constantly innovating their programs to draw more diverse audiences, but their outreach around the community is unparalleled. Nothing is more entertaining than watching those talented folks belt out opera’s greatest hits in the streets of Cooper Young Fest and other miscellaneous places in town.

 In the future, I hope to not only expand the visibility of Volunteer Odyssey, but to also improve our fundraising efforts, create more opportunities for Memphians to network through volunteerism, find new volunteer opportunities for myself, and of course, meet and interact with as much of the community as possible.