Motivate Our Minds offers enrichment clubs that are hosted by amazing local community members who have a passion to share their expertise with our students. We greatly appreciate these volunteers for investing time in the lives of our students and giving them experiences they may not otherwise have.
Tell us about yourself. How did you learn about volunteering at Motivate Our Minds?
My Name is Allan LaBerteaux. I was raised here in Muncie. After operating a business here for 10+ years, I relocated to the island of St Croix in the US Virgin Islands.
I first went there to work as a boat builder but knew that it was a community that was open to other career opportunities. After riding out Hurricane Hugo there in 1989, I opened a cabinet shop and took part in the rebuilding process.
After that work began to slow down, I went into the jewelry business, which had always been of interest to me. My major area in the jewelry work was as a wax carver and designer of models to be used in the “lost wax” casting method. I worked in a shop there called “Jewelweed” designing pieces for stone settings. I also enjoyed some success with an online niche market line of jewelry in the early days on online marketing.
After 2008, I bought a kiosk in the vendors plaza adjacent to the cruise ship dock. While there, I passed the time drawing and painting portraits and just graphically portraying the scenes around me while selling my jewelry.
I returned to Muncie in 2016 to care for my Mother, and that occupied a good part of each day. I enjoyed that time and having the time with her. She passed May 16, 2019.
I was very happy to be able to come to Motivate Our Minds as a volunteer after her passing. In St Croix I taught swimming as a community involvement service and wanted to find some way to become more involved in the community here in Muncie.
Tell us about the club that you lead at MOM. What interested you in leading that club?
I lead the drawing club at MOM. While I was spending my days selling jewelry and drawing on the street at St Croix, people of all walks of life and ages would come look over my shoulder to see what I was drawing and conversation would ensue. (It’s a great icebreaker for sales!)
I would bring drawing materials for the kids from the neighborhood and neighboring kiosks and during the day. They would filter in and out and be able to pass the time drawing. All kids love to draw and all artists are just kids who never stopped drawing so it was a good time for us to be able to share that.
What do you do when you aren’t volunteering at MOM?
I’ve just finished doing an extensive renovation of a house and getting settled into it…just in time to shelter in place during the pandemic. I don’t intend to retire, but things are a bit on hold now.
It’s not all bed though. In fact, I’m enjoying putting in a garden, putting a composting system in place, and continuing with projects around the property.
I’m also working in a digital format towards developing characters and story line for graphic illustrations.
What do you enjoy most about volunteering at MOM?
All the people there have been so welcoming to me. I’m the lucky one in this equation; to be able to spend time with young talented people sharing an activity that we both genuinely enjoy is a blessing. The kids have insightful and truly interesting things to converse over. If I’m able to pass on a few pointers to them, well it’s all time that’s well spent.
Thank you Allan for sharing your passion with our students. Drawing club is highly engaging, and students look forward to participating each week.
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