Volunteer Highlight - Marshall County West
Meet the Marhsall County West, MN Crew!
Time for another volunteer highlight! And we couldn’t be more excited for this one.
In this volunteer highlight, not only do we have one volunteer hitting the esteemed 5-year milestone, we have SIX. And these six have been with their community’s location since the very beginning. It doesn’t get more special than that.
We’re thrilled to introduce to you:
Nikki Peterson, Site Leader
Taby Widner, Site Leader
Tara Copp, Mentor
Chelsey Gloude, Mentor
Jacki Berglund, Mentor
Jessica Peterson, Mentor
Read on to learn more about this special crew and the impact they’ve made on their community of Marshall County West through the BIO Girls program.
Meet Nikki!
My husband, Nathan and I live in Warren MN. We have 3 children, Liam, Thayer and Sloane. I stay home with my kids, but am also active in the community. I teach a spin and strength class, I'm on the School Board for our District, I teach Sunday School and coach some of my kids sports. I enjoy spending time with my family at the lake, bbq'ing, golfing and playing any type of board or yard games. I love being active physically. I also enjoy being active in pursuing the Lord through bible studies, teaching Sunday school and listening to podcasts.
Do you have a favorite lesson? Throw Kindness like Confetti. The Jenga edition. Each girl took the time to decorate a Jenga piece and we put up the tower. It was filled with motivational sayings, kind words and bible verses. All it took was one person to say one or two mean things and yank out a jenga piece. and the tower fell. It takes a long time to build that tower up again, piece by piece. It's so important to understand that our words matter and can really hurt people. And you can't take them back. Sometimes they even linger after an apology.
Why is BIO Girls so important for adolescent girls? Life's circumstances don't have to define you. Having a relationship and faith in Christ, believing in and doing what's right, helping others, and believing in yourself can get you to a really great place in life. This program is a platform for many of these girls to hear this news, as well as see it through really great mentors and peers.
Meet Tabby!
I’m a wife and mom of 4 children, three girls and a boy ages 12, 11, 9, 7. Our family has a registered cow/calf ranch and lives the country life. I also work full-time as a Business Development Director for TruStone Wealth Management.
How did you first get involved? I first became aware of the program when my work sponsored the Grafton program. After doing my research, I was very intrigued and wholeheartedly thought that this program would be such an asset to my local community. In the summer of 2019 reached out to BIO Girls to learn more. After visiting with local community members, I was connected with Nikki Peterson and together we decided to start a program in Warren, MN. Our first year, 2020, was during the pandemic and we were uncertain what kind of response we would receive. The community and participant support was overwhelming, and it was God’s perfect timing as girls were in dire need of connecting with other peers and mentors as well as the lessons that BIO Girls teaches.
Share an impactful story: A BIO Girl was having a tough day and on the running route, emotions came spilling out. Walking with her, I asked if she’d like to talk and she responded that she did not so we walked in silence for a while. After about five minutes, she started sharing about what was on her mind and I was able to just listen, not give advice or suggestions, just listen. This experience was a huge lesson for me personally to realize, sometimes we don’t even know what we need when our emotions and feelings are SO BIG. Sometimes, we just need to take time in silence with someone alongside you.
Meet Tara!
I am married to Jerred (he owns Ash Grove Ag) and we have two kids, Ryker and Tynley. I am a Credit Analyst Manager at United Valley Bank and I have been teaching group fitness both in person and online for over 23 years. My hobbies include watching my kids play hockey year round, being at the lake, golfing, working out, reading, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
What has BIO Girls meant to you? I love being a part of BIO Girls and teaching girls how to hone in on faith and mental health skills that they can use their whole life as well as teaching them they are beautiful inside and out and are capable of doing big things! The best part of being involved is first of all to be a positive role model for the youth and second is being able to show my daughter how important it is to step up, volunteer, and be a leader. I love that she gets to be involved with BIO Girls right alongside me.
Do you have a favorite lesson? Kindness is Contagious. It’s a lesson I’ve been trying to live out for quite some time. I love giving compliments and trying to make others feel good. YOU can change someone day just by smiling or saying something nice. You never know what others have gone through or going through.
Meet Chelsey!
I am a Community Business Associate at Bremer in Warren. I have a 3-year-old goldendoodle named Nash I love to read, bake, workout, watch the show Friends and watch sports! I also coach junior high volleyball in the fall season!
Why do you continue to volunteer for BIO Girls year after year? I continue to volunteer because I love to be apart of a program that can have an impact on improving confidence in young girls with encouraging them in a Christian based way and teaching them how truly valuable, unique and important they are!
What does the BIO Girls mission mean to you? I think back to being a kid/teenager and how impactful something like this could have been for me and my friends. We go through these lessons each week and I can easily relate to them, even as an adult. It’s emotional sometimes. But being able to impact girls and their confidence and their self worth/value…we hope that our BIO crew is forever a positive and valuable time that these girls have taken to join BIO West Marshall!
Meet Jacki!
I am married to Eric who is a pastor at Harvest Church, Warren, MN. I love the Lord and people! I own and operate two Warren businesses: Rock Solid Nutrition and IronWheel Fitness, which fit my passion for health and fitness. I have 5 married adult children and thirteen grandchildren who I love to spend time with! I enjoy spending time with my family at the lake, (or anywhere), playing pickleball, and I am thankful for each day God gives me.
Share an impactful experience: A couple years ago I had a few girls that were really complaining as we were trying to put our mile(s) in to prepare for the 5K. After that session, I prayed about it and asked the Lord to help me because I was starting to dread that part of our session myself knowing I had to pep them up. God answered my prayer and He prompted me to write out a bunch of questions and running goals and put them in a brown bag. Some examples: What is your pet's name? Favorite thing to do after school? Take 20 giant running steps. Jog to the next stop sign. Share a favorite birthday memory. The next run, I had my bag ready with 'distractions' to get their mind off the work. We got to know each other while reaching our running goals! During the actual 5K there are more goals in the bag than questions!
Favorite Mantra? There is always something to be grateful for.
Meet Jessica!
I have been married to my husband for almost 22 years and we have 4 daughters. Each of our daughters have been involved in BIO Girls as junior mentors and/or participants. I enjoy volunteering at church, reading, going on walks, visiting with friends, Bible study, and my group cycle/strength workouts each week. I have also been involved with volunteering with kids through church teen youth group (for 17 years!), a gospel-outreach after-school club and summer clubs for elementary kids, and teaching Sunday school, among other things. I have always loved serving kids!
What has the BIO Girls mission meant to you? The part of the BIO Girls mission that turns our focus to others is the most important to me. I believe that helping others, serving others, and considering others develops character and also naturally promotes a positive self-image. I also love helping the girls set goals and discover what they can do with some determination, encouragement and comradery.
Why do you continue to mentor year after year? I have looked forward to being a mentor each year and forming new relationships with my small group, and seeing my past mentees again as well. I also enjoy the challenge of motivating girls to stretch themselves and try their best in the 5k training. I embrace every chance to be involved with sharing God’s Word with the next generation!
Individually, each volunteer brings a little something special to their BIO Girls program. But collectively speaking, this group is a force to be reckoned with! A few members of our BIO Girls team had the pleasure of speaking with the group together as they shared fond memories of years past. Full of laughter, comradery and an undeniable amount of support for each other, it was a special conversation and a true testament of the success of their program’s continued success.
Afterall, our volunteers are the heart & soul of BIO Girls and this group embodied that through and through.
How has the BIO Girls program enhanced your community?
Beginning during the pandemic and running next year’s session during the pandemic didn’t stop this crew. While there may have been hesitation from parts of the community on participation, it was clear this program was needed both for the girls and their parents. And fortunately, word spread like wildfire, allowing this community’s program to fill up year after year after year.
This volunteer crew made it clear that their BIO Girls participants are all-in on the programing - loving the curriculum and the lessons they learn to implement in their daily lives. And the same goes for their parents - often commenting how needed these life-skills lessons are for their daughters navigating their adolescence.
And for this community, participants continue to come back year after year, further proving not only the power of the programming, but the love provided from those facilitating it. This 2024 season, Marshall County West welcomes back six 6th graders who have participated in programming in their 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade years as well. Talk about some BIO Girls OGs!!!
For this humble group of women, they recognize the work they’ve put in to make it all happen, yet recognize God’s presence through it all noting his helping hand in growing and maintaining the program.
How has your community shown up to support you?
An easy question followed by countless examples of how this community continues to invest in the development of young girls.
From sharing about the programming to providing financial support to cheering on the volunteers and participants throughout the 12 weeks, this community values and supports their BIO Girls.
One example came to mind. As the group prepared for their yearly service project, they realized they would need some funds from local businesses to support the cost of supplies. So the go-getters that they are, reached out to their local businesses.
Within ten minutes, the support was overwhelming, so much so that the site leads considered when they would have to graciously decline additional support of this specific project. A true testament to this community’s generosity and support of their youth!
As volunteers and adult women, what do each of you mean to each other?
Mostly starting as acquaintances five years ago, this group has grown to love, adore and support each other, not only in the BIO Girls season but in every aspect of life.
Fondly commenting on specific characteristics in which they appreciate about each other, this group is confident that they can lean on and trust each other - no matter what. While they’ve worked hard to help their BIO Girls develop relationships with their peers, they’ve set an extraordinary example of community in their relationships with each other.
What would you tell someone who is interested, but hesitant about bringing BIO Girls to their community?
“Reward is greater than the risk.”
“1st year is the hardest, but it’s so worth it.”
“Why wouldn’t you want to invest in your community.”
“BIO Girls sells itself.”
A strong, collective, stance that BIO Girls is needed in every community because of the positive impact it makes not only on the BIO Girls, but the adult women facilitating the programming.
Year after year, this group is in awe of the positive changes, lightbulb moments and heartwarming moments that participants experience. For them, it’s all about the connection with these participants and who are we kidding, making it a fun time, that makes all the difference.
And fortunate for us, they make it happen, together!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Nikki, Taby, Tara, Chelsey, Jacki & Jessica, congratulations on FIVE years of dedication to the BIO Girls mission.
We are forever grateful for your leadership and the time and love you’ve poured into your community’s program. You have truly made a such a difference in the lives of the girls you’ve served and we’re fortunate to call you our own!!
Ready to get involved?
Register for our next Virtual Lunch and Learn!
Join us to learn more from our BIO Girls team. We will cover information on the BIO Girls mission, our proven program, as well as our volunteer roles: Site Director and Mentor.
See you there!
How can I support?
We get the volunteer role isn’t for everyone!
For just $12 a month you can support one BIO Girl’s 12-week journey through our program.
Together, we can ensure all girls have access to BIO Girls regardless of socioeconomic status.
