Making A Difference

My name is Jesse Barash, and I live in Olivette with my wife of 43 years; both of our adult kids live in the Pacific Northwest. I had a long and successful career of 33 years at Nestle Purina Pet Care followed by several years of consulting.

During my free time, I enjoy hiking & taking long walks, reading and listening to music, especially Jazz & Blues.

I decided to become a STL Oasis volunteer because I wanted to expand beyond my current volunteer position at Children’s Hospital that I have held for seven years. Oasis has given me a great opportunity to give back and contribute to the St. Louis community. My experience has been very positive. I look forward to continuing to volunteer for Oasis for a long time.

The training provided by veteran office volunteers has been terrific. I have received great guidance and encouragement…Read more. from both Amy Neuman, Volunteer Manager and from Allision Woodworth, Education Program Manager. They have been very accommodating in scheduling my volunteer times around my other commitments. Also, they have been open to my suggestions on how to make the responsibilities easier and simpler.

I highly recommend volunteering as a technical assistant. It is not terribly time consuming, and I have learned new skills even though I possess some basic knowledge of Zoom. I am glad my role as a technical assistant helps those Oasis participants who want to attend classes but who prefer to not do so in person.

We are grateful to have a host of dedicated and hard-working volunteers like Jesse! If you want to give back to community in a meaningful way, then consider becoming an Oasis volunteer. Winston Churchill said it best, “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.”

Click on the button below to learn STL Oasis volunteer opportunities currently available, such as class coordinators and office admin support. Join the Oasis volunteer team. We need YOU!