Branch Ambassador, Hike it Baby Muncie, Indiana Hike it Baby runs on volunteer power and we want to recognize the amazing individuals that donate their time and energy to make Hike it Baby thrive. This month, we caught up with Paige Forberber, the Hike it Baby Calendar Team Captain. The Hike it Baby calendar team personally reviews and approves an average of 1,600 hikes per month, with most hikes approved in 6 hours or less! Paige is a Wisconsin native living in Indiana and a stay-at-home mom to two children, Danny age four and Ada age three months. Before becoming a mom and moving to Indiana, Paige worked as a phlebotomist for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. She loved it and loved working with kids! Her family enjoys traveling, camping and hiking.
In February of 2017, I became a branch co-ambassador, and in June of 2017, I became a volunteer for the calendar team.
My branch co-ambassador, Kassy Patrick, started the Muncie, Indiana branch a few months before I joined. I can be pretty introverted, but with just having had my son in January of 2016 and living in a new state with no family or friends I was in need of a community. Kassy had posted about Hike it Baby in a local mom’s Facebook group. I enjoyed hiking and time in nature in general, so once the weather warmed up a bit I decided it was now or never, and went to my first hike.
My Hike it Baby branch members are my people! They are my home away from home and my support system. Without them, my life in Indiana would not be what it is today and I’m so thankful for that. I want others to have a similar experience, so that is what keeps me motivated to volunteer in my branch as a host and branch ambassador and on the calendar team!
The best thing about the calendar team for me is when you are approving hikes you get to see what everyone else is doing in their branches. It helps to get the creative hike juices flowing! The calendar team supports each other and we truly are the definition of a team. You want to join the calendar team because you’ll be joining another Hike it Baby family! Hike it Baby relies on volunteers like Paige to help our growing non-profit meet our goal of connecting families with young children to nature and each other. We currently have over 70 national volunteers and over 370 volunteer branch ambassadors. Learn how you can get involved in Hike it Baby through membership, by making a donation, or connecting with your local branch.
Hike it Baby is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to getting families outdoors and on trails across the U.S. and internationally, supporting, educating and inspiring families through their more than 300 communities across North America. Since its grassroots inception in 2013 in Portland, Oregon, Hike it Baby is now a growing community of 270,000 families and 500 volunteer branch ambassadors hosting more than 1,600 hikes per month. More information, as well as daily hike schedules, can be found at HikeitBaby.com, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram. Images courtesy of Paige Forberger.
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