Terry Frankenberger

Lighthouse Guild volunteers are often the best recruiters of other volunteers, and this was the case for Terry Frankenberger. Several years ago when Terry worked in private wealth management, a client talked about his positive experiences as a Lighthouse Guild reader. Terry filed away the information, and a year and a half ago when his schedule lightened up he signed on. He and his client have been getting together virtually for two hours every week since then, and both have benefitted greatly from their work together.

“Any time you can transcend your own experiences is invigorating,” Terry says, and that has certainly been true of his work with a woman having an especially inspiring background. An Afghan refugee, Terry’s client came to the US 25 years ago and was blinded in a subway attack. She turned tragedy into opportunity, starting a foundation for other Afghan refugees and pursuing a career in social work. During their time together, Terry has supported her with reading related to her graduate studies and has assisted her in applying for her PhD. He also helps with her correspondence, as well as online and phone interactions with customer service and other contacts. In addition, Terry’s experience as an executive in a nonprofit organization has been valuable as he advises his client on foundation matters. 

“Learning about my client’s journey has been a regenerating experience for me, and it is truly an honor and a pleasure to work with her,” notes Terry. “Our time together is not only incredibly rewarding, it is also a joy.” Based on his positive involvement as a Lighthouse Guild reader, it would not be at all surprising if he were to recruit others to this role.