Benton resident follows passion for volunteering to national post
Benton resident follows passion for volunteering to national post
Lauren Benson Lisowe said she knows only two speeds — stop and go.
“I either go full force or sit on the back porch and unwind,” she said, laughing. “It’s either the kids that keep me going full force, or my work or my volunteering. But I love it all.”
Lisowe, 36, volunteers for several organizations, but her primary focus recently has been the Junior Auxiliary of Saline County. She has taken that involvement a step further. In May, she was elected marketing vice president and public relations chairwoman of the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries Inc., a service organization that is active in seven states — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.
“I am excited about it. It’s a pretty neat thing for me and our local chapter,” she said.
“But I’m not sure yet what the job will entail. I know I will have to go to some meetings in Greenville, Mississippi, which is our headquarters,” Lisowe said.
“As the public-relations chairman, I will be promoting Junior Auxiliary on a national level, helping local chapters promote themselves and the national organization,” she said. “As far as the marketing part of the job, that is still not clear. I don’t think the job description for that position has been updated in 14 years. I will just have to work my way through it.”
Born in Benton, Lisowe attended schools in the Bryant School District, as well as the Benton School District, but graduated from Benton High School in 1999. She is a daughter of Danny and Deanna Benson of Mountain View and Jill and Larry Lapaglia of Bryant. Lisowe has a brother, Ross Benson, who lives with his wife, Amie, and their 2-year-old son, Emmitt, in Conway.
Following high school graduation, Lisowe attended the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.
“Initially, I wanted to be a pilot in the Navy and then go on to be an astronaut,” she said.
“I was accepted to Georgia Tech on a Navy ROTC scholarship, as well as a Presidential Scholarship, but once I got there and started training, I discovered the military life was not for me.
“I changed my major to management and graduated from Georgia Tech in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree in management with a minor in marketing,” she said.
“I stayed in Atlanta for 12 years,” said Lisowe, who is now a single mother of two young children. “As the kids got older, I wanted to get closer to my family, so I moved back home in 2011 after my daughter was born.”
Lisowe’s children are Braden, 9, and Amelia, 6.
Lisowe now works in the field of information technology, designing medical-payment systems for a variety of clients.
“I work on the computer from home, all day, every day,” she said, laughing, “but part of the job is interfacing with clients, and I do enjoy that. I create solutions for them and get to talk to them, solving any unexpected challenges that come with it.”
Her at-home job gives her the flexibility to work with the many organizations that are important to her.
“My job allows me to pursue my passion for volunteering,” she said.
Her No. 1 volunteer organization is the Junior Auxiliary of Saline County.
“I grew up going to Junior Auxiliary meetings with my mother. JA has always been in my blood as far back as I can remember,” she said.
“I joined in 2011 when I moved back home. I knew I needed to do something to get back into the community,” Lisowe said.
“We changed our constitution last year, so a woman does not necessarily have to be recommended to become a member but can apply for membership. A lot of women have expressed an interest in joining,” Lisowe said.
“We will accept a provisional class of up to 20 who serve a sixmonth training period. They have to pass certain requirements before they can become active members. You can serve as an active member for five years,” she said.
“I just finished my term as president of JA of Saline County. In that one year, I volunteered over 400 hours,” she said.
“As president, I helped initiate a new project — Rockstar Readers at Angie Grant Elementary School in Benton,” Lisowe said. “JA members read books to second- and third-graders for one semester, and at the end, we gave each child a new book.
“At that ceremony, we all dressed up as superheroes,” she said. “I dressed as Wonder Woman. We hope to do this project every year. We want to keep the kids excited about reading.”
Lisowe just completed a threeyear term on the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Saline County’s board of directors.
“I was fundraising chairman for two years,” she said.
She also volunteers with Saline County Safe Haven, a nonprofit organization that helps victims of domestic violence and abuse.
“Safe Haven is special to me. I am a survivor of domestic violence. I started as a volunteer there to help with fundraising and am now the secretary and a member of the board,” she said.
“I’ve become very involved with the women we serve,” Lisowe said. “I share my experience with the women and help them get through it. I sought the help of a similar agency in Georgia; it was very helpful for me.
“Working with Safe Haven is very emotional but very rewarding. It’s so important to be there for them.”
Lisowe volunteered for two years with the Boys & Girls Club of Bryant, serving on its fundraising committee. She helped plan the annual Starlight Gala.
“I taught an etiquette class there one year,” she said.
Her children keep her busy with their activities.
“I run a taxi service,” she said, laughing.
“Braden likes to do a lot of things,” she said. “He is in Cub Scouts and takes karate. He also likes being in plays; he was just in Disney’s Aladdin Kids with the Young Players at the Royal Theatre in Benton.
“Amelia has found something and is sticking with it,” Lisowe said, laughing. “For the past two years, she has been involved in competitive dance. I danced for 15 years myself, so I can understand it.”
Lisowe attends Midtowne Church in Benton. She is a member of the Young Professionals Network through the Greater Bryant Chamber of Commerce.
When asked what she might be doing in 10 years, Lisowe said, “I’ll still be a mom, but I won’t be the taxi driver.
“I’ve toyed with the idea of a career in the nonprofit world.”