Volunteer Profile: Mollie Franke, Personnel & Volunteer Coordinator
Written by: Laura Diekema
Mollie comes from a long line of veterans. Her grandfather, father, and Mollie herself have all served in the military, she has lived all over the United States with her family, moving almost every three years. She even lived in the Philippines! No wonder she has a passion for travel! Mollie is a retired Lieutenant Colonel and she is married to a veteran, too. She’s also a proud mom to her two kids, a son studying NYU in Shanghai and a daughter in high school.
Mollie started practicing yoga in 2002 with friends in graduate school. Yoga was not part of her active duty military experience, but she incorporated it into her life after separating from the service. She finds a personal calm from yoga, and continued to practice it as her children grew and her husband’s career took them to locations far from family.
Mollie was drawn to VYP when her family moved to Heidelberg Germany (fun fact – Mollie speaks German!) and she was looking for a way to combine her interest in serving veterans and her constantly growing love of yoga. When she found the VYP website and connected with Simone, our German Regional Director, that connection lit a spark within. When Mollie and her family moved back to the US in 2018 she was really inspired and ready to engage more with VYP.
As Personnel and Volunteer Coordinator, Mollie connects volunteers with projects by working with the executive team to see where a volunteer’s time and talent can be best utilized. She truly enjoys the privilege of reaching out to new applicants and learning their stories. Mollie is currently working to become a MRCF facilitator and the Area Manager for Nashville, Tennessee.
When we asked Mollie if there was anything she wished people knew about Veterans Yoga Project, yoga, and/or helping veterans, she told us this, “Veterans Yoga Project has the most amazing volunteers; we are a virtual organization and yet we have a strong community that continues to grow. As a veteran, this is personal to me and I am grateful to be a part of this movement.”
Interested in working with Veterans Yoga Project? Consider becoming a volunteer. Or, take one of our teacher training classes in Mindful Resilience for Trauma and give back to veterans in need.
