Most Impactful
Volunteer: Julie Allen

As a former government worker and advocate for voter education, Julie Allen is no stranger to civic engagement. She’s worked with numerous organizations, including Jefferson City Historic Community Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Jefferson City NAACP; and she is involved in her church. Julie explains that she got involved because she believes the biggest impacts in life can be made by someone taking action when a need arises.  

“When I see a need, I think, ‘If a regular person doesn’t step forward, who is going to do it?’ It takes regular people to help, and that’s what I strive to do.” 

Now retired, she is able to invest much of her time in the community but acknowledges that not everyone may have as much time to give. Julie formerly worked as elections director for the Secretary of State and says her time working in government shaped her viewpoint around civic involvement.  

“I saw how everybody’s vote counts, so voting is an easy way that everyone can give,” Julie says. 

In addition to being a voting advocate and helping to educate people on laws, she believes that small, everyday acts are a form of giving.  

“Sometimes it’s the small things like smiling, saying thank you, and being kind.” 

Julie is truly passionate about volunteering and spreading kindness; so when her dad asked her to research his genealogy, Julie, a self-proclaimed history buff, happily agreed to help. During the time she spent putting together her father’s ancestry, Julie unearthed information about slavery in Osage County, which is where she grew up.  

Each time she learned a new person’s name, she felt compelled to share about their lives. Over the course of two years, she spent countless hours digging through research, compiling the information, and writing a book titled “A History of the Enslaved People of Osage County.” She is currently working on a similar book based on research she has done in Cole County.  

“I realized I was living a life where I didn’t understand other people’s perspectives, and I wanted to get to know people who weren’t exactly like me,” Julie says. “Sometimes it’s easy to volunteer with an organization where everyone is like you, but I encourage people to step outside their comfort zone and find people who are of a different race or religion, come from a different socio-economic background, or have different beliefs than you.”