By Wendy Miller, Director of WV Birth to Three RAU-1
Finding words to describe Beckey Weigand is like using crayons to create a Michelangelo; she is a human masterpiece, a living work of art. Beckey came to work with West Virginia Birth to Three over 8 years ago through Retired Seniors Volunteer Program. At first glance, Beckey is quiet, patient, and pleasant, but a closer look uncovers unwavering integrity, gentle humility and selflessness amid daily pain a painful musculoskeletal disorder whose victims are often plagued by widespread pain, fatigue, and concentration concerns. Never once has she complained. Beckey’s selflessness, positive attitude, and advocacy serve as a model. We look to her quiet leadership as a beacon. She is a silent champion, steadfastly helping the most vulnerable conquer goals and fulfill dreams.
Our agency works with children from birth until three years of age who have a developmental 
delay or who are at risk for a developmental delay. Initially Beckey’s role was to keep children’s files in order by completing the mundane task of filing; however, her contribution has grown. She labels, copies, completes tasks before we recognize they need completed. She has scrubbed, shredded, and stacked, labeled, moved furniture and rearranged.
The work she does may seem insignificant to others, but to us, and the thousands of families and children’s lives she has impacted, Beckey is irreplaceable. It seems as if each file is not a binder of papers, but is a child born with cerebral palsy, an infant who is learning to see the world through her blindness. These families and children may never utter the name of our priceless volunteer, and Beckey would not ask for their gratitude or the spotlight, but their lives are forever enriched by the dedication, devotion, and heartfelt love Beckey pours into each task she completes.
Beckey is a woman of many talents. She is kind, intelligent, and hard-working. She could excel in a Fortune-500 company and build an impressive bank account. Instead, she shares her gifts freely and often. In addition to volunteering with WVBTT, Beckey organizes the food pantry at Warwood Christian Church, is in charge of Operation Christmas Child for the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, and for years has helped prepare tax returns through the RSVP program. She gives more hours in a week than most are paid to work in two. Beckey’s willingness to help without monetary compensation inspires us to give 110% when doing our job and example has even inspired us to offer our time for events through the years.
In 1972, MIT meteorologist, Edward Lorenz, wrote “Does the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?” Beckey may be evidence that the “butterfly effect” prediction is true. Each of our lives is enriched by Beckey’s action and words. We are inspired by her gifts: honesty, integrity, dedication. With each encounter we are changed for the good and are a little kinder, patient, and loving. While Beckey works tirelessly in the office, we carry her essence to the children and families we serve. Much like the Grand Canyon was majestically fashioned by a gentle stream, Beckey shapes lives of those who may never know her.
