The Times Are a Changin’

Women: Getting and Giving… More and More

As Lasallian Volunteers approaches its 25th year, one trend stands out clearly: the steady rise of women volunteers year after year.

What began with pioneering women stepping into unfamiliar spaces has become a powerful movement. One early trailblazer, Betsy Nolan, helped spark what would eventually total 425 combined years of service by women across the country — from the Tenderloin in California to the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana to the South Bronx in New York. As one of the first women to volunteer with the Christian Brothers, she served at La Salle Academy on Manhattan’s Lower East Side from 1983–1985.

By 1998, women made up 50% of Lasallian Volunteers — more than a decade before women reached that milestone across the global Lasallian network. Today, women account for over 75% of the program.

In 2010, women surpassed 50% of Lasallian partners and Brothers worldwide for the first time in the 300+ year history of St. John Baptist de La Salle’s educational mission. The momentum continued with the first Lasallian Women’s Conference in Thailand in 2011, drawing participants from around the globe.

A Different Kind of Pilgrimage

Women who leave the comfort of home and college to serve in unfamiliar cities discover something deeper than volunteer work — they find community.

Many describe forming lifelong relationships with the De La Salle Christian Brothers and becoming part of a family built on shared mission and faith.

“I am blessed to have had the opportunity to build relationships with the Brothers through my work. These amazing men have become role models, mentors, and family.”
— Alisa Macksey (LV 00–02)

For a 330-year-old male religious order, the inclusion of women has been both courageous and transformative.

Volunteers often speak about bringing a “special touch” to community life and to the young people they serve — a presence marked by empathy, softness, and relational strength.

“We were softer and sometimes could relate to our kids in a unique way.”
— Ashley Salvaggio (LV 07–09)

That influence has reshaped communities in lasting ways — deep friendships, wedding guests, godparents, lifelong bonds.

Leadership Reimagined

Historically, Lasallian leadership emphasized achievement, discipline, and strategic focus. Women have expanded that circle by contributing adaptability, empathy, connectedness, and harmony.

Superior General Brother Álvaro described women’s participation as essential:

“Their presence will help to construct a more humane and community-centered society; help to reexamine ways of thinking; help to situate the entire Lasallian world differently in history and help to organize social, political, economic and religious life in a way that can be more intuitive and relational.”

These intuitive and relational strengths are increasingly vital in volunteer placements that involve mentoring, small-group leadership, and student-centered support.

“The Lasallian mission is one where the focus is always the children — whether male or female, Brother or Partner.”
— Jolleen Wagner (LV 04–07)

Growth — Personal and Communal

For many women, the experience shapes both identity and vocation.

“I grew as a person and as a woman when I was an LV — in prayer, in relationships, in confidence. I am a stronger woman now because of the experience.”
— Ashley Salvaggio

Women volunteers help young women envision their own leadership and potential. They embody the Lasallian value of association — walking with others in faith and service.

They are also part of something historic.

Women today continue a legacy that includes influential women in De La Salle’s own life, such as Nicolle Moët de Brouillet, Madame Maillefer, and Sister Louise. Their presence affirms that the founding story is still unfolding.

The Circle Continues

Women Lasallian Volunteers are a small but significant part of the renewal of the Lasallian family in our century.

They bring hands that serve.
Hearts that care.
Minds that lead.

And they ensure that the circle of faith, service, and community continues — stronger than ever.