Martineau Family
“Finding ways to give back to the community is an important part of our lives,” says Carolyn Martineau. “I began volunteering as a habit in my youth, and I wanted our daughters to develop that same relationship.”
Every month, Carolyn sits down with their 10-year-old twin girls, Allison and Evelyn, to pick a Honeycomb project based on their interests and schedules. The family loves the wide variety of events that are offered and appreciate the educational aspects that each project provides.
“Our first project was Be a Holiday Hero, creating craft kits at the Honeycomb office for children staying at hospitals. We liked it right off the bat,” continues Carolyn. “Projects at Sew Crafty Studio and One Tail at a Time are favorites with Allison and Evelyn too. The girls really like being given the opportunity to "own" an independent part of each project that makes up a piece of the bigger puzzle.”
Carolyn has also spread the word about The Honeycomb Project at the girls' school, Abraham Lincoln Elementary. She co-leads the school’s Kindness Club, which invites students and their families to join in community service. Most recently, Carolyn coordinated with Honeycomb and their partner organization, Ignite, to maintain and harvest produce from the garden at a facility for youth experiencing homelessness. They're continuing that partnership in October by setting up a collection site at the school to gather Halloween costume donations for the Honeycomb Hive Drive in partnership with Be Alright.
“Volunteering is a way to be in the world and to feel connected to the greater community,” says Carolyn. “Allison and Evelyn expect to help out once a month, and they especially look forward to having fun at Honeycomb projects with kids their age and the families there while doing it. My husband also volunteers at their school, and recently took the lead on coordinating their annual PTA Book Fair.”
Outside of attending Honeycomb Project events, the Martineau family keeps busy. Carolyn is a Neurobiology Professor at The University of Chicago and her husband Michael is in Global Procurement at United Airlines. Both are avid runners that have completed over a dozen marathons. Allison enjoys running cross country and track, rock climbing and swimming. Evelyn enjoys ballet, bike riding, and sewing. The family lives in Lincoln Park and loves to travel, taking annual hiking trips to National Parks and regular visits to Disney.