Amparo Atencio sits on bench dedicated in memory of her son.
Amparo Atencio, a 28-year ORAU employee is always among the first to lift her hand when there’s a need. From volunteering to help the Employees’ Club, ORAU’s Diversity Council or a company committee, Atencio’s name has been on many lists. She has participated in several ORAU-supported events over the years including a Habitat for Humanity build, sponsored a co-worker who was raising money for cancer research, joined another co-worker in a walk to raise awareness for juvenile diabetes, distributed toys at the Holiday Bureau’s annual event, helped package meals during ORISE’s Rise against Hunger event, picked up litter at Clark Center Park as part of ORAU’s Go Green initiative and regularly serves as a timekeeper for the Tennessee Science Bowl. Outside of ORAU she has mentored high school students in the Tennessee Promise program, cleaned up river banks with Ijams River Rescue, pulled weeds at the Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge and donated supplies to Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC).
After reading this list, you may be surprised to learn that Atencio says she hasn’t always been an eager volunteer. Her passion for helping others went through a dry spell and was reignited about eight years ago as she was healing through personal tragedy. On Aug. 8, 2011, she lost all purpose when she lost her 22-year-old son.
“When I was told that my only child had been murdered, that was the beginning of the world going dark,” Atencio said. The grieving mother described her life after that day as though she was walking through a fog. For a while, she dropped volunteering and activities she used to love.
“My son would have been my legacy, but not having a child [on Earth] and not having family in Tennessee, I had to start thinking about what kind of purpose and what kind of meaning my life would have if I was going to move forward.”
Atencio pushed through and finished her master’s degree in adult education that she was working toward when her son died. She says she trudged forward just one step at a time, and after several years, she was able to see a little more clearly. “I could see that I was going to live, but I didn't know how,” Atencio explained.
As the fog lifted, Atencio started to reengage causes that matter and have meaning to her. It was through meditative walks and hikes that she started to feel alive again. Because she felt most connected to her son in nature, she picked back up with clearing the holly bush gardens at the UT Arboretum on volunteer days.
She loves animals, so she returned to ORAU’s Helping Paws Animal Network (HPAN). She’s now the HPAN board’s secretary, a position she’s held for several years. In fact, Atencio loves this organization so much, she wanted to fill more of her time with helping animals. That led her to being a volunteer dog walker and helping to socialize cats at the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter before she decided the best way she could serve animals is to adopt senior cats, giving them shelter and comfort in their golden years.
In the job setting, Atencio is always on the lookout for ways to help co-workers. “I found volunteering as a good way to just interact with people outside of my department and get to know about activities and events that are happening beyond the 9 to 5 day-to-day operations. And in a different kind of environment, that can bring a lot of fun to the workplace,” she said.
Amparo Atencio encourages coworkers to give back through community service
Atencio encourages her co-workers to get involved with her on the generosity journey and volunteer. In speaking of her experience with the Holiday Bureau of Anderson County, she described it like this: “It seems like it's just a long day of being on your feet, grabbing a bag and filling it repeatedly. But it's not just that moment in time,” she smiled. “It's that you get to the end of the aisles, and you see the gratitude on a mama's face—knowing that she's going to be able to provide Christmas gifts for her kids.”
The next time there is a call to action, Atencio invites you to join her. She says she knows her legacy is richer now that her goals are focused outward. “My life will matter because I made a difference, at least to that one little kitty. At least to that one mama. At least to that one community that now has a road with fewer cans and wrappers all over.” It’s beauty from ashes, and Atencio hopes it inspires everyone around her.