Shelley Hundley was nominated in last month’s edition as a stellar person of prominence who gives so much of herself to her community. Here, she speaks about her background, the event she now oversees each year and how we as a community can get involved!
Tell us about your formative years. Where did you grow up, and what were your early experiences that shaped who you are today?
I spent my childhood in Spindale (Rutherford County), NC with both of my parents and an older sister. When I was only 18 months old and my sister was 3.5 years old, our family was faced with an immense, life-changing challenge. That morning, my mother woke up and realized that she could not move or feel anything below her waist. She had not been sick, had not fallen or had any injury prior to this happening. She lost more and more mobility as she got older and spent her last eight to ten years fully wheelchair-bound. My mother taught elementary self-contained special education, and she was no doubt an inspiration to her students and their families because she never let her disability stop her. I was taught that my mom’s students may have a different ability level than other students but that they were no less than anyone else.
My freshman year of college, I ended up taking a part time job working with a little boy with autism. I received a bachelor’s of arts degree in education of students with mental disabilities as well as my masters of education of students with learning disabilities. I have taught high school resource, occupational courses of study and self-contained classes. My last four years working in a school district was as the district-wide Applied Behavior Analysis and Transition Specialist.
Tell us all about the organization you lead.
Joy Prom is an annual, full-scale, community-sponsored prom for guests age 16 and older with different abilities and special needs. Joy Prom has been held at Truist Stadium for the last two years and will be held there again this year. When guests arrive for the evening, they enter the venue down the red carpet with a cheering crowd clapping and waving at them. While they are at prom, there are opportunities to have their photos professionally taken, play bingo and other fun games. It is definitely an unforgettable evening for our guests, caregivers and volunteers!
Since 2015, Joy Prom has grown from 100 special needs guests and approximately 150 volunteers to 355 guests and approximately 600 volunteers in 2023! Over the past few years, Joy Prom has not only grown in guests and volunteers but also in donors. Because many of our guests, volunteers and donors come from outside the Winston-Salem area, we chose to rebrand ourselves to Joy Prom Piedmont-Triad in order to truly represent the areas that we serve.
I have held multiple leadership positions with Joy Prom since 2015 and took over as the executive director in 2020. I also started and run The Fairy Godmother’s Closet each year that provides our female guests with prom attire.
Give us perspective into what satisfaction you gain from what you do on a daily basis.
I have gotten an incredible amount of joy from being involved with Joy Prom for the past nine years. I have not only met but have created meaningful relationships with many of our guests, caregivers, volunteers and the businesses that have chosen to support Joy Prom financially or through in-kind donations.
Provide an example of a time that moved you deeply when helping others like you do.
I could give so many examples of times that I have been deeply moved by being a part of Joy Prom. Honestly, every time we hold an event, the hugs and the pure joy that I see radiate from our guests, the caregivers, our volunteers and anyone else who is involved that evening is more fulfilling for my soul than one could ever imagine.
Specifically, how can our readers help your organization?
Joy Prom 2024 will be held on Friday, October 11, 2024 at Truist Stadium.
As you can imagine, holding an event this large takes months of planning, hundreds of volunteers and an incredible amount of financial support. We are still in need of financial support! If you wish to donate to Joy Prom, make an online donation at loveoutloud.salsalabs.org/JoyProm/ or you can also mail a check or money order to:
“Joy Prom, c/o Love Out Loud, P.O. Box 20912, Winston-Salem, NC 27120.”
We still have some needs on our planning team and need 500-600 volunteers on the day and night of Joy Prom. These volunteers help with everything from setup and break down to serving food and running games, and our largest area of need is for people to volunteer to serve as a host or hostess for our guests throughout the evening. If you are interested in volunteering for Joy Prom in any way, please visit our website at joypromwinstonsalem.org for more information.
Nominate someone as a person of prominence, and give us insight into what makes him or her unique.
I would like to nominate Carmen Canales as a person of prominence. To me, Carmen is the epitome of a strong woman. Carmen not only has an incredibly impressive professional resume, she also has learned how to balance a very demanding career, volunteering on many boards and still is able to maintain strong family and friend relationships.
