Martha Moore Gomez already has a full schedule as a busy human resources executive for a homebuilding company Mattamy Homes. Work travel takes her throughout North America, but when it comes to volunteering for MDA, she says, “You make time for what’s important to you, and this is what’s important to me.”

After relocating to the Orlando-area, Martha met staff from MDA’s Central Florida Office, early in 2016. Martha says that partnering with MDA “felt like the right fit.”

It was a perfect match. “Martha dived head first. She is a very driven individual and a wonderful example of what having a heart of volunteering is all about,” says Kathryn Arblaster, the former Director of Business Development for the region.

Last year, not only was Martha on the Executive Committee for the MDA Toast to Life Gala, she also kicked off the area’s first annual MDA Golf Classic presented by Mattamy Homes. She concedes that she “knew absolutely nothing about golf” when the planning began, but adds, “I knew golf has incredible potential to raise a lot of money. People love golf in Florida. That’s part of why so many people live there: It’s the weather and golf.”

Despite her lack of experience on the green, Martha turned out to be a natural at raising green. With help from some of Mattamy’s vendors whom Martha recruited to participate in the MDA Golf Classic as well as her colleagues at Mattamy Homes, Martha helped raise nearly $40,000 for MDA.

“It’s very rewarding to see everyone else get involved for the right reasons,” Martha says of the day on the links. “It’s not just that they’re going out and playing golf with their buddies. They actually believe in what we do, in MDA.”

Martha may make it look easy, but Kathryn says she has a lot going on behind the scenes. “Martha puts in 110 percent in everything she puts her mind to,” she says. “She is constantly traveling throughout the continent for her job, yet she will stay up late and make the time she promises to fulfill her role as a volunteer for MDA.”

Given the success of the first golf tournament, Martha was eager to get to work making the 2017 event bigger and better.

“We sent out of the email saying we were having our second Golf Classic, and we’ve already had so many responses. In fact, I think we’ve already had $25,000 commitments year to date, and our golf classic isn’t even until September,” Martha says.

Martha also had the opportunity attend the MDA Summer Camp last year and meet some of the campers. “It really was a great education for me,” she says. “When you get to be there, talk with kids, see families, it makes you see and feel why it’s so worth it.”

Martha credits her successes to her partnership with the Central Florida MDA office. Kathryn returns the compliment. “Martha is really making a difference here in Orlando. She is just a pleasure to work with.”

Martha isn’t slowing down when it comes to her volunteering efforts this year and beyond. She’s on the MDA Toast to Life Executive Committee again, and she is looking forward to attending the MDA Summer Camp again with even more support from Mattamy Homes.

“This year, we’ll have a full team there,” she says. “It’s just breathtaking and simply beautiful, learning and understanding it all. I hope to be able to impart and share those experiences with those who I work with and get them involved.”

To anyone considering partnering with MDA, she would encourage them “to come be involved because the heartfelt reward is worth more than anything you could ever ask for,” she says. “It’s beyond getting someone to write a check.”

Learn more about volunteering with MDA!