Giving Back Is in Style

By Kirsten Birkedal

Originally published in Riverside Lawyer, December 2007

“Wigs are for Wimps!,” Kristi Robinson Olsen proclaimed in an entry from her daily online journal about her recent battle with breast cancer. It was September 2007, and Kristi had just completed her last treatment. Kristi explained that she “felt empowered to go around bald” because she had survived cancer. Kristi was only 38 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. In reflecting back on that time, Kristi said, “I had always been a strong person, but the cancer sure kicked that up to a whole new level.” The experience also made Kristi aware of how much she depended on the support of her family and friends during that difficult time, especially when she was at her weakest points. Kristi became very aware of the fact that not everyone in this world is so fortunate as to have a support network in place. As a result, Kristi’s experience only solidified her passion for giving back to those who are in need. According to Kristi, “Those of us who are strong need to step up and provide whatever assistance we can in the community to help those who are weaker and/or less fortunate.”

Even before she was faced with one of her toughest challenges, Kristi exemplified a passion for giving back. Family friend and next-door neighbor to her parents, Dave Moore of Reid & Hellyer, has known Kristi most of her life and praises Kristi as “a very engaging person who shows great compassion and strength and has always been an active force in our community.” Like most attorneys, Kristi has a busy work schedule; she is a trusts and estates lawyer at Varner & Brandt. When she is not working, Kristi devotes the majority of time to her family, which includes her husband Craig and their four-year old daughter Mallory. Yet despite her full schedule, Kristi still finds time to give back to her community.

Kristi first learned about the importance of giving back from her parents, James and Barbara Robinson. Kristi’s father is the Director, Chairman of the Board, and CEO of Security Bank of California. Kristi’s mother is recently retired from Bank of America. Both Jim and Barbara serve on the University of California Riverside Foundation Board as well as the Board of the Loma Linda Children’s Hospital. As a result of her parents’ positive influence, Kristi and her brother Jamie Robinson also became involved with their community. In fact, on July 13, 2006, the Robinson family was honored with an award for their outstanding service to the Riverside community from the Family Services Association of Western Riverside County.

Kristi found her first opportunity to become involved with the community when she became a member of the Junior League of Riverside after she graduated from McGeorge School of Law in 1998. Kristi believes that Junior League gave her exposure to many local charitable organizations in need of volunteers. One of the Junior League projects Kristi fondly remembers being a part of was a mentorship program for girls in elementary and middle school. The purposes of the program were to build the girls’ overall self-confidence and to help with their school work.

Soon after joining Junior League, Kristi also joined the Avant Garde Committee, which is associated with the Riverside Art Museum. The purpose of Avant Garde is to encourage younger generations to get more involved with arts and culture. At the time, Avant Garde’s focus was on raising money for the children’s art museum. Through her volunteer work with Junior League and Avant Garde, Krist soon realized that she wanted to become more involved in improving the lives of children. As a result, Kristi next became involved with the Olive Crest Abused Children’s Foundation of the Inland Empire. Olive Crest provides residential homes for children in the Inland Empire who have been neglected or abused so that they can live and go to school safely. Olive Crest also coordinates foster and adoption services. Kristi currently serves as a Trustee of Olive Crest’s Inland Empire Foundation. Kristi is proud to be a part of Olive Crest because its numerous programs help children who otherwise might not have a chance either emotionally and physically.

As part of her work with Olive Crest, Kristi helped organize one of its most successful fundraisers, the annual “Black-Tie Bowling” event. Kristi noted that this event was the brainchild of local fundraiser extraordinaire Sue Mitchell. Kristi eagerly helped organize the first Black-Tie Bowling event and then served in the event again on its fifth anniversary. Kristi emphasizes the event’s growing popularity through the years, because it is not your average black-tie fundraiser. The Sixth Annual Olive Crest Black-Tie Bowling event will take place on May 14, 2008.

In addition to her work with Olive Crest, Kristi has also raised funds for Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital’s “Big Hearts for Little Hearts” Guild. This program provides much-needed comfort for hospitalized children, including a regularly scheduled story hour, a garden for the children to see from their hospital rooms and a redecorated family waiting room.

Most recently, Kristi became Honorary Co-Chair of the second annual “Shop to Stop Breast Cancer” event, which is scheduled for March 31, 2008. The event proceeds will support the nonprofit Inland Agency’s Breast Health Program, which offers about 15,000 free mammograms a year to local women. In addition, the program has recently received a grant to provide breast cancer detection services to women who are 40 and younger. As a recent survivor of breast cancer herself, Kristi understands the impact the disease has on the community and wants to take action to help other women. Shop to Stop Breast Cancer is also unique in that it offers an opportunity for donors to give money to the cause and at the same time shop and socialize at a special boutique set up for the event. Kristi emphasizes the importance of early detection and having access to mammograms for all women, even women under the age of 40.

Kristi also finds time to lend a helping hand at her firm, Varner & Brandt. In fact, Kristi states that her partners strongly encourage their attorneys and staff to give back to the community. For example, each year the firm takes part in a program called “Shoes that Fit.” The purpose of the program is to provide new or gently worn shoes for local elementary school children in need. Kristi and her coworkers enjoy taking part in a program, which requires little effort but returns high rewards for the children.

Based on her volunteer experience, Kristi encourages her peers to volunteer on a regular basis; she points out that her fellow lawyers do not have to limit their volunteerism to pro bono legal work, but can give back to their community in other ways. While Kristi enjoys practicing law, she also finds pleasure in occasionally stepping out of her lawyer shoes and doing something different to help her community. Like Kristi, we should all make an effort to give back to our community, not just during the holiday season, but throughout the year.

Kirsten S. Birkedal is a member of the Bar Publications Committee and an associate attorney at Thompson & Colegate LLP in Riverside. To learn more about the organizations that Kristi Robinson Olsen is involved with, please feel free to contact her at kro@varnerbrandt.com. To learn more about Olive Crest and its annual Black-Tie Bowling fundraiser, go to www.olivecrest.org.

Mallory Olsen and Clary Mundy show off the beautiful beaded purses they got at "Shop to Stop Breast Cancer" last year. Don't miss Shop to Stop Breast Cancer 2008! Click here to learn more about it.