Warm Welcomes with Boni Jensen

Boni Jensen has volunteering in her genes. 

“My mother volunteered tons. She was a mover,” said Boni, who herself has been referred to as “the Energizer bunny” on more than one occasion. “I can't imagine life without volunteering.” 

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Boni has volunteered for many organizations throughout her life, starting in her childhood home of Kenosha and moving to her current home in Green Lake. 

Since buying her Green Lake home in 1989, Boni has volunteered around the community in countless ways. She has pulled weeds around town, serves as the treasurer for the Green Lake Bird & Nature Club and has been a dedicated Town Square volunteer since 2013. 

“I like to be part of the community so I helped with things here at Town Square and it kind of morphed along,” she said. 

Boni’s warm smile and enthusiastic greetings quickly made her a Town Square legend. A grandmother to eight grandchildren, Boni treats every Town Square guest like one of her own. In 2017, Boni became a key member of Town Square’s Mission Control team - a group of committed weekly volunteers who served as front desk greeters to all those who came to the community center.

“When people come in here, I like to suggest points of interest and give them a little history of what has happened around here,” Boni said. “And reminisce with people who are from here. I just like to make people feel welcome.”

Volunteers are the lifeblood of Town Square. This crystallized in 2017 with the formation of the Mission Control team. For Boni, the best part of the “job” is the fascinating people she has met and volunteered alongside at Town Square. 

“A lot of paths cross here,” she said. “You never know who is going to walk through that door. It could be someone you learn a lot from.” 

Over the years, Boni says Town Square has become an important part of the community as well as a launching pad for several local businesses, like Moboevo and Horseradish Cafe, that got their start as tenants of Town Square. 

“Town Square provides space for activities, whether it's a wedding reception or cooking class. A lot of businesses started here. It’s given birth to a lot of things for the town.” 

As a volunteer, Boni has had a front row seat to many of Town Square’s most dramatic developments, including the creation of Mill Pond Terrace, the ballroom renovation and, most recently, the new fitness center. 

“I look forward to growing with whatever goes on around here next too.”