Volunteering for life

Lily Fitzpatrick, a senior at The Kinkaid School, volunteers to tutor kids twice a week after school. (Photo: Carol Junell)

I got involved with the nonprofit Making it Better, which offers a variety of programs to enhance students’ social and academic learning, through my dad, who sits on their board, and immediately fell in love with the work that they do.

The first work that I did with them was volunteering at a summer camp at Kashmere Gardens Elementary School. I taught P.E. and art classes, and I formed relationships with some of the kids that I’ll never forget. This camp is what made me want to pursue volunteer work more heavily.

Now, I go twice a week with students from my high school to do literacy tutoring after school. We read with the kids for 30 minutes and then have 30 minutes to play outside, and it is always my favorite part of the week. Walking in and hearing all the kids yell, “Hi, Miss Lily!” means so much to me because it lets me know that I’m building meaningful relationships with the kids and that they look up to me. I have gotten to know every kid individually, and I love the fact that I can return every week to spend more time with them.

The work that I do means so much to me. This September, I was lucky to be honored by Mayor Annise Parker for the work that I do with Making it Better and the Kinkaid Community Service Council. This was an incredible experience, and I am so grateful.

Receiving recognition for my work, while it was nice, is definitely not the reason that I do it. I’ve realized that community service is what I want to do with the rest of my life. While having Sept. 22, 2015, be named “Lily Fitzpatrick Day” in Houston was a huge honor and something I’ll never forget, I need no other validation than seeing kids have fun learning to read – or seeing anyone’s day brightened – to know that I’m doing what I need to be doing.

Community service is what I love most in life, and I’m so grateful to Making it Better for helping me realize that, so I can continue to volunteer for the rest of my life to make myself and those I’m working with happy.

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