I always loved helping other people; I have for as long as I can remember. I’d take food to the homeless, volunteer anywhere I could, do yard work or anything to know I had helped someone’s life even if I didn’t make all their problems go away. When I had finished my share of helping someone for the day, I knew at least I had left a foot print in their hearts and minds. Each year at the end of the school year everyone would take in their hours they had served. I was always one of the top kids in the school to serve the most community service hours, but it didn’t matter if I was the one to get a big fancy award I knew I had served my community and that’s what was the best award for me.

Toward the end of my 8th grade year I decided I wanted to put together a fundraiser for an organization called FISH. Fish is an organization that helps people in need throughout the community get a little extra help. They are a non-profit organization that gives out donated food that people in the community have chosen to give. They also have a clothes closet where people can get clothes for their families no matter how small or big they are. Lastly they have a housing area called the Guest House for women with small children who either need to go back to school to get an education to support their child or to be able to work and support their child. To be able to use any of these options through Fish you would need to answer questions to see if you eligible to be able to use their services.

So I decide to give it a try, who knew if I was going to raise much money or any! Very little of my friends thought anyone was going to help a 14 year old but they didn’t bring me down; I kept researching and putting things together. Before I knew it dates were set and reservations were made! It took me three months to get everything ready. I decided I was going to do a can and bottle drive, a small craft sale, host a middle/high school dance and do face paint for kids at our Vacation Bible School Picnic. After all the fundraiser I was pretty proud of myself and all the people who helped me including my church, friends and family, my sister and most of my mom. In the end we raised over $700.00 for fish and I couldn’t be more proud of myself! This shows that anyone and everyone can give back to their community just like I did!