Inspiring the Next Generation in Giving Back

Now a FROM staff member, McKenzie’s first days here at FROM were as a volunteer. At an early age she and her sister would come along with her grandmother, Sylvia, to volunteer.

Sylvia, now a committee member working diligently on our housing capital campaign, has been our Interim Director, Food Pantry manager, and a board member throughout our history. She would bring the sisters along for volunteering. From serving in the food pantry to a spring cleanup, the girls got hands-on experience of being part of a community that helps one another.

One of McKenzie’s favorite memories volunteering as a child was for a spring cleanup

“This year in particular there was a lot of flooding, and I remember being in the basement of this home pulling out rotted baseboards, broken shelving, and building materials.” She went on to say the impact that day left on her, “it was a group of people, not just myself or my family. A group. A collective. A community coming together to help their neighbors.”

While reflecting on her journey with community service and family connections, McKenzie shared, “It has truly been a full circle moment for me, to see what it was like as a young volunteer now being an adult staff member. Without my grandmother as an inspiration and mentor I would not be the woman I am today, nor would I know anything about FROM.”

Sylvia shared her heart from serving came from her family.
“I believe as a Christian and a family that has been very blessed, serving is not only a duty but also a great benefit to myself,” Sylvia shared. “Many times, I have been as blessed with the experience of service as I feel I have contributed by serving.”

FROM is certainly blessed for the heart and hands of Sylvia, her foundation of giving and her teaching of service and her granddaughter, McKenzie.