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Community service earns teen admiration, awards

Shawn Stierwalt presents Lacy Keith, a Madison sophomore, with the Shining Star Award for the month of January from Meijer and Star 93.3-FM for her hard work in volunteering and collecting items for the Hope House in Middletown.

Staff photo by Nick Graham Shawn Stierwalt presents Lacy Keith, a Madison sophomore, with the Shining Star Award for the month of January from Meijer and Star 93.3-FM for her hard work in volunteering and collecting items for the Hope House in Middletown.

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By Marie Rossiter, Staff Writer 1:36 AM Tuesday, February 9, 2010

MADISON TWP. — When Lacy Keith was 10 years old, she participated in a church effort to pack shoe boxes full of gifts to ship overseas. On the way home, she had something to tell her mother, but was afraid of getting in trouble.

“As long as I live, I won’t forget it,” said Dorothy Keith, Lacy’s mother. “After I told her she didn’t have to worry, she sat in the back seat of our car and said, ‘I like to help people, Mommy, but I want to help someone here.’ ”

That was the beginning of a six-year volunteer effort to gather toiletries and other basic necessities for Hope House Rescue Mission in Middletown. Each October, Lacy writes a letter to local businesses asking if she can leave a collection can to raise money to buy canned food, napkins, toothbrushes, toilet paper and other personal items. With this money, Lacy has purchased tens of thousands of items, which she organizes, boxes and drops off to the mission during the holiday season. In 2008, she delivered 60 boxes — or 1,900 pounds — of items to Hope House.

Lacy recently received two awards recognizing her commitment to community. On Monday, Feb. 8, she was presented the Shining Star Award from My Star 93.3-FM and Meijer for displaying “integrity, humility and service to the community.” She received a certificate from the radio station, a basket of goodies and a $200 Meijer gift card.

Lacy also was notified last week that she was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award and was named a runner-up in the 2010 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards in Ohio. Both nationwide programs honor young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism.

Donna Nunke, who has served as Hope House’s office manager for five years, said it is Lacy’s passion that makes her effort so successful.

“The thing about Lacy is that she doesn’t do anything to get recognized,” Nunke said. “She has a humble spirit. To me, she is wise beyond her years.”

Lacy also organized “A Night of Music and Hope” in conjunction with the Madison High School band concert. She asked each audience member to bring one can of food to donate to the cause. More than 200 pounds of food were collected at the event. Madison High School band director Shawn Lenney said the concert will happen again this year.

“You just don’t find a lot of students who are willing to put in the time and have this level of dedication,” Lenney said.

The awards and accolades are nice, according to Lacy, but there is something more important to her.

“I look at all I have, and it makes me realize how lucky I am and how others aren’t as fortunate,” Lacy said. “A single person can make a big difference. Even giving a person something as small as a toothbrush can make someone feel as though there is someone out there who cares about them.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4542 or mrossiter@coxohio.com.

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