A Pitt Meadows teen who volunteers simply because she enjoys making others feel happy is the winner of this years Lynn Papp Community Service Award.
Penny Griffin, career prep and work experience coordinator with Pitt Meadows secondary, Mackenzie Kyle was different the moment she met her.
Kyle was looking for a volunteer sheet because she had called bingo at The Wesbrooke, a Pitt Meadows retirement home.
“I had to giggle because I thought, ‘What other 15 year old is out there calling bingo at a seniors home,’” Griffin said.
“She is so polite. Polite and very inclusive,” Griffin said of the Grade 12 student.
Kyle is honoured to receive the award.
“I have been volunteering truly out of my own heart for a long time and I never asked for anything, never expected anything because I was giving my time,” said Kyle.
“I started volunteering because there are not enough people who give their time back to others and I kind of noticed that so I just wanted to give my time to those who needed it.”
Kyle is continuously fundraising for the Friends In Need Food Bank through the various committees and groups she is involved in with at school, including the Youth Firefighter Academy with the Pitt Meadows Fire and Rescue Service and with the CP Holiday Train stop in Pitt Meadows.
This past year, Kyle helped a fellow participant in the firefighter academy by encouraging her to go to school.
Kyle speaks several languages, including German, Griffin said, and it was during a German test in Delta when somebody went into medical distress and Kyle jumped into action. Using her lifeguard training, she applied first aid and waited for first responders to arrive.
“Didn’t say a thing to us when she got back. It wasn’t until that school district sent a letter to our principal. That’s how we found out about,” Griffin said.
Kyle is also an ambassador for the French immersion program, volunteering her time to speak with elementary school students and participating in programs at the library.
Kyle plans to go to Douglas College next year and wants to become a French kindergarten teacher.