Driving home from her job as an executive at a health-care company, Lisa Fitzpatrick found her street blocked by police tape. Someone her daughter knew had been killed — the unintended victim of a drive-by shooting. For Fitzpatrick, that was the turning point.
“It was just too much,” she said. “Too many young men were lying face down in their own blood. I didn’t want it to be normal anymore. I didn’t want the children to think that this was normal. I had to do something.”
Fitzpatrick quit her job, downsized her life and created the APEX Youth Center (Always Pursuing Excellence). Since 2010, more than 460 children and youth have come for the free pizza and fun, and in the process learned conflict resolution skills.
(WATCH the video and READ the story at CNN)
President Obama welcomed the man who launched the modern service movement, President George H. W. Bush, now in a wheelchair and 89 years old, back to the White House Monday for a ceremony honoring the 5,000th recipients of his Point of Light award. The two presidents lauded Kathy Hamilton and Floyd Hammer of Union, Iowa for stepping up to fight hunger and improve the lives of children worldwide.
kind strangers.
