Paige, 2013
Meet Paige – a 7th grader in middle school in Pennsylvania who happens to be the middle sister of 3 girls. In addition to playing basketball year-round for several teams, Paige finds time to play lacrosse and soccer. She is also quite busy with her academic pursuits and social commitments.
Paige was recently inducted into the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS). These days, she is thinking a lot about community service, as her membership in NJHS entails 15 hours of service each marking period. To fulfill her service obligations, she volunteers for All 4 Paws, where she helps introduce rescue dogs to families considering pet adoption.
What makes Paige a very special young lady is that she was thinking about service, and giving to those in need, long before she was required to log service hours for NJHS. In fact, we first learned about Paige at Christmastime in 2012 when she raised $306 for Friends of Kenyan Orphans by asking her extended family members, gathered for a holiday celebration, to donate money to St. Clare Girls Centre in Meru, Kenya. This past Christmas, Paige made the rounds at the family holiday party once again and more than doubled donations, raising $660 for the mission.
We were fortunate to catch up with Paige by phone recently when the snowy winter weather in Southeastern PA kept her at home, instead of on the basketball court. When asked why she wanted to raise money for the Kenyan girls who are abandoned and orphaned, she responded, “My family is very fortunate, but everyone in the world is not as fortunate. It is really good to help others and who knows, one day, you or someone you know may need a helping hand.” Paige credits her Mom for inspiring her sensitivity to the needs of the girls at St. Clare. Paige and her Mom Kate are continuing the O’Connell family tradition of generosity and giving back.
We are so fortunate that Paige has inspired her family by sharing her time and treasure with Friends of Kenyan Orphans. Please join Paige and help lend a hand by visiting www.friendsofkenyanorphans.com and clicking on the HOW YOU CAN HELP link today. Thank you!
The Student Kenya Project 