Lyons Township High School senior Christy Penrod is looking at colleges close to home, partially because of her desire to continue volunteer activities with a local leadership group.
As of next year, the Burr Ridge resident will trade in her Teen Leader LeaderShop shirt for one that reads Adult Leader. It is a transitional step that Penrod finds hard to envision.
LeaderShop, with an office directly across from the Lyons Township South Campus, is a program aimed at empowering youth to become more community-minded individuals who foster confidence, knowledge and leadership. Through LeaderShop, Penrod has spent time during her summer vacations cleaning up debris in the aftermath of tornados in Washington, Ill. and on the Indiana-Kentucky border.
“It’s amazing that something as simple as picking up garbage can impact people’s lives,” Penrod said.
She said pulling a keychain or necklace that has sentimental value from a pile of rubble could have a ton of meaning for the victim of a natural disaster. That is one of the things that makes her happy to go on the summer work trips, which normally include 20 to 40 LeaderShop members.
“You start believing in what you can do,” Penrod said.
Since her freshman year, Penrod has volunteered at LeaderShop. Penrod’s volunteer efforts have earned her the Youth Medal of Honor from Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. It is an award given annually to teens providing at least 100 hours of service to organizations in their community. She estimates that she has provided more than 400 hours of community service during her time with the LeaderShop.
The 17-year-old Burr Ridge resident also leads a LeaderShop girls group, which makes trips to nursing homes and other locations to brighten days. She said teens learn there is a whole world out there that can use their services.
“It can be so enlightening to volunteer,” Penrod said.
Cathy Pierson, LeaderShop program operations director, said Penrod has shown herself as a leader, tutoring kids who need academic help.
“She has risen to the top,” Pierson said. “She is willing to help everyone.”
Pierson said Penrod is willing to get involved in anything that needs to be done.
“She always has positive energy, and she is always smiling,” Pierson said.
LeaderShop has about 100 regular members who served around 1,400 clients this year. Pierson said the depth of volunteerism by Penrod and other teens is oftentimes overshadowed by negative headlines regarding teen violence.
“There are so many teens volunteering, helping people in the area,” Pierson said. “Given the opportunity, they want to do good.”