Volunteer of the Year Award – Lacey Richcreek
Lacey Richcreek is a young woman who is wise beyond her 18 years. She thinks of others and how she can make a difference in this world. Lacey has a soft spot for the people who live at Echoing Hills. She attended Camp Echoing Hills when she was younger and hoped to return as a camp volunteer this summer. You see, Lacey is no stranger to disabilities. She has walked that journey in her life, having been born with Cerebral Palsy.
For the 2019 holiday season, Lacey chose to start a fundraiser on Facebook. She used Facebook as her only avenue to sell Cerebral Palsy awareness t-shirts. Lacey raised $1,000! She did all the work herself. This girl is ambitious, adventurous, and does not shy away from a challenge. A quick example is a fact that she has been skiing and parasailing – have you been parasailing? Lacey’s goal for the fundraiser was to be successful in raising enough funds to buy a gift for each person living at Echoing Hills of Central Ohio. $1,000 was far more than she anticipated, but she quickly moved to the idea of buying more than one gift per person and donating the leftover funds. The people living at Echoing Hills of Central Ohio are grateful for her thoughtful act of kindness. Lacey was concerned that adults might be forgotten at Christmas where presents are concerned, and she did not want that. She wanted everyone to have a gift to open.
Lacey is rooted and grounded in Jesus Christ. She has a steadfast faith that does not waiver. She started going to church with her grandparents and attended Sacred Heart School, the only school that would take her, and that turned out to be an amazing blessing. She told us how others around her showed her God’s love and that it grew inside her. One particular Nun stood out to Lacey. She took Lacey under her wing and taught her to climb stairs, speak in class, and in public…in other words, teaching her independence and challenging her to be the very best she could be. At six years old, Lacey did not see the value in what this Nun was teaching her, but when Lacey grew older, and this amazing woman had passed away, the value became real. Lacey said, and I quote, “I learned more about myself after her death than when she was alive. Because at six years old, you don’t really care like you do when you get older.” Profound words from a very grown-up heart. She remarked that she does not have many friends in mainstream high school because her values and principles are different…but she quickly says that it is okay because her heart belongs to God.
One of our Partners of Hope, Lacey, embodies the real Heart of Volunteer – giving selflessly of her time and talent. If you were to meet Lacey, just by looking into her eyes, you would see the love of Jesus because her heart belongs to God.
