Amy Anderson is the coordinator for the Edwardsburg Leo Club. She also volunteers with a number of other organizations, including the Cass County Fair and the Edwardsburg Food Pantry.

 

What is the Leos Club?

The Leos Club is part of the Lions Club. It’s a high school version of the Lions Club. I coordinate at both Edwardsburg and Niles, their two Leo Clubs. And what we do is we help the community wherever they need help. So if organizations like the Knights of Columbus or the CASA volunteers just ask for help and we used to come and help at their auction. I arrange for their students to go. Ninety percent of the time I’m there with them.

 

How long have you been involved in the Leo Club?

I started the Leo Club at Edwardsburg. We’re now going into our fourth year, and Marcellus just started April 23.

 

How did you get involved with the Leos Club?

In Edwardsburg we had a program before that that we started at the school about two years before. It was called HOPE — Helping Other People in the Environment. And I work in the middle schools and high schools in Cass County doing the Educational Talent Search and I had a group of students who wanted to do community service. It just needed to be organized. A lot of it had to do with parents wanting to know where their kids are and having an adult there and all that. And then Lions Club contacted us about them being nationally represented so they get recognition for doing their volunteer work.

 

What have you enjoyed about being a volunteer with the Leo Club?

I love spending time with the kids and all the goofy antics that they do. Getting to go to — every weekend is a different activity. And like this week we were on the Lions Club float for the parade. You get to see the happiness that everyone has with the Leos and everything they do when they’re coming in and helping. It’s a rewarding experience.

 

What are some of your other volunteer works?

I coordinate a Winter Wonderland party for the Edwardsburg Food Pantry, and that was something that started with the foster parents. Human services always had a Christmas party for all the foster care youth. I coordinate with one of the DHS workers, and they took care of bringing the kids and I took care of planning the party and gifts. And so we’ve migrated from that to doing it for our food pantry here locally. We give out invitations to the family Thanksgiving to come to breakfast with Santa. Every kid comes in gets a ticket and they get to go get any toy they want.

Basically if somebody has a need and the Leos can’t do it, my husband and I, or my family, we’ll find a way to help them.

 

Why is volunteering important to you?

I just like to be out there and help do what I can to give back to the community. I grew up in this community and in Cass County, and I came back to stay here and moved here, and we just want to help however we can.