Name: Gina Andrade, 17
School: Junior at Casa Grande High School
Accomplishment: Every Tuesday, distributes food at Lucchesi Community Center to needy families, has raised money for a school in Uganda.
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Key to Awesomeness: "Gina is amazing because she works to see the needs of others," says Lynne Moquete, a teacher at Casa Grande. "She is not afraid to speak up for those who need a voice and to give a hand to those who are hurting."
Andrade began to volunteer as part of a class project, but since then has formed strong bonds with people who come to the center each week to pick a bag of groceries.
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“I’ve built relationships with these people, they are like family," she says. "I don’t go there for the credits."
She says that one of the most touching things about the experience was finding out that people begin lining up for food donations at 11am, although the groceries are distributed starting 5:30pm as part of a program by City Ministries three times a week.
The experience has motivated Andrade to apply to work with Invisible Children, an organization that works to stop the use of child soldiers in Uganda.
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