Mary Leadholm cares deeply about the children in our Interfaith Outreach community. She is committed to Caring for Kids, the foundational program of the Great Expectations Initiative. Mary enjoys working one-on-one with youth at Homework Club, as well as volunteering for PEAK. She excitedly helped sign up families for Great Opportunities funding and joined the Mental Health Action Team this year.
One of her most touching moments was this past spring while helping a boy she met three years ago. “On one of the last weeks of Homework Club, he asked me to help him with his reading assignment. I could see the joy on his face when he realized that he understood his homework. The best part is that he ran back, thanked me and gave me a big hug before he went home. That was the BEST feeling. Not only do I love that kid, but I feel like I made a difference.”
Mary has seen huge improvements in our understanding of what is holding some kids back in school. She has seen great strides in helping to overcome these barriers. Her dream is “for our greater community to adopt the Interfaith Outreach way of embracing diversity, welcoming everyone and working together to lift up the entire community.”
Thank you, Mary, for helping our children thrive.