Will Levegood has made the most of his time as a Member Service Fellow by stepping outside his comfort zone and dedicating himself as a resource to help his members achieve their goals.
Born to an economically stable family and raised in California’s Orange County, Will was rarely exposed to the difficulties that low income families face. From a young age, he was conditioned to avoid interaction with people of lower economic statuses. “I was given the impression that people in poverty were beneath people like me,” says Will.
This all changed when Will decided to volunteer at our nonprofit in the summer of 2013. He was in his senior year at Azusa College and decided to spend his summer in service of a cause and LIFT-Los Angeles looked like the perfect place to do just that.
Since joining LIFT three years ago, Will has has had the opportunity to build relationships with a multitude of our member families. His perception of poverty has been flipped on its head and he has a better understanding that people in living poverty are just like him –but sometimes not beneficiaries of the same circumstances he was born into.
We asked Will to share the story of one of his most memorable member interactions. This is what he said:
Maria was a single mother and a survivor of domestic violence. She came to LIFT-Los Angeles for assistance with finding employment after her husband abandoned her. After working with Will, Maria was able to find safe housing. The application process was grueling, but thanks to Will she was able to navigate Los Angeles’ cumbersome housing system.
When asked what it felt like to see Maria achieve her goals, Will expressed that he finally felt as though all his hard work was paying off.
“A good volunteer is a person who is willing to actively listen and be attentive to the needs of others,” says Will. We’re proud to have Will on our side, and thankful for the opportunity to work with someone who’s so passionate about serving his community.
Beyond working with one-on-one with our members members, Will also manages LIFT-Los Angeles’ Financial Coaching program, which helps parents manage their spending habits to create brighter futures for their children and sound financial decision making for the road ahead.