Kelly Goad vividly remembers her very first experience volunteering for the community. She was a student at Northwestern High School, and she participated in raising money for a teacher that had leukemia.

Photo: Kelly Goad

“We raised money for her bone marrow transplant…we exceed[ed] our goals, however, in the end, she lost her battle to leukemia and died shortly after. It was very rewarding to see everyone work together for a great cause,” recalled Kelly.

Kelly Goad defines leadership as “the willingness to step forward and guide others and taking the initiative to go above and beyond to get things accomplished.” Kelly fits the description of a “community leader” in every aspect. She finds enjoyment and satisfaction with being involved and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Her leadership skills have carried on through the years by being involved in Relay for Life, Women’s Business Council (Chamber of Commerce), Conventions and Visitors Bureau (Tourism Council), Rotary Club of Kokomo, sponsor for Interact Club at Northwestern High School, and the IU Kokomo Alumni Association Board, to just name a few. Her leadership opportunities have helped her become successful in her career as Foundation Director at Howard Regional Hospital.

Kelly is most passionate about being a sponsor for the Interact Club for Northwestern High School. She helps lead a group of high school students in raising money for non-profit organizations in Kokomo. In 2010, they organized a “Fill the Truck” event during a football game. They got two trucks donated from Button Dodge and McGonigals and asked people to bring donations of paper products, diapers, and canned food items for when they attended the game. All donations from that particular event benefited the Kokomo Rescue Mission. To help put things into perspective, Kelly, as their leader, wanted the students to realize “why” they were doing particular event and collecting donations. She gave all students statistics of the homeless and poor in the Kokomo area.

“Most of the students had no idea that their hometown had that amount of homeless or poor people. It helped open their eyes and was a great learning experience for them,” Kelly said.

Kelly also offered advice for anyone wanting to get involved in the community and become a leader.

“Be open to opportunities. You never know what is around the corner,” Kelly said. “You can always learn from being involved. Learning never stops, and if it does, you know you need a change. Also remember to always step up and step out. You will have your ups and downs, but by being involved, you will find your greatest rewards. As a leader, always look for the positive, even if the situation might be difficult”.

Kelly is a great leader and continues to serve our community through her involvement. A particular quote by Edward Everett Hale is one of her favorites and will forever stand by her as she leads the community. It reads, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”

Story by Jessica Hewitt, Guest Writer

If you ask people what they think makes a community leader, you are sure to get many different responses. Leah Abbott is someone the community of Delphi looks to not only as a friend, but also as a mentor. 

She is a wife and a mother of three and owns Abbott Funeral Home with her husband, Carl. Although she has a busy life with her family, she always makes sure that everyone else has what they need. Owning and operating a funeral home keeps a family constantly going.

Leah wanted to be sure that I understood she did not consider herself a leader. “I don’t do things in hopes for something good in return, I just do things because…it is the right thing to do,” she explained.

She does not do anything for praise and glory, which is why so many people in the community do think of her as a leader. She just does what needs to be done without thinking twice.

“I know so many families that are struggling and I want to do what I can to help out,” was Leah’s reasoning for why she helped create “Buddy Bags,” a program that provides meals for children and their families in need on weekends and during extended breaks from school.

“If you make things fun, you never get tired. Do what you love and you will prosper,” Leah positively commented about her work with the Buddy Bags program.

She takes care of people, whether it is friends and family, people she has never had the opportunity to meet, or even families that come in for funeral services. It takes a big heart to give so much of your time to others and that is something Leah has.

Leah is a registered nurse, but she spends much of her time volunteering at the local elementary school. “I have to write out my schedule for the week every Sunday night so I know where I need to be,” said Leah. With a giggle, she continued, “Actually, I write out two of them.”

You can find her helping out at the Delphi United Methodist Church frequently, making numerous trips to her business, visiting her parents, and squeezing in time for her friends—if you are lucky, you just might run into her. When asked what keeps her going, she responded with an honest smile and this: “I just do what feels right.”

Story by Alyssa Clawson, Guest Writer

Most students know Professor Pico because he is a Spanish professor here at IUK. However, most don’t know that he is also heavily involved with major humanitarian efforts in Colombia.

Professor Pico serves as the international liaison and honorary board member of Fundacion Cartagena Global, a humanitarian group based out of Cartagena, Colombia, whose main priority is to help children become better citizens.

“Children are the future, so it is important for them to know how to be a good citizen,” said Pico. The organization participates in several programs that help out thousands of Colombian children.

Three times a year, Professor Pico takes a group of students to visit Colombia, and he explains that only 30% of their time is spent on sightseeing, while the other 70% is spent on helping out the children of Cartagena. The environment these children live in, Pico explains, is appalling. There is no running water or working sewage system. Often times, they will go a day or two without having a good meal, and a lot of these children are starving.

This is where Professor Pico’s work begins.

“Education is the most important thing for them to become better citizens,” Pico said. “However, with poor nutrition, the chance of them being successful isn’t very promising.”

So what Pico and his organization have done is given these children the opportunity to have a good meal. One of Pico’s proudest accomplishments is that he helped to build a new cafeteria for the students. He provided them tables to eat on so they did not have to eat on the ground. He has also have arranged contacts with child protective services to ensure that the children are provided with a good meal on a regular basis.

Pico and the organization also focus heavily on the children’s education. They recently renovated a nice school for them to attend. Professor Pico also helps teaches classes to them, including teaching English. They also cleared out a lot that was full of trash and made it into a playground for the children.

“Many children from outside communities come to enjoy this playground,” Pico explained. “Also, by providing clothes and food to children, we relieve many of the stresses that their parents feel.”

When asked what makes a good leader, Professor Pico explained that it takes courage, strength, and respect for others. When asked, he explains that what makes him a good leader is that he loves people and respects them enough to want the very best for them.

“A lot of politicians don’t know how to respect people, but you have to show people respect in order for them to understand you and be willing to dedicate their time to help you,” said Pico.  

When he first traveled to Africa and saw the poor living conditions, he explains that it made him very humble and thankful for what he has. It was in that moment that he realized that he wanted to make sure that helpless people had a strong leader that they could turn to. That is exactly what Professor Pico has become— a great leader who has helped save the lives of hundreds of children.

Story by Brittney King, Guest Writer