WAPAKONETA, OH (WLIO) - Today's Jefferson Award winner is our lone youth among the group, and this Wapakoneta teenager's contributions to his community speak volumes about how much he means to the people he serves.
In today's world, teenagers often find themselves glued to their phones and heavily influenced by social media, but for this "Loaves and Fishes" volunteer, it is far from the truth. One can say that 16-year-old Luke Kline is rare.
"Whenever we have gone on any trips or anything, the other kids all scatter, and I would be left at the car unloading, and Luke would be the only one that would come and say, How can I help you, what do you need me to carry?" stated Brenda Shoffstall, who nominated Luke.
Luke has been volunteering at Loaves and Fishes at First English Lutheran Church in Wapakoneta since August 2020, when the meal service decided to permanently become a drive-thru due to the pandemic.
"He's here every week. He takes trash, he sweeps, he goes to the cars, and is so polite; we've had testimonials that we put out questionnaires to our drive-ups, and they all say that they rave about Luke," added Shoffstall.
"You know the world isn't how you see it from the outside. There's a lot of people. There is a lot of different situations. You just never know what's going on in someone's life. You never know what the backstory is to something. You never do it expecting something like this; I just do it to try to make the world a better place in a way," said Luke Kline, 2024 Jefferson Award winner.
Luke cherishes the friendships and the many people he has connected with throughout his time at Loaves and Fishes, but there is one thing in particular that brings him joy.
"Seeing the smile, the joy it brings on someone's face. Someone could be having a really bad day, and they get here and get these meals, and it's an uplift for them; it's a positive, a good thing. Just seeing that positivity flow; it's good; it's nice; I enjoy it," stated Kline.
The positivity and warm smiles that Luke brings to his community is certainly one aspect that drives him to help others, but if you ask him, it's all about the mindset.
"Anyone can volunteer; anyone can make a difference; you just have to want to. You have to want to try to help people. I hope to keep doing this in the future; even when I'm 30, 40, or 50 years old, I hope to still be able to volunteer and still hope to be able to help people in whatever community I'm in at that time," added Kline.
Luke Kline, a 2024 Jefferson Award winner.
