National Volunteer Week Spotlight: Lateefah Lucky

“Volunteering with CSFP has impacted me tremendously. It has opened a network bigger than I could ever imagine. Being a CSFP mom has made me even more confident than ever about making choices when it comes to my child’s future.”

April 15-21 is National Volunteer Week, and CSFP is celebrating by highlighting a few of our all-star volunteers on our social channels. We also caught up with CSFP parent and frequent volunteer Lateefah Lucky to get her perspective on how helping CSFP accomplish its mission has affected her personally.

Lateefah lives in the Northeast with her daughter, and has been pitching in to make CSFP events a success for years, in addition to volunteering with her sorority and at her daughter’s school.

CSFP: Why did you want to start volunteering with CSFP?
Lateefah: I wanted to start volunteering because the organization was a wonderful one and in doing so I could help others and expand my network. In addition, I always thought that it’s important to give back when you are receiving help.

CSFP: What kinds of events/activities have you helped CSFP host?
Lateefah: I have helped with lottery nights, scholarship launches, family interviews and the Crystal Ball.

CSFP: Why is giving back important to you?
Lateefah: Giving back is important to me because there are many people who have situations that are the same or worse than mine who just need someone from the same background and circumstances to assist them in getting things done. I have learned and been through a lot, so being able to provide resources I have tapped into to others is extremely important.

CSFP: Do you volunteer other places?
Lateefah: I am extremely active in my sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. We are a community conscious, action-oriented organization, with standing principles of scholarship, service, sisterhood and finer womanhood. We give out scholarships each year to high school graduates attending any college or university. In addition, I volunteer at my daughter’s school, Holmesburg Christian Academy, as often as I can. The school is wonderful so I love assisting when I can.

CSFP: Why is education important to you?
Lateefah: Education is important to me because it helps to expand and develop minds for future endeavors. I feel without education, life can be harder, but with it, all things are possible.

CSFP: How would you describe CSFP, in your own words, to someone who has never heard of it before?
Lateefah: CSFP is a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to low-income families. They make dreams of early education possible by helping to assist with cost for a private or parochial school of your choice.

CSFP: How has volunteering with CSFP impacted you, personally? Have you gained a new perspective or insight?
Lateefah: Volunteering with CSFP has impacted me tremendously. It has opened a network bigger than I could ever imagine. Being a CSFP mom has made me even more confident than ever about making choices when it comes to my child’s future. I never even thought of sending my child to a private school, mainly because I never attended one, but that all changed when CSFP was able to make it possible. Even when the chips were down and all odds were against me, CSFP came through and made it happen for myself and my daughter. I couldn’t send her to school without them. My insight of attaining scholarships for private school has certainly changed. There were no programs like CSFP around when I was young and being able to tap into the resources they have and to be treated like family has certainly made being a recipient even better.