When Isabella Laverde saw that her country was struggling, she was determined to find a way to help in a heartbeat. For the last five years, Laverde has always seen crocheting as just an enjoyable hobby, but soon she quickly realized that her hobby can be used to change the lives of many in her country. Her dedication to creating crocheted baby beanies and donating them to local clinics in Columbia has earned her a Silver Knight nomination in the business category.
Laverde’s service project fits in the business category because she does all the packaging and shipping on her own. Recognizing her project as being considered a personal volunteer service, she decided that it was best suited for the business category. This project has allowed Laverde to help and impact people’s lives with her creations. Mothers, babies, and families are all aided because of Laverde’s work, and “Without business, I wouldn’t be able to operate, donate, or create for others.”
“This category is significant in contributing to local Columbian communities because I get to engage in the service’s production and the process of sending it to Columbia,” Laverde describes. All the work is done on her own, from weaving the yarn to sending them to underprivileged communities in her home country. Receiving this nomination was important for Laverde “Because it represents the process it takes for me to donate my crocheted items to La Mesa.”
Laverde’s drive to begin her service project started because of her family back in Columbia: “I have family there that makes an effort to donate old clothes, hygiene products, and toys to children and others living in poor conditions.” Watching her own family helping out less fortunate communities, Laverde realized that she also wanted to help babies and families too, “As a Columbian, I felt a deep connection with this community, and I wanted to use my abilities to make a difference.”
After traveling to La Mesa many times with her family, Laverde has experienced the life of other families in her community along with many other Columbian communities. She enjoys making a difference “Because it brings me closer to my culture, family, and heritage.” Laverde feels that it is important to help others who are less fortunate because students like herself are capable of changing the world. “It is up to us to make the world a better place for those who don’t have the same opportunities,” she states.
The Silver Knight nominees from last year are how Laverde found out about this award, it’s when she decided to dive deeper into what this award truly means. Laverde had attended a meeting to confirm that she was eligible to apply, leading her to write “A Letter of Intent explaining why I should become a candidate.” Once completed, she filled out the Miami Herald’s application regarding information about her service project.
Being one of this year’s nominations is a grand achievement, and it all began with something small and helping out through one of her hobbies: “To others wanting to apply for this award, I would advise them to go for it and complete their application on time.” Laverde also advises anyone wanting to do their own service project “To do something that they love and are passionate about so that they have fun in the process.”
Hobbies can always turn into something much larger, and for Laverde, her creative talent has aided many families in her country. Helping and aiding communities doesn’t have to be anything large, “start with something small and feasible.” It has always been said that a project has to be big, Laverde counters that myth saying, “Many people think that helping their community means doing something grand, but helping others means starting small.”
Just strings of yarn can be created into something to bring comfort to babies and aid struggling families in Columbia. Helping out the community takes dedication, something that Laverde truly showcases. “You can also connect helping your community with a hobby or a talent,” Laverde ends with, and her crocheting talent was able to bring smiles and gratitude to many in Columbia: just like her own family continues to do as well.
