FAME volunteers recognized for service

November 11, 2020

By Todd Brooks

Neva Kitsmiller and Sam Pace have been valuable volunteers at FAME Academy for many years. Last Thursday, they were recognized for their efforts at the national level when they were presented the President’s Volunteer Service Award by FAME director Elizabeth Ressel in front of students, faculty and family members.

The President’s Volunteer Service Award is bestowed by the President of the United States to recognize the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and identity.

It was established by George W. Bush to honor volunteers that give hundreds of hours per year helping others. The award honors individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to take action.

Kitsmiller has taught crochet for more than 10 years at the school.

“The students just love her and have always been respectful toward her,” Ressel said. “In all the years she taught, I did not once have any problems in her classroom. I would walk by her classroom and when there were supposed to be three or four students in there, I would see eight.”

Ressel called Kitsmiller a role model for the students and said she has always been a great listener to the students.

After receiving her certificate and medal, Kitsmiller was humbled by the award.

“I learn more from my students than they learn from me,” Kitsmiller said.

Pace has done a few different volunteer jobs around FAME like teaching accounting, helping students do their taxes and building gardens. Even more notable, however, has been his efforts at taking charge of the school’s food pantry.

“Sam has spent countless hours delivering food from the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma to Christian Helping Hands along with FAME,” Ressel said. “The hours he spent working with students to organize and stock the FAME food pantry has shown our students the importance of a strong work ethic. His efforts have helped feed hundreds of students.”

Pace has been with the program since the beginning. He helped clean out an old closet in order to get the food pantry going.

That help even extended over to Comanche’s junior high and high school campuses as they have received some of the food as well.

Pace said he had a similar experience to Kitsmiller.

“I love kids and I’ve learned a lot from them,” Pace said. “They would check the labels for expired foods because I never would think to do it. Now (because of the COVID-19 pandemic) I can’t organize the closet, so they are handling it all now.”