Meet Peggy Flemming
We are grateful for all our volunteers; their acts of kindness and generosity create a ripple effect that extends beyond the individual and benefits everyone in their wake. Over the coming months, we will feature more of our volunteers. They all make a real difference in the lives of our youth. This month we'd like to celebrate Peggy Flemming, a long-time volunteer, and supporter of Youth Homes.
When did you first start volunteering at Youth Homes? What inspired you to support our mission?
I started volunteering at Youth Homes in 2011 after joining the Alamo Women's Club (AWC). AWC supports six charities, one being Youth Homes. They needed a liaison between AWC and Youth Homes, so I volunteered for that position. My career was working with and teaching all types of students with disabilities, so Youth Homes was a perfect fit for volunteer work. I've had a lifetime passion for improving people's lives in some capacity.
Can you tell us about the jewelry program that you started?
In 2014, after 30 years of making and crafting jewelry, I was considering donating all my supplies. At the last minute, I decided to ask the girls at Andersen House if they'd like to learn how to make jewelry during their two-month summer break. They agreed, had a fabulous time making beautiful pieces every week, and then at the end of the project, asked if I'd continue teaching classes and try to sell their jewelry. So, I started selling the girl's handmade jewelry at the Danville Farmer's market and other venues and continued teaching them until 2019.
We are still selling jewelry through AWC and to date, have sold $123,000 worth of jewelry. $95,000 went towards scholarships for underserved youth in the Bay Area, and the rest of the money went to the kids.
Who inspires you?
All volunteers inspire me. I think everyone should give back to society when they can.
You mentioned that you also volunteer with The Alamo Women's Club. Can you tell us more about that?
My volunteer work for AWC includes liaisoning for Youth Homes, organizing members to teach workshops, help with jewelry sales, and make tie-blankets and hats for foster kids. I'm also the club photographer, so I take photos of all of our events, plus I take pictures at some charity events and photograph our new members for our directory.
Peggy, we appreciate you!
On behalf of the youth whose lives you so positively impact, we express our deepest thanks and gratitude that you have chosen to support Youth Homes and our mission to empower youth! Thank you to Danielle John for her contributions to this article.
