Some families look alike; others have a shared passion. For the McGregor family, that passion is for community service. Kelly McGregor, a high school senior, just completed her seventh collection drive to benefit those in need.
The 18-year-old is a student at Williamsburg Christian Academy and a Williamsburg resident. She has conducted both food and blanket drives in her Fieldcrest neighborhood.
McGregor says she got her start in community service with The Arc of Greater Williamsburg, which serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through community activities and advocacy. Her mother, Pam McGregor, previously acted as the organization’s Executive Director, and Kelly’s older brother was a volunteer.
Her family proved to be an inspiration for McGregor.
“My brothers have been really good role models, I’ve really looked up to them and followed in their footsteps,” she said.
It was her brother Patrick who started the neighborhood collection drives when he was a sophomore in high school. The twice-yearly drives were then passed on to another older brother, Connor, and then to Kelly.
“Community service is really important to my family. It’s something my parents have really ingrained in us, to help other people.”
McGregor said her brothers’ actions paved the way for her success. After many years of collecting items in Fieldcrest, neighbors know the drill.
McGregor creates a flyer advertising the collection drive and distributes it around the neighborhood. On the scheduled pick-up date, she drives around and collects items from participating neighbors’ porches.
The drives benefit FISH, an all-volunteer nonprofit that provides food, clothing, housewares and assistance services in the area.
In addition to her neighborhood drives, McGregor is active in service through Williamsburg Christian Academy, which she said has offered many outlets to continue a devotion to helping others. From mission trips to Salvation Army bell ringing with the Key Club, her résumé boasts an impressive amount of benevolent activity.
Still, McGregor is modest about her contributions.
“I don’t do a lot, but I definitely try to get there and do what I can,” she said.
Poverty in Williamsburg might not be as apparent as in other parts of the country, McGregor said, but it remains a serious issue.
“Even in Williamsburg there are people that are in need and need help,” she said.
She hopes her story might inspire others to go out and serve their community. Putting her work on a public platform for other to see might “give them courage to do it themselves.”
Especially during the holiday season, there are many opportunities for children and adults to aid those in need, and McGregor stressed every bit of effort makes a difference.
“You really can get out there and help, even if it’s two bags, to sixty bags,” she said.
