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At age 10, Madison Albert is a regular volunteer with a community organization that gives baby supplies to low income families, ensuring they have basic care items when they bring their infant home from the hospital. KSMU's Missy Shelton has this profile.
Meet Madison Albert. She’s 10 years old and will be a sixth grader this fall. She stays busy most Saturday mornings by volunteering at Newborns in Need, a national organization that began in Houston, Missouri in the 1990’s. It provides baskets of basic care items for infants to low income families.
Madison says, “We go there every Saturday and we pack layettes, which has blankets, quilts, bottles, clothes for the baby. They go to less fortunate babies. We send them to the hospitals so parents can go out with the little layette bags. We also have emergency packs, which we give to them immediately, if they really need it.”
Besides putting together care packages, Madison also sews some of the washcloths and burp clothes that go into the baskets. Madison received recognition for her work with Newborns in Need earlier this year, winning a bronze medallion through the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. She was one of only six students in Missouri to receive the award. Chad Albert is Madison’s father.
Chad says, “I think it’s good for Madison because she gets that great positive reinforcement. At the same time, she gets the notoriety, Newborns in Need gets the notoriety and people see it. When she’s gotten some notoriety in the past, it’s inspired other people in the community to come out and volunteer. Of course, we get more donations the more people see us.”
The story of how Madison got involved with Newborns in Need goes back to Hurricane Katrina, when young Madison saw the devastating footage of New Orleans and other areas impacted by the storm.
Madison says, “I saw the news one night and I saw the faces on the parents and kids of Hurricane Katrina and all that the hurricane had destroyed. I was wanting to sew clothes for the babies in Hurricane Katrina. So, I got a sewing machine for my birthday and started to sew. Then, I realized that it wasn’t fast enough. So, my mom started looking into organizations we could help, and she came across a bunch of ideas, but Newborns in Need was one that was not really out in the open. People normally haven’t heard of it, and the fact that it was family friendly, so my little sister could go and help too.”
Madison’s father Chad recalls that it didn’t take long for the entire family to get involved with the organization.
Chad says, “We pretty much do everything as a family, so when we got involved, it was perfect. We had something for everybody to do. Eventually, we were there so much and so involved, they asked us to be on the board.”
Madison and her younger sister, Aubrey, have shown initiative in raising funds for the organization. Chad Albert recalls that two years ago, his daughters had the idea to create their own artwork to sell in downtown Springfield during First Friday Artwalk.
Chad says, “They spent an entire month every day making artwork, drawings and coloring pages. Their idea was to take them down to First Friday Artwalk, set up a table, and sell them. I wasn’t sure how well that would go over, but the first time they made $75. And they worked hard it another month and that time they made $140.”
The fundraiser during First Friday Artwalk is something Madison and her sister continue to do when the weather’s good and they’re in town. Madison has brought her enthusiasm and fundraising efforts for Newborns in Need to Mark Twain Elementary School. Principal Janell Bagwell.
Janell says, “Not only has she shown leadership in her family and in the community. It’s also something where she’s come to school and tried to get other students involved at a level that’s very appropriate. I think any time you have a student showing that level of leadership, it’s going to inspire other kids to think, ‘Well, what can I do? What’s near and dear to my heart?’”
Madison says she likes being able to help others.
Madison says, “It makes me feel really good inside because I know I’m helping someone else and not just myself.”
You can hear more profiles of outstanding youth in our Sense of Community series online at KSMU.org
