“The first event where I actually participated was a Valentine’s party for mostly middle school kids. She paid $200 to rent a room at a community center because she could not find any place that would let her use their facilities. She had a huge buffet (donations from friends and businesses) and invited special speakers to encourage the kids to aspire to higher goals,” writes her friend Barbara Glenn in an e-mail to ESSENCE.com.
“This is my favorite picture of Denise,” Glenn says. “Her children are Lavon Wiggins (24), Nate Wiggins (14), and Ashley Steger (18). She has good kids and involves them a lot in her service activities.”
The busy woman volunteers to clean and wax floors for non-profit organizations. She is also known to help elderly people with organizing their garages and raking leaves.
“Denise is all about helping kids, but she always makes sure they know the importance of giving back to others,” says Barbara.
Denise does not usually take any pictures working at events. Here the kindhearted woman opens her home for a Christmas party.
A lovely Denise poses with her daughter, Ashley, who hopes to go into medicine one day.
“I have known her for about 6 years and she has taught me a lot about service. As with many people, I can over-think something and it never gets done. Denise just does it and somehow it always works out…over and over,” says her friend Barbara Glenn.
