ORLANDO, Fla. — The list of Carmen Rivera's accomplishments is long enough to fill a book.
- Carmen Rivera began volunteering decades ago in Puerto Rico
- In 1990, she started a sports league for at-risk children
- Her work gained national recognition from the White House
In 1961, on her native island of Puerto Rico, she began to help others with a Volunteer Rescue Squadron, then she volunteered at her son’s Little League.
In 1990, she moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania and started a sports league for at-risk children to keep them busy, away from drugs, alcohol and gangs.
"Down South, we’ll describe those neighborhoods as a 'little hot,'" Rivera, 66, said.
They named the program Coqui after a native frog in Puerto Rico. The coqui frogs only sing in their homeland. She wanted her baby frogs to sing, too.
"It was a great example for them and helped them get ahead in life," she said.
Her work with The Boys and Girls Club gained her national recognition from the White House. She won Boys and Girls Clubs Volunteer of the Year in 1995.
"President Bill Clinton sent me a note thanking me for my service," Rivera said. "It was an honor."
After a short-lived retirement four years ago, she moved to Orlando and quickly began volunteering at Jesus de Nazareth Episcopal Church.
"I do everything they ask," she said.
Rivera now helps feed those in need from the homeless community to asylum seekers at her church, Jesus de Nazareth Episcopal Church.
"It's a pleasure," she said. "You actually feel like you're making a difference."
