Community Corner
Hometown Hero: Alex Lebowitz
The 11-year old balances his home schooling schedule and personal interests with volunteering for four organizations.
On a June afternoon, 11-year old Alex Lebowitz stands at the center block of his kitchen with his 8-year old sister Talia and mother Jennifer. Enumerating his many activities and future interests, Alex showcases his nature photographs, talks about being home schooled and lists his volunteership with four organizations.
Alex volunteers weekly at his karate school and for Agoura Hills' Parks and Recreation Department. He also intermittently gives his time to the My Stuff Bags Foundation and donates handmade items to the La Leche League.
Right now, his career goal is to work for the FBI, because he "likes figuring things out." An ideal role would include a combination of investigating and using computers and electronics, he said. Alex and his friends have a spy club.
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Alex is a technology autodidact. He helps adults figure out how to use their new cameras and phones. He is learning the basics on his editor father's Avid and Final Cut software, and he composed a score on Garage Band for a short film his family made.
For the city's VIP Volunteers program, which staffs volunteer youth ages 10-17 at various Parks and Recreation events, he calls the numbers for biweekly bingo games for seniors at the recreation center.
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Alex became involved with the Agoura Hills Recreation Center this year when his family members received its brochure in the mail. Together, they browsed volunteer opportunities for Alex's age and schedule, and found that Tuesday and Thursday midday before his evening karate lessons fit best.
Alex has been volunteering at the United Studios of Self Defense since 2008. At USSD, Alex said he helps instructors keep younger students focused, and checks their form on stances, strikes and kicks. A brown belt, he began training there at the age of 7.
"Alex is an amazing kid. He's very focused. He's very dedicated to what he does," said USSD manager Matt Gonzalez. "He is [a visible example of his] rank. That's what the kids look at. It's what they understand."
Apart from time with friends, tending to the family pets, his home schooling schedule, guitar, piano, singing, karate, spy club and other volunteer commitments, Alex also makes time to volunteer for the My Stuff Bags Foundation in Westlake Village.
The nonprofit provides duffel bags of comfort items for children suddenly removed from homes because of severe abuse and neglect. The kids often arrive at temporary care with none of their own belongings, and no familiar faces.
Alex places the donated items, which include hand-knit blankets, stuffed animals and books for bedtime reading, into the bags.
He began helping with My Stuff Bags in September 2009 when the Lebowitzes learned about it through another mom in the Conejo Valley Homeschoolers group. His sister Talia will join him when she turns 10, the minimum age needed to volunteer.
Jennifer Lebowitz became involved with La Leche League, a global nonprofit that promotes mother-to-mother breastfeeding education and support, when her son was just 1 month old. The local chapter of LLL was a major part of both of her children's early lives.
Though the kids are well past nursing age, the Lebowitzes continue to contribute, with Alex's creativity providing items for annual silent auctions. The handmade items he has donated include earrings, bracelets, necklaces, greeting cards and postcards.
"Volunteering is not something unusual to him," Lebowitz said about Alex. "It's just a part of our lives."