We are excited to announce Lala Jackson as the July Volunteer of the Month. As an active member of our editing cohort, Lala has been involved in many of our young authors publishing projects this year! Find out how her superpowers help her amplify the voices and magic of our young authors.

1. How did you first get involved with 826NYC and why did you decide to volunteer?

I was looking for a way to better support youth in NYC, but I needed something that is flexible because my work schedule is demanding. Being able to support student work through proofreading was perfect, and has been incredibly rewarding these last few years.

2. What’s your favorite part of 826NYC?

These students are magic. Reading work across the age groups is so fun – the littlest ones have such amazing imaginations and are exploring so much. The middle schoolers are getting a sense of who they are in a world that is rapidly shifting and they’re not afraid to dig into its complexities in really creative ways. The high schoolers are bold – they have such wonderfully strong voices and tackle tough issues with courage. It’s an honor to support.

3. What do you do when you’re not at 826NYC?

 I work in Type 1 diabetes advocacy and education. It’s a lot of work around healthcare justice and legislation, making sure people can get access to the resources needed to keep themselves alive, and fighting through a lot of misinformation. I’ve lived with Type 1 diabetes since I was 10, so it’s deeply important work to me. I’m also an author myself and am working on my second book, a novel.

4. What are your superpowers?

Resilience and empathy 🙂

5. What advice would you give to a new volunteer?

Don’t be afraid to jump right in. Everyone at 826NYC is very kind and happy to provide guidance, and we need all hands on deck!

You can find Lala on Instagram at @heylalajackson and on Facebook and LinkedIn @lalajackson!