When illness strikes, bills can pile up quickly. Especially medical bills.
Our KNX Hero of the Week is a college student from Newbury Park, who created a foundation to help some of those families who are suffering from a sudden financial crisis.
"It kind of all started when I was in 8th grade, when the Boston Marathon bombings happened," says Missy Marquis. "Running is a big part of my family. And, when it happened, it instilled a lot of fear... I said, we gotta to do something."
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By the time Missy graduated high school, she had created the Jewel Levine Foundation. It's named after her grandmother, and it helps those dealing with extraordinary medical bills.
In just a few short years, her foundation has raised more than $200,000 dollars, assisting more than a half-dozen families in Southern California.
Kimberly Bennett was one of those recipients. Finances became tight after Kimberly stopped working to care for a child who was enduring a long hospital stay.
She says Missy is not just a KNX hero, she's a superhero. "Her heart is just so full of compassion! She's 20 [years old], who does that kind of thing?" exclaims Kimberly.
"The fact that she has been so inspired by her grandmother and her story... she has changed lives."
The Jewel Levine Foundation is a family affair, with Missy's parents and her brother involved. Together they host two annual fundraisers.
"We have a 4th of July 5K/10K," says Missy.
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They also host a big crawfish boil. The next one is coming up on Saturday, March 14th, in Thousand Oaks.
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"It just kind of blows me away, that it all started from my little 8th grade self," recalls Missy. "Just thinking I could have this little idea of wanting to raise money... and then it to turn into the foundation that it is, and the events that we've done. The money we've raised, the people we've helped. It's truly amazing."
Providing hope and support to families under financial duress, we are honoring Missy Marquis as our KNX Hero of the Week!
KNX Heroes is brought to by California Resources Corporation, saluting our military ...
