PORT NECHES — Nolan Ford grew up in the world of service projects and helping his fellow man.

A Port Neches-Groves High School senior, Ford learned the world of Key Club by following his mother, Key Club Sponsor Rene Ford, to the school and Key Club events for years. The decision to join was left up to him.

“I’ve been coming up here (school) for the past seven years,” Nolan Ford said. “As I got older I realized what service really meant. I have seen what we can do.”

Ford ticked off a list of service projects — helping at The Arc of Greater Beaumont, Meals on Wheels, the soup kitchen and doing something special for teachers.

Ford is not only a member of the Key Club but is a state officer as Lieutenant Governor for Region 10 for the Texas-Oklahoma District of Key Club International. His area includes, locally, Lumberton to Silsbee to Port Neches, Nederland and Beaumont.

 

 

 

“There are lots of e-mails, phone calls and texting but a lot of the time I see them (other area club members) in person. We visit their club when we can attend,” he said.

Key Club International is a service and leadership organization for teens and a subdivision of Kiwanis International.

“It’s not about the recognition but the service,” he said of being part of the Key Club.

Key Club Sponsor Rene Ford said the PN-G group tries to do one big project each month as well as a 15-minute service project during meetings.
“It could be making dog toys, wrapping silverware for Meals on Wheels or decorating the door of a teacher,” Rene Ford said. “A lot of the time it’s more than one project at a meeting. They may also be collecting items for a cause.”

PN-G’s Key Club has 130 dues paid members and 75 active members, she said.

Rene Ford is advisor only to the group and enjoys sitting back and watching the students and their impact.

Nolan Ford is a nominee for the president’s award for more than 1,000 service hours in the year. The sponsor said there are actually a group of students at the school who qualify for the honor.

“Instead of spending time at the beach, they go and clean the beach. Instead of going to a school dance they go to ARC. Instead of going to the movies they go with a special needs person from ARC. They may eat lunch but it’s with homeless people,” she said.

Besides Key Club, Nolan Ford is in the wind ensemble, a member of the National Honor Society, Citizen Bee team, University Interscholastic League academics and is enrolled in advanced placement classes in addition to being active in his youth group at church.

After high school he plans to attend college and become a computer engineer. Ten years from now he sees himself an investor that ahs made a contribution to the technical field and working on service projects. He plans to put the leadership skills learned in Key Club to use in his career, he said.

Nolan Ford is the son of Darin Ford and Rene Ford.

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