Good Neighbors…Good Dancers! — Avery & Jared Leal, Good Neighbor Award Recipients

At the end of a busy work week, who intentionally chooses to put on their dancing shoes and chaperone 200 energy-filled eighth graders at their year-end school dance?

That would be Avery & Jared Leal, an engaging 20-something couple who lead a group of like minded community crusaders. And their hope is noble — to simply bring a little heaven to earth. They have everything but the cape!

This lifestyle of faith and service positions them differently than many of their peers who have moved on from church, faith, and the like. But not this couple. And its’s for this reason they were chosen as the May 2016 recipients of the Good Neighbor Award a monthly service award presented by Loving Community, a Lewisville based neighborhood advocacy group.

Avery spent her growing up years in Coppell TX, while Jared is from Tulsa, OK. The couple met while both students at the University of Oklahoma. Each shared a deep faith and a heart of compassion nurtured by their families which quickly drew them together. They married in the summer of 2014, relocating to Lewisville, TX.

As they launched their careers, Avery as a project specialist at Southwest Airlines
and Jared, a fitness instructor and manager at Crossfit Coppell Central, they have done so embodying the words of Winston Churchill, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give”. 

Avery plays an active role  in volunteering at Southwest Airlines known for their community volunteerism. Jared sees Crossfit not only as a place to build strong bodies, but strong friendships, and in turn strong communities.

This life integration approach of faith, vocation, and service is at the core of this fun-filled and service oriented couple and group who most recently chaperoned the aforementioned dance at Durham Middle School, an underserved school in the Lewisville Independent School District.

Stephanie Hall, Assistant Principal at Durham commented on the group’s presence by saying, “The students responded so well and loved having this energetic group of young adults as chaperones. And man, can that Avery and Jared dance!” 🙂

Legendary educator William Purkey, known for his engaging and motivational style of connecting with students offered these words of wisdom:

“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching, Love like you’ll never be hurt, Sing like there’s nobody listening, And live like it’s heaven on earth.”

And to me, that’s a picture of the spirit by which Avery & Jared and their tribe of difference makers are helping our community and world become a better place!

Loving Community’s Good Neighbor award is sponsored by Gaylene Anders of Ebby Halliday Realtors in honor of Ebby Halliday Acers who consistently modeled her life on the principle of “Do something for someone everyday”.

To find out more about Loving Community and the Good Neighbor award, to volunteer at Durham Middle School, to nominate a deserving individual or business, or contact the recipient or sponsor you may do so at: http://gaylene.ebby.com,  www.loving-community/volunteer-central.

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