A Lehighton teen is making it her mission to inspire other young people to get out and get involved in the communities they live in.

Seventeen-year-old Sarah Laible, founder of Kids Gone M.A.D., has been working to make a difference by volunteering her time and talent to various organizations as a way to give back and help others.

“In sixth grade, I was in the Red Cross Club in the middle school and that really started my passion for service,” she said. “Once in high school, I had a vision just to be that change because students weren’t volunteering.”

In the past six years, Laible has volunteered more than 1,800 hours of her time to various organizations in the region.

“That’s what I do outside of school,” Laible said. “I want to help others anyway I can.”

Two-and-a-half years ago, Laible started Kids Gone M.A.D. and has grown her initiative to serve more than 24 organizations, including the Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Lehigh Valley Zoo and Operation Christmas Child.

In addition, she is working to build a strong community-minded set of students who want to volunteer their time.

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“I really want to encourage other students,” Laible said.

She has organized three Kids Gone M.A.D. 5K races at Tuscarora State Park and has raised nearly $4,000 for various nonprofit organizations in the community.

While not volunteering outside of school, Laible can still be found making a difference. She is the president of the Red Cross Club at Lehighton, coordinating blood drives since 2016.

Last year, she was honored by Congress with a Congressional Award Gold Medal for her efforts.

Laible plans to continue helping people in the future.

“I want to serve others in the medical field as a doctor,” she said.

Laible said she would love to partner with other organizations moving forward. She can be reached at slaible13@gmail.com.

For more information on Kids Gone M.A.D., visit www.kidsgonemad.org.