Even with her children off to college, Julie Ann Renode stays involved in school and organizations because she wants to help kids.

“You see a big smile on their face, and it puts a smile on your face, too,” she said.

Renode, a mother of three recent Jim Thorpe graduates, gives countless hours to the PTA, the Scouts and other organizations.

For as long as she’s been a Carbon County resident - nearly 15 years - Renode has volunteered with local organizations. Moving from New Jersey, she saw service as a way to find a place in her new community.

“I came here and knew no one,” she said.

She started with the L.B. Morris PTA just after her kids enrolled there. When they went to high school, she helped bring back the school’s inactive Parent Teacher Student Association, which she still leads.

She also serves as a regional director for the Pennsylvania state PTA, and helps the Penn-Kidder PTA.

Through PTA, she’s been part of a team that helped raise funds for field trips, supplies and events for students.

But she also enjoys bringing together parents to advocate on behalf of children - relying on the strength of PTA’s 70,000 members nationwide. With the state PTA, she’s promoted issues, such as school funding, bullying prevention and school security.

“Anytime I can advocate for the kids, I’ll jump on board,” she said.

Renode also jumped in when her kids got involved with schools and clubs. She has been president of the booster clubs for Jim Thorpe’s band and girls soccer team - where she also ran the concession stand.

When her son joined Boy Scouts, she started volunteering there as well. After he turned 18, she remained with his troop, 555 in Jim Thorpe, as treasurer.

Without parent volunteers, those clubs can’t financially support the children who take part in them.

“If we didn’t have that fundraising, we wouldn’t be able to give back to the kids,” she said.

Renode also finds time to serve as recreation director for the Penn Forest Streams Property Owners Association and teaches kids in her church.

She attributes her work ethic to her parents, who would find time to get involved with their children’s school sports teams even after a long day at work in New Jersey, where Renode grew up.

Even though her youngest child graduated from Jim Thorpe this year, Renode doesn’t plan to leave the organization anytime soon. She’s seen the good things that the PTA does for students. She wants to continue helping them and get more parents involved.

“They need help, and I go when duty calls,” she said.