(WSVN) – A South Florida woman has a passion for keeping families together, and her determination and drive goes back decades. Karen Hensel has this volunteer’s lifelong mission in tonight’s 7 Spotlight.

May Molina’s labor of love is helping children, and she has been doing it since she was a child.

May Molina, Children’s Home Society of Florida volunteer: “If I must say, I’m currently 40, so I started at the age of seven. You guys could do the math. I would just go with my sister, who would volunteer.”

For 33 years, May has volunteered with Children’s Home Society of Florida.

The organization supports struggling parents so their children can remain home, instead of ending up in foster care.

May Molina: “It does take a lot of time and dedication, but when you have a passion for it, it doesn’t seem like work. You just naturally do it, and that’s just the way it comes for me.”

The Children’s Home Society provides early childhood programs, counseling, adoption services and more.

May Molina: “We do back-to-school drives, toy drives. We do baby showers for the moms every year. When we do these type of events, it’s for them to forget about whatever they’re going through at that moment and just enjoy the time and the gifts and enjoy that they’re in the spotlight, so this baby shower is mainly for moms who are struggling.”

Moms like Lucia Ramirez.

Lucia Ramirez: “I was seeking for help, and I came across this program, and they have provided me with like a crib for the baby when he came home and some clothes, and that was awesome because I didn’t have that.”

Lucia’s baby is now 3 years old.

Lucia Ramirez: “With the Children’s Home Society, they had helped me raise him, has given me parenting skills, how to educate him better. They’re just great people, honestly. I feel so comfortable being here in this program. They’re like my second family.”

And speaking of family…

May Molina: “Eventually had kids of my own and introduced them into my passion of helping others.”

May says her sons, now 15 and 20, share her passion of serving those who are less fortunate.

May Molina: “When I tell them that I’m going to be having another event, they go, ‘OK, what do we have to do? When is it?’ and they’re there. Realize that we’re blessed. I think that’s like the most important thing for me and what I wanted my kids to grow up knowing and appreciating what they had, and I believe I accomplished that.”

Sharing a love for giving back with a new generation, Children’s Home Society of Florida, which started back in 1902, helps more than 60,000 children and family members each year.

To learn more about volunteering or donating, click here.

By: Karen Hensel

Originally posted by WSVN 7 News