Youngest Mayor’s Award recipient honored

Andrew Glazer

COSTA MESA -- A seventh-grader from TeWinkle Middle School became the

youngest recipient of the Mayor’s Award for community service Monday

night.

After volunteering almost daily at Someone Cares Soup Kitchen on the West

Side last summer, Nicholas Smith, 12, has returned each Friday to scoop

ice cream, vacuum floors and cut vegetables there.

“He does whatever we ask him,” said George Neureuther, the soup kitchen’s

manager. “But the main reason I nominated him was that he’s very

comfortable going out and eating with the people -- especially the

seniors, who’ve sort of adopted him.”

Nicholas ladled vegetable soup into paper dishes Monday, just hours

before Mayor Gary Monahan presented him the award.

“I have friends I hang out with here,” said Nicholas, who has blond hair

and a catcher’s build. He plays for the unbeaten Costa Mesa National

League Dodgers. “Some people are lonely and they really want friends.

They tell you some amazing stories.”

His friends include Gloria, a gray-haired woman wearing green and purple

Mardi Gras beads who refused to give her last name.

“He’s one kid I don’t worry about,” said Gloria, pausing between

spoonfuls of soup. “I tell him to stay in school and no matter what,

continue to read, study and learn.”

Nicholas’ mother, Bernie, is a cook at the kitchen. She brought him with

her to work for the first time last summer. She said she never needed to

convince him to volunteer.

“He likes helping -- that’s just who he is,” Smith said. “But I think

this attention is freaking him out a little.”

Nicholas, who confidently strolls around the soup kitchen greeting

visitors, said he doesn’t feel quite as comfortable facing the City

Council to accept his award.

“This is really surprising, exciting,” Nick said before Monday’s City

Council meeting. “But I’m a bit nervous. I hope I don’t have to make a

speech.”