Teen celebrates her birthday by giving back

By Jeff O'Brien

Monday, Sept. 22, 2008 | 5:24 p.m.

At the ripe old age of 13, Mattie Wendel is not only overcoming personal challenges but also serving as a role model and an inspiration to everyone around her.

The seventh grader at Lawrence Middle School, who was diagnosed with a form of autism known as Asperger Syndrome at age 5, decided to celebrate her birthday on Oct. 23 by reaching out and lending a helping hand to others.

She took it upon herself to organize a fundraising drive for two Las Vegas-based shelters — Olive Crest Foster Care and the Shade Tree Shelter.

Mattie's tutor, Gail Rudolph — who is a first-grade teacher at Hayes Elementary School — described her as "the daughter she never had."

"Most teenagers who are turning 14 say they want to have a big party with all their friends, but not Mattie," Rudolph said. "She thinks of other people first and wants to share her birthday with people who don't have what she has."

The idea for the fundraising drive, Mattie said, came from an episode of "Oprah" that she watched in mid-August.

"It was the episode where she delivered 1,550 pajamas for needy kids," she said.

It wasn't long before she asked her parents — West Valley residents Danielle and Myron Wendel — if she could organize her own fundraising drive.

"We said 'sure, if you want to,' and Mattie got online and looked up Olive Crest Foster Care and the Shade Tree Shelter," Danielle Wendel said. "She contacted them herself and told them what her wish was."

Olive Crest Foster Care provides foster family services for abused children and Shade Tree Shelter provides shelter for both abused women and children.

"Both facilities are always in need of extra supplies," Danielle Wendel said. "Mattie wanted to help those kids because they typically show up with only the clothes on their back."

Mattie and her parents began collecting items such as diapers, shampoo, lotion and paper towels — but it wasn't long before the fundraising effort began picking up steam.

Once Rudolph informed her fellow staff members at Hayes Elementary about Mattie's effort, they jumped on the bandwagon. Several teachers have donated everything from clothes to shoes, baby bottles, toys and gift cards.

"Just the other day I got a $100 gift card to Albertsons," Mattie said.

Mattie's fundraising effort began during the third week of August and already the office in the Wendel home is crowded with baskets filled with supplies.

"The response we got in such a short time has been amazing," Danielle Wendel said. "We have more than 100 pairs of underwear and 100 pairs of socks."

Other homes in the neighborhood have also joined in the effort, with Mattie going door-to-door to spread the word, and Myron Wendel's co-workers at Macintosh Wireless Communications have also been making donations.

It's not the first time Mattie has reached out to others — for the past three years she has volunteered at local soup kitchens during Thanksgiving and helped feed the homeless during Christmas.

Mattie loves washing dishes at the soup kitchens, but in a modern fashion.

"In the kitchen they have a huge dishwasher so all you have to do is put them in there and press the button," she said.

Mattie has also taken it upon herself to keep everything organized with this latest fundraising drive, sending "thank you" letters and keeping track of monetary donations.

"A lot of people think about doing something like this but they never do it," Danielle Wendel said. "Mattie didn't even really think about it. She just went ahead and did it."

Myron Wendel described his daughter as a very social girl who is popular at school. She enjoys reading, watching movies, riding her bike and competing on the swim team at Lawrence Middle School.

"One of the things that made it difficult to diagnose Mattie was the fact that she is so outgoing and verbal," Myron Wendel said. "Usually, that's not the case with kids who have Asperger Syndrome. They are typically more introverted and that's not how Mattie is at all."

The Wendel family plans to deliver all the goods to both shelters on Oct. 23, but Mattie said they might need a truck by then.

"Like one of those big huge lumber trucks that hold wood," she said.

For more information about Mattie's fundraiser, e-mail Danielle Wendel at [email protected].

Jeff O’Brien can be reached at 990-8957 or [email protected].