When 13-year-old Jeremiah De Leon-Smith of Mathis, TX, tragically passed away in June, his family mourned, struggling with the loss of someone so young. Jeremiah’s grandmother made it her mission to ensure he was remembered.
Her efforts were realized when a tree was planted on her grandson’s birthday, Aug. 17, as part of a WoodmenLife Giving Together project.
WoodmenLife joined the cause because we’re committed to supporting our communities in times of need. It’s also because Jeremiah was a member of the WoodmenLife family1, and we were grieving, too.
Sales Representative Minerva Gutierrez of Corpus Christi, TX, had helped cover Jeremiah with life insurance when he was a baby. And she was quick to respond when his grandmother asked for her help in memorializing him.
“We don’t just sell you life insurance and say, ‘I’m gone,’” Gutierrez said. “No! We try to be involved at every stage of life.”
So, she brainstormed with Financial Representative Cynthia Westbrook of La Vernia, TX. The duo decided on a community beautification Giving Together project: They would plant a tree to honor Jeremiah.
What Is Giving Together?
The goal of WoodmenLife’s Giving Together program is to empower Representatives to organize impactful community service projects. The program was designed to engage community members and to make a difference.
These projects serve a need in one of three categories:
- Clean-up: These projects can include cleaning up a highway, local park or cemetery, or assisting a Veteran or senior citizen with yard work
- Community beautification: These projects can include planting flowers or seasonal plants, replacing mulch around a community entrance sign or creating a flower bed at a local school
- Painting: These projects can include painting over graffiti, painting a dugout at a ballfield or painting a wall/room at the local community center
In 2024, nearly 500 Giving Together projects were completed nationwide.
Celebrating Jeremiah
The Giving Together project that honored Jeremiah was a fitting tribute to the athletic, quick-to-smile teenager.
“It was fantastic,” Westbrook said about the tree-planting, which drew about 100 people. “It was very emotional, but it was absolutely beautiful.”
Jeremiah’s tree was planted outside the Mathis High School football stadium. It’s an appropriate place for his legacy to grow, as Jeremiah looked forward to competing on the field inside.
Gutierrez saw the occasion as a shining example of WoodmenLife’s commitment to family and community.
“It’s always great when you cover a family and no one ever has to use it before their time,” she said. “That was the plan for Jeremiah, but sadly it was used after his tragic passing.
“In talking with the family, they were so grateful they had WoodmenLife.”
We’re pleased that the Giving Together project could be part of his family’s ongoing healing process.
About WoodmenLife
Visit WoodmenLife.org/About to find out more about WoodmenLife and how we are contributing to communities across the country.
To make a difference in your area, contact your local WoodmenLife chapter.
1. An individual becomes a member by joining our shared commitment to family, community and country, and by purchasing a WoodmenLife product.
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