Liz Carnegie: On a Mission to Make a Difference

Liz Carnegie is determined to pay it forward in Clawson.

The 54-year-old Oakland University student was hired as the city's intern in September and has a full list of community projects to work on.

One of Carnegie's biggest projects so far is helping to organize the , which hosts food drives for needy families every Monday at .

The pantry has provided food, personal care products and pet food for 24 families since October, Carnegie said, and it is always accepting donations. 

"It's always a good thing to reach a hand out to someone in need, and doing that locally, I believe, sends out a ripple effect to the world at large," the Madison Heights resident said.

The unpaid internship is a requirement for Carnegie's social work program. When she saw Clawson on the internship list, she knew it was the perfect fit.

"It was the first one that really caught my eye because the position allowed the intern to work directly with Mayor (Penny) Luebs," said Carnegie, who works about 10 hours a week in Clawson. "I don't know of too many internships where you get to start out at the top like that. I feel very, very fortunate to have this role with the city."

Aside from the internship, Carnegie said the city itself also attracted her. "The way the citizens pitch in to keep their city thriving is a real testament to Clawson continuing to flourish," she said.

Other projects Carnegie is working on include an anti-bullying/bullying awareness seminar and helping the Goodfellows with its annual . She also helped organize the event in October.

Carnegie and Luebs hope to start a community garden in Clawson with help from local gardeners and volunteers. Carnegie is trying to secure a location for the garden, from which vegetables would be donated to the Clawson Food Bank and .

Luebs said having a city intern was long overdue for Clawson. Carnegie brings a lot of fresh ideas to the table, she said, including the city's first food bank.

"I needed a helping hand," Luebs said. "I enjoy the support that she is able to provide by making phone calls, meeting with people, participating with the food bank, helping out with the scheduled community events in the city.”

When she's not volunteering in the community, Carnegie enjoys photography. She has worked as a photojournalist for several local and national newspapers and magazines. Carnegie said she decided to go back to school because of the turning tide of the journalism industry.

"It's very difficult to get a (journalism) job," Carnegie said. "So I knew I had to make a change."

While Carnegie is single with no kids, she said she enjoys spending time with her family, including her "wonderful nieces and nephews."

Her internship officially ends in December, but Luebs said Carnegie has volunteered to work for another semester.

"She brings an addition to Clawson with helping hands and a caretaker heart," Luebs said. "When she meets with people, she exhibits compassion."