Mimi Copen is a familiar face in the halls of Trapnell Elementary School. She’s there every week, but not because she’s a paid faculty member — she’s a dedicated volunteer.
Sitting in the inner courtyard, the feisty, leopard print-wearing mom says hello to almost everyone who walks by. They know the familiar face as an instrumental part of the school. Copen has been volunteering for more than four years.
“I love to help — that’s me,” Copen says. “I love, love, love doing things for my kids. It’s all about them, and it’s all about other (kids), too.”
“She does so much for the school and with PTA,” fellow volunteer Gwen Trapnell says.
Copen has had five children go to Trapnell. She first saw a need when she was helping out with Santa’s Workshop. Students have the opportunity to go shopping at a small marketplace brought to the school to buy presents for their family and friends. When a little girl bought a beaded bracelet for $15, she was so proud. But a couple of weeks later, Mimi saw the same bracelet at discount store for a dollar.
“That made me so mad,” Copen says about the markup.
So, Copen decided to take matters into her own hands. She took over the workshop and vowed to have quality items for $10 and under.
Because her children play traveling soccer, she visits stores wherever she goes, looking for good deals.
But, Copen doesn’t limit her finds to just the workshop. She also uses them in a similar marketplace for Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day.
Even more touching, Copen often buys clothing items for students in need referred to her by faculty members. She encourages her kids to have giving hearts, as well. Each year, she takes $50 out of their Christmas gifts for them to give to charity.
“Mimi is very unselfish,” Trapnell says. “I have seen her go and buy clothes and shoes for needy families at out school. Mimi has done so many great things at Trapnell — I can’t even begin to list them all.”
One is the school’s butterfly garden. It was destroyed last summer after a new AC unit was installed. Copen visited different business to ask for donations to revive the garden.
“She made sure all of our plants were replaced and beautiful for the children,” Trapnell says. “She was even out there in the beginning of the year cleaning the landscaping at Trapnell.”
But now that her youngest, Bo, 10, will be moving on to middle school, Copen says she won’t be volunteering as much.
“It’s so hard for me to get out of here,” Copen said. “I know I’ll miss the kids. I know I’m going to miss their laugh. I’m just so, so lucky to have been part of this family.”
Still, she might not be completely gone from the school grounds.
“I’ll come in whenever they need me,” Copen said.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.