19-year-old youth minister to celebrate philanthropy with “Ignite the Fire” program

Lorenzo Harrison is only 19 but his sense of community is perhaps unparalleled for someone his age.

Harrison is a college student, a youth minister and founder of a non-profit organization that boasts an all-volunteer staff of 35 with an additional 10 interns.

Did we mention he is only 19?

Harrison’s benevolence will be on display later this month when he presents Ignite the Fire, a night of rejoicing and recognition for area volunteers.

The event will feature 20-year old Memphis native Willie Morris III as guest pastor and will also celebrate one year of giving for Harrison’s Lorenzo Gives Back foundation.

Harrison started the foundation after he was featured in numerous media reports for giving away free tickets to the Royals’ 2016 home opener. The recipient: A mother and her then 13-year-old son.

The boy is a cancer survivor that had never attended a Royals game.

Harrison, a Lee’s Summit native, has not stopped giving back since. He will recognize several members of the community for their volunteer work June 23 at United in the Faith Christian Fellowship Church in south Kansas City where he has for the last year served as youth minister.

Harrison said he is in the process of becoming an ordained minister. His work in the community is so respected that Kansas City Mayor Sly James — at Harrison’s request — issued a proclamation establishing June as community service and mentoring month in Kansas City.

The proclamation was a boom to the organization’s goal to serve.

“We only asked for a day,” Harrison said. “We ended up with a whole month.”

Harrison just completed his freshmen year as a secondary business education major at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin. He leaves in August for Orlando, where he will participate for a semester in a college internship program sponsored by Disney.