At 53 years old, Beverly Hills resident Lisa Kay Schwartz is fulfilling an unexpected calling as a full-time volunteer. It all started with a conversation between her and an old high school friend who mentioned the Dream Street Foundation, an organization that provides unique camping and support programs to children and young adults with life threatening and chronic illnesses.

"I feel my life is so blessed and to give back to people on any level is very gratifying to me," Schwartz said. "Opportunities present themselves and you just get a passion for it. I've always felt like I wanted to give back to society."

The Dream Street Foundation is a place where Schwartz has spent one week every summer for the past 20 years as a camp counselor to teen girls. The camp is a week of paradise for children who typically wouldn't have this opportunity of freedom.

"It's 1,000 percent gratification. It just warms your heart," Schwartz said. "There is no better feeling then to see someone who is not healthy have a huge smile on their face or tears of joy."

After attending Beverly Hills High School, Schwartz spent three years at UC Santa Barbara before retuning to the area to finish her degree at UCLA. She worked for years in business management before deciding to dedicate her time to volunteer work.

Volunteering runs in Schwartz' family. She grew up with a mother actively involved in organizations like Hadassah, an American Jewish volunteer women's organization, and the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors, which Schwartz herself has been involved with for 25 years—five as a board member.

"I've got to say I learned a lot of it through my parents," Schwartz said." That's the way I was raised." 

Another family member, her aunt Margarat Zaas, co-founded "New Directions," a rehabilitative residential program for veterans who have become addicted to drugs, alcohol, or are homeless. When her aunt passed away five years ago, she decided to take on a bigger role with the organization to carry on her legacy. 

Schwartz is promoting the talents of the New Direction's A cappella group, which is currently on "America's Got Talent." The group sang "The National Anthem" and "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch of the July 5 Los Angeles Dodgers game.   

"I've seen a huge spectrum of boys to men," she said of New Directions. "It's very gratifying seeing them get better and get back on their feet."

And for Schwartz's own offspring, volunteerism will continue to run in the family. Kyle Kay, her 19-year-old son, is a business major and baseball player at Chapman University. Three years ago, he began volunteering at a camp teaching baseball to children.

"I've had little boys come up to me and say 'I've wanted to play baseball my whole life, but no one would ever pick me because I'm so weak—and I just played baseball!'" Schwartz said. "One of the most gratifying things is seeing my son give back."

Schwartz' latest volunteerism brought her back to her high school, where she sits on the executive board for the program "Every 15 Minutes." The program takes place every two years with a staged dramatic car crash caused by a young drunk driver. The purpose of the display is to give students an image of the consequences from drinking, as well as texting, while driving. Schwartz has a close relationship with Setian's parents, who were instrumental in bringing the program to the high school. 

Schwartz has no plans to slow down her philanthropic nature. She can only hope to inspire others to do the same.

"I am so deeply vested and passionate about all of the things that I do right now," Schwartz said. "I would just do these things forever."