ESCONDIDO -- Getting Natali Galt to volunteer to help her community isn't exactly like pulling teeth, even though her most recent service activity began in a dentist's chair.

While Dr. Randy Jungman worked on Galt's bright smile this summer, he regaled her with stories of his involvement with the Escondido Jaycees and the recent struggles of the club to attract enough young adults to keep its programs going, most notably the annual Christmas parade.

His timing was good. Galt, 31, already an active member of the Kiwanis Club of Escondido, was thinking about joining another civic organization, but wasn't sure which one.

"The Jaycees fell into my lap. He got me when I was in the chair," said Galt, who works as an instructional assistant at Skyline Elementary School in Solana Beach. "The first meeting I was at, I thought, 'I totally can be involved.'"

Galt got really involved at her second meeting, raising her hand when a chairman was sought for the on-again, off-again parade, which will roll down Broadway in his 57th incarnation Saturday morning.

Galt said that with Jennifer Kuehl as co-chairwoman and the "Three Wise Men," parade planning veterans Jungman, Wally Gutierrez and Larry Michel, providing wisdom and guidance, organizing the "Fairy Tale Christmas" procession has been a pleasure.

"I had my mind made up before the meeting" that she wanted to be chairwoman, said Galt. "We're having fun. We're having a blast. I told Wally, 'You can definitely count on us for next year. I've been officially bitten by the Christmas parade bug.'"

That's hardly the only bug that has bitten Galt when it comes to community service. The Escondido native had barely stepped onto the campus at Orange Glen High School when she signed up to join Key Club, a Kiwanis-affiliated service group for high school students.

Galt now oversees that club and similar groups at Escondido and Valley high schools as sponsored youth chairwoman for Escondido Kiwanis. Interestingly, one of the activities with which she has helped the Key clubs is building floats for the Christmas parade.

She's a good fit as adviser for the teen groups as the youngest member of her Kiwanis chapter, a title she has held since joining five years ago. Once again, it took just one meeting to persuade her to jump aboard.

"She's just a tremendous young lady, a total go-getter," said Nat Heard, who recommended Galt to replace him as youth chairperson. "Her energy itself causes some of the older members to get off their duff and get involved. She's actually a role model for a lot of people in the club."

Besides overseeing the Key clubs, Galt is a board member and active with the group's district council. She also participates in the club's Romania project, which brought about the construction of trade schools and transition homes for orphan boys and girls.

She traveled to Romania with Kiwanis in October 2004, a trip she called life-changing. Particularly affecting was a visit to a baby hospital where orphaned infants are left with little more than basic needs met.

"Some of those babies have never been held. They've never had any physical attachment. They have no facial expressions," Galt said. "We would feed them and play with them. We weren't there long enough. I could have spent the whole week at that hospital. I wanted to take all of (the babies) home."

Galt plans again to travel to Romania with Kiwanis in April.

She'll fit that in with her other major activity, annual participation in the renowned Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. Each year since 2003, Galt has landed a spot in the cast of the living-art festival. She didn't participate in 2005, when she declined a role requiring her to pose nude, and in 2007, when an overly large set piece covered the spot where she was to stand.

She happily makes the 100-mile round-trip from Escondido each day of the pageant, the longest drive of any cast member.

"I just remember as a kid being in awe" watching the pageant, Galt said. "Seeing what Rembrandt and Monet (paintings) looked like, then to see them larger than life onstage -- it was inspiring."

Auditions for the 2009 pageant are in January, and Galt plans to be there.

"I have three pieces I want to do," she said.

Given her track record, she'll get the job done.

If you have a suggestion for someone who would make a good Neighbors story, contact staff writer Jeff Frank at (760) 740-5419 or jfrank@nctimes.com.