Community News
Young People Make Volunteering Work
By
Aug 21, 2005, 00:47

(NAPSI)-When it comes to volunteering, today's teens are all business. According to a UCLA study, more young people are volunteering. In fact, teen volunteer rates are up 12 percent in the last 10 years. In addition, studies show that adults could learn a thing or two from their teens. According to one Gallup poll, 59.3 percent of teens volunteer, as opposed to just 49 percent of adults.

Some of America's top teen-volunteers were recently honored for their work. Here's a look at their achievements:

• Devin Cohen, 18, obtained more than $150,000 worth of donated toys, books, clothing and other items from large corporations and local businesses for the benefit of young cancer patients.

• Ana Dodson, 13, created a nonprofit organization that collected nearly $15,000 to help abused and abandoned girls living in an orphanage in her native city of Cusco, Peru.

• Colleen Judge, 15, organized an annual concert in her neighborhood that has raised more than $16,000 for children's charities over the past five years.

• Given Kachepa, 18, is an advocate for victims of human trafficking. He draws upon his own experience as an orphan from Zambia.

• Daniel Kent, 16, created a nonprofit corporation that collected $120,000 in funds and equipment to build computer labs and teach computer classes to senior citizens.

• Jarrett Patterson, 13, established a "Kids Closet" to collect and distribute gently used clothing to disadvantaged students at his school.

• Samuel Robinson, 13, started a fund-raising drive to buy toys for young patients at a local hospital. He is now leading an effort to finance a garden and playground at the hospital.

• Elisabeth Sacco, 14, raised $2,500 in her older sister's memory for children with heart defects, and then helped conceive and coordinate a fashion show that produced nearly $50,000 for Children's Hospital in Boston.

• Lauren Stanford, 13, organized "Lauren's League for a Cure," a group that educates people about type 1 diabetes, lobbies for legislative support, and has raised more than $200,000 for research.

• Lindsey Williams, 18, planted and harvested more than 20,000 pounds of garden vegetables over the past five years to feed needy families, while developing an innovative nutrient-delivery system that conserves natural resources.

The volunteers were honored by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and were chosen from a field of more than 20,000. They each received $5,000, engraved gold medallions, crystal trophies for the schools that nominated them and $5,000 grants from the Prudential Foundation for nonprofit charitable organizations of their choice.

The awards were created 10 years ago in an effort to encourage youth volunteering and to reward young role models. Since then, the program has honored more than 60,000 young people. For more information, visit www.prudential.com/spirit.

Teen volunteer rates are up 12 percent over the past 10 years, according to one study.

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