YOUTHFUL VOLUNTEERS
Plenty of young volunteers helping others in this community
Whitney Pier’s youth there for others.
When we speak of an Unsung Hero, we usually think of soldiers, even though we are surrounded by people every day who go above and beyond to help others.
We do however try to recognize volunteers in our community, but we seem to focus on the adults. What about the kids? Are there youth who help others in the community? Yes, there is indeed.
Let me introduce you to some young people from Whitney Pier who enjoy lending a helping hand, mentoring others and supporting their community. I have had the pleasure of meeting youth from two groups in Whitney Pier and the consensus of why they enjoy helping is that “it makes them feel good to help others.”
St. Albans church in Whitney Pier recently created a youth council. These children are between the ages of 10 to 18. The vision of the youth council is to teach the youth the benefits of volunteering and the importance of working together with others as a team towards a common goal. Their first activity was to assist with a fundraiser for the church fair. The youth council contacted Rendell’s farm and they graciously donated some small pumpkins that the kids sold at the fall fair at their “Personalize your Pumpkin” table. The youth council then presented the money raised to the church. Their next activity will be a community activity.
Whitney Pier Youth Club (WPYC), a highly respected organization in our community, also has many youth “dogooders.” I stopped by the club to chat with some youth and I soon realized that the youth club is not just a place where they go to play, hangout and have snacks. They are also taught valuable lessons and skills that they will use throughout their lifetime.
The group of youth I spoke with said they like helping because they enjoy going to the club each day and they want the youth club to continue to be effective in the community. The teens and tweens of the Whitney Pier Youth club assist with tutoring and engaging in physical activities with the
younger kids. The youth are giving back, what they themselves, have been given.
Volunteering allows these young adults to expand their social circle and helps them become aware of what is happening in their community. Youth are our future and this positive development is the molding
for successful, compassionate adults.