Cumberland student honored for volunteerism

Garvin Memorial 5th-grader Emily Raimondi, 10, 1 of only 2 in state recognized

CUMBERLAND — Emily Raimondi, a 10-year-old student at Garvin Memorial School in Cumberland, was named one of two top youth volunteers of 2019 for the state of Rhode Island by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism.

As a state honoree, Emily will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C., where she will join the top two honorees from each of the other states and the District of Columbia for four days of national recognition events. During the trip, 10 students will be named America’s top youth volunteers of 2019. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 24th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

The other other top Rhode Island finalist was Kierra Giarrusso, 17, of Exeter.

Emily, a fifth-grader at

Garvin Memorial School, collects gifts for kids from low-income families and for homeless pets in an animal shelter, and has raised nearly $10,000 over the past four years for people with spinal cord injuries. At Christmastime, instead of exchanging gifts with family and friends, Emily hosts a party for the Toys for Tots program, which distributes toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them Christmas presents. And then, on her birthday, she throws another party and asks friends to bring donations of pet food and pet toys, instead of gifts for her.

“I bring all of the donations to the animal shelter, which is always so much fun because I love going to see all the dogs and cats and knowing that they will be happier,” said Emily.

But Emily’s biggest project is raising money for the Travis Roy Foundation, established by a Boston University hockey player who was paralyzed from the neck down 11 seconds into his first game.

“I was in an accident and my neck hurt and I was scared I was going to be like Travis,” she said. “Everything was

okay, but I wanted to be sure that people who had spinal cord injuries would get the help they needed.”

To raise funds, Emily sells cakes that she bakes from scratch and decorates. She also hosts skating events and “board-breaking” karate parties, and publicizes these activities by speaking to classes at her school and making Facebook videos explaining spinal cord injuries.

“Through community service I learned that I can do many kind things, and that it means a lot to other people, and that makes me happy,” said Emily.

The program judges also recognized two other Rhode Island students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion.

The following are Rhode Island’s Distinguished Finalists for 2019, both from Cumberland:

• Olivia Barboza, 17, a senior at Cumberland High School, recruited volunteers to help her create and send 62 menstrual hygiene care kits for female students attending school in rural Northern Ghana. Olivia also raised money for a health care educator

to teach the recipients about menstrual health, and hopes the care kits empower girls to continue attending school and complete their education.

• Connor Enestvedt, 14, a freshman at Cumberland High School, has spent hundreds of volunteer hours planting, tending and harvesting crops for the Historic Metcalf Franklin Farm, a town-owned farm that provides organic vegetables for those experiencing food insecurity. Along with general farm work, Connor has also educated others about the project, which donates an average of 40,000 pounds of food each year.

“These young volunteers learned and demonstrated that they can make meaningful contributions to individuals and communities through their service,” said Prudential CEO Charles Lowrey. “It’s an honor to recognize their great work, and we hope that shining a spotlight on their service inspires others to consider how they might make a difference.”

“Each of these honorees is proof that students have the energy, creativity and unique perspectives to create positive change,” said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. “We commend each of the 2019 honorees for their outstanding volunteer service, and for the invaluable example they’ve set for their peers.”

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards represents the United States’ largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteer service. All public and private middle level and high schools in the country, as well as all Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of Points of Light’s Hands On Network, were eligible to select a student or member for a local Prudential Spirit of Community Award. These local honorees were then reviewed by an independent judging panel, which selected state honorees and Distinguished Finalists based on criteria including personal initiative, effort, impact and personal growth.

While in Washington, D.C., the 102 state honorees – one middle level and one high school student from each state and the District of Columbia – will tour the capital’s landmarks, meet top youth volunteers from other parts of the world, attend a gala awards ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, and visit their congressional representatives on

Capitol Hill. On May 6, 10 of the state honorees – five middle level and five high school students – will be named America’s top youth volunteers of 2019. These national honorees will receive additional $5,000 awards, gold medallions, crystal trophies and $5,000 grants from The Prudential Foundation for nonprofit charitable organizations of their choice.

Since the program began in 1995, more than 125,000 young volunteers have been honored at the local, state and

national level. The program also is conducted by Prudential subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Ireland, India, China and Brazil. In addition to granting its own awards, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program also distributes President’s Volunteer Service Awards to qualifying Local Honorees.

For information on all of this year’s Prudential Spirit of Community State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists, visit