Mom, son start teen volunteer group

Ga. woman inspired by sister, launches Lion’s Heart chapter.

While looking around for ways to volunteer in her Johns Creek community last year, Mariela Carrasquillo hit on a way to make giving back a family affair.

“I was trying to decide what group to join when my seventh-grader said he wanted to volunteer, too,” said Carrasquillo. “My sister lives in California, and we knew her kids were part of a group there called Lion’s Heart. So instead of joining an adult group, I decided to start a Lion’s Heart chapter here.”

The California-based Lion’s Heart is a nonprofit geared toward giving teens ways to volunteer in their communities. It currently has 55 chapters across the country and is looking to add more. When Carrasquillo realized there was no chapter in Georgia, she took on the challenge of starting one.

“We needed a minimum of four [youngsters] to start, so my son asked his friends,” said Carrasquillo. “We now have six guys who are very passionate about helping the community. They say no to nothing; every time they’ve been approached with an opportunity, they say, ‘Sign me up!’ ”Adrian Carrasquillo, 13, was intrigued by some of the service projects his California cousins were doing.

“I thought it was very interesting how they helped out, and I thought maybe we should be doing something like that too,” said the seventh grader at Taylor Road Middle school. “We’ve done a lot — picked up litter, helped out at festivals, handed out water a 5K race and fed the homeless in a downtown Atlanta shelter. We also worked at an animal shelter, cleaning out the van they use to transport the animals, and we wrapped Christmas gifts for the Children’s Restora-