Congratulations to Addison:
YVCHR's Volunteer of the Month!
Addison joined YVCHR back in the spring and has become a devoted volunteer since then! She has participated in dozens of service projects (both virtual and in-person), including building beds, painting little libraries, and working at both the Butterfly Garden and Parkview Community Garden. She says her favorite experience so far has been the Sleep in Heavenly Peace project: "It taught me a lot about what can so easily be taken for granted.... I loved working with the power tools, too." Addison states that the best thing about volunteering is that she can help people (and animals!) while having fun in the process.
Addison's hobbies include drawing and painting, and she loves spending time with her family and pets. She loves animals! After high school, Addison would like to attend Virginia Tech to earn a degree in Biology and then pursue a career as a veterinarian.
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Interesting Fact: Addison is the youngest of 3 girls. She has two dogs and three cats and has grown up with pets her entire life.
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YVC School Club Spotlight:
Hines Middle School
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Having a YVC school club builds a bridge to impactful volunteer opportunities.
-Linda Craven, Club Sponsor
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Hines Middle School's YVC Club provides service-learning opportunities for students, even while school buildings are closed and students are learning remotely. Linda Craven has led the club in total for three years and continues to facilitate meetings for her students despite the challenges of virtual instruction. She prioritizes the YVC program because "young people need an outlet that makes them feel connected to something bigger than themselves." Hines Middle's last YVC Club meeting featured a guest speaker who shared ways that students can support the SPCA; then the club learned how to repurpose old t-shirts into dog toys, which will be donated to shelter animals.
Mrs. Craven states that it makes her students feel good to be part of an organization doing great things in the community. Their club meets every other week via Zoom, which Craven admits is "not as challenging as I thought it would be because of the wonderful support YVC offers." One new tool for school clubs this year is YVCHR's mobile app, which launched in October and has helped streamline communications and provides helpful resources to members and sponsors.
School clubs play a vital role in YVCHR programming by increasing access for students to quality service-learning experiences. In Mrs. Craven's words, "I think volunteering is an awesome way for young people to explore their interests, develop various skills, and improve their community. It’s the ultimate win-win example. Young people have energy and curiosity, and it offers a safe and enlightening experience." We are especially grateful to our club sponsors who make it happen!
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Stay tuned for our January and February service opportunities!
Be sure to check out our Project Calendar after the holidays, as in-person projects are tentative based on developments with COVID-19. Virtual projects will be posted soon.
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Bank of America Student Leaders Program
Deadline: January 29
Student Leaders are awarded paid summer internships with local nonprofits--like YVCHR!-- and participate in a national leadership conference in Washington, D.C. The Student Leaders Summit focuses on skill building and creating a more civically engaged society. This is a truly worthwhile and highly rewarding program that Bank of America offers each year to competitive high school juniors and seniors.
As a Student Leader, participants learn first-hand about the needs of their community and the critical role nonprofits play. They are also connected to a network of peers and professionals across the country, expanding future service and career opportunities.
Please note the application requirements and be sure to obtain a letter of recommendation as soon as possible. YVCHR would love to host another Student Leader this summer and encourages all interested juniors and seniors to apply!
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Need a last-minute gift?
Consider a t-shirt to benefit the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank! There are several colors available.
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Youth Grant Opportunity
Deadline is January 22, 2021
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1 in 6 (more than 50 million people), including 1 in 4 children (approximately 17 million children) in the United States are experiencing food insecurity in 2020. This is a problem that can be solved, and kids are a part of the solution! YSA (Youth Service America) and Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation are looking for the best ideas from young people about how they can help meet immediate needs caused by the coronavirus pandemic and/or help prevent childhood hunger in the future. |
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Grants of up to $500 are supporting youth leaders ages 5-25 across the U.S. to turn their ideas into action and make an impact on the issue of childhood hunger. New this year is an option for a fundraising match grant, which includes $100 for fundraising-related costs and a $400 matching grant to a local hunger relief organization of your choice.
YVCHR is happy to support and guide any interested youth through the process of grant-writing and also provide logistical support for project ideas that youth would like to implement. Contact kmorgan@yvchr.org to propose your idea and start your application!
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What Sodexo is looking for:
- Youth-led community service or fundraising projects designed to address childhood hunger.
- Projects that take place in schools, colleges/universities, afterschool programs, youth organizations, nonprofits, or faith-based organizations.
- Projects that engage at least 25 young people ages 5-25 as volunteers between March 1 – May 31, 2021, with some activity on Global Youth Service Day – April 23-25, preferred. (While we will be flexible this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, projects with higher numbers of volunteers are more likely to be funded.)
- Fundraising project grantees will receive $100 grants for fundraising-related costs and a $400 matching grant to a local hunger relief organization of your choice in addition to the funds you raise.
- Projects that engage youth not typically asked to serve (youth with disabilities, youth that are struggling in school, youth from low-income or underserved communities, etc.)
- Projects that bring together young people, families, Sodexo employees, and other community members.
- Projects that introduce long-term solutions to childhood hunger.
- Applicants must live in the United States and activities must benefit families & children in the United States.
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Grant funds may not be used to purchase food or meals to donate.
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