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Not Just For Kids
Kids Enhancing the Quality of Life
Many young people volunteer at school, church, and within the community. They are helping others, caring for the environment, and making their neighborhoods better places to live. In doing so, they are getting a head start on a lifelong path of service as community leaders. National Youth Service Day, April 15-17, will highlight the contributions that children and teens make to enhance the quality of life in their communities. For more details, see www.ysa.org. National Youth Service Day is held concurrently with Global Youth Service Day and will be followed by National Volunteer Week, April 17-23, 2005. The theme of this year’s National Volunteer Week is “Inspire by Example” which reflects the power volunteers have to inspire the people they help, as well as to inspire others to serve. See www.pointsoflight.org for additional information. Youth from all over Maricopa County are encouraged to develop their own National Youth Service Day Project or visit the Volunteer Center of Maricopa County’s website at www.volunteerphoenix.org to choose from a list of over 40 service projects for youth. Available projects include volunteering with children, sorting donations, painting murals, picking fruit, park clean up, and much more. Participants will include elementary, middle, high school and college students. Since 1962, the Volunteer Center of Maricopa County has been providing personalized volunteer referral services for individuals and groups. They also sponsor a Youth Volunteer Advisory Board for high school students and the Youth Volunteer Corps for ages 11-18. To get involved, visit www.volunteerphoenix.org or call 1-800-VOLUNTEER. President’s Volunteer Service Award The President’s Volunteer Service Award honors the valuable contributions of volunteers who are answering President George W. Bush’s call to serve others. There are three levels of the award—Bronze, Silver, and Gold—based on the number of service hours completed within a 12-month period. The Knowledge House Learning Resource Center at Crossroads Christian Fellowship in New River is a certifying organization for the President’s Volunteer Service program. Knowledge House is proud to be able to join the President of the United States in recognizing outstanding volunteers who consistently take the time to make a difference in the lives of others. Knowledge House has announced its first recipient for the President’s Volunteer Service Award as 12-year-old Shawn Simard of New River. A homeschooler, he performed his first community service project at age 7 when he donated toys, games and educational materials to the preschool class at Stepping Stones Academy. Simard is being presented with a President’s Volunteer Service Gold Award for having logged 186 hours of community service. His volunteer projects included collecting coins for the World Wildlife Fund’s “Pennies for the Planet” program, leading a flag ceremony at the senior citizen center, opening an induction ceremony for the Knowledge House Scholars Honor Society, Christmas cheer at two adult homes, Christmas card/letter for troops, and student teaching at the ATA Black Belt Academy. He also recently earned a black belt in Karate, became certified in CPR, and received an Arrow of Light Award, the highest rank in Cub Scouting. Knowledge House Scholars, a local chapter of the National Homeschool Honor Society, encourages members to develop their talents and potential by applying their skills for the betterment of themselves, the community and world. The group’s motto is, “Though I have all knowledge and have not charity, I am nothing.” (I Corinthians 13:2) They participate in individual and group community service, volunteerism, citizenship, environmental issues, global awareness, entrepreneurial spirit, and academic achievement. Charter members Leanne Albillar, Amy Charles, Heather Charles, David Linamen, Timothy Linamen, and Peter Olsen have completed many community service projects in the past year. Their individual and group projects include tutoring and reading to young children, serving Thanksgiving dinners, giving canned goods to a holiday food drive, Christmas caroling at two adult homes, performing at church and civic functions, picking up trash, sorting clothes for charity, helping the elderly, recycling, gathering donations for tsunami relief, collecting Campbell’s labels and General Mills boxtops for education. The Knowledge House Scholars meet once a month at Crossroads Christian Fellowship in New River. They hope to build partnerships with local businesses and organizations that can provide opportunities for volunteerism, citizenship and leadership development, as well as scholarships and other incentives. If anyone needs some smart volunteers, contact . For more information, plus an extensive list of volunteer ideas and links to local organizations, visit their web page at www.knowledgehouse.info/KHS-ED.html. USA Freedom Corps USA Freedom Corps has launched a new website designed to show elementary and middle school students how they can start making a difference by volunteering. The website includes four sections: for kids (elementary school students), youth (middle school students), parents and teachers. Visitors to the site will find volunteer ideas for youth, online games about volunteering, service stories from President and Mrs. Bush, and information on how to earn the President’s Volunteer Service Award. To learn more, visit www.usafreedomcorpskids.gov.
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