Cameron Mansanarez
Cameron Mansanarez, a senior at Monte Vista High School, played a leading role in the creation of a statewide student council community service project dedicated to helping disadvantaged children, called “Caring for Colorado’s Children.”
As a state student council representative in his junior year, “I wanted to begin a project in Colorado that could be carried out in the future, would make an impact on a large number of people, and would have high participation,” he explained.
He began working with the state student council president to involve schools across the state in a broad campaign to collect money, food, and other items for needy children, and to provide volunteer labor for projects benefiting children.
In the end, the project yielded more than $70,000, 368,000 pounds of food, thousands of volunteer hours, and many other contributions. As part of the effort, Cameron also recruited students at his school to collect children’s books and then deliver and read them to local elementary school students.
Cameron, who is now Colorado’s state student council president, plans to make “Caring for Colorado’s Children” a project that can be passed down to future state presidents, with greater results each year.
The project also received national attention at the 2005 National Association of Student Councils Conference, and has inspired similar projects in several other states. “More than anything, the feeling that I was in some way a help to a child in the state or my community is the most rewarding thing from this project,” said Cameron.
Kaitlyn Meiss
Kaitlyn Meiss, a senior at Horizon High School, has been leading cystic fibrosis awareness and fund-raising activities for the past four years, inspired by the hope that her younger sister will one day benefit from research into the deadly disease.
Kaitlyn has watched her sister, Lauren, struggle with CF almost her whole life. But when she saw how much a new treatment had helped, “I started to think about how many more advancements in treatments for CF could take place if more money was raised,” she said.
Her first step was putting together a team for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s annual Great Strides Walk in her eighth- and ninth-grade years. The following year, Kaitlyn founded a CF awareness and fund-raising club at her school that now boasts close to 50 student members.
So far, Kaitlyn’s initiatives have raised more than $30,000 for CF research. And her club’s success has led Kaitlyn to help organize a multi-school CF “youth leadership council” and to assist in the establishment of CF clubs at eight other high schools.
“I will continue to work closely with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation until CF stands for ‘cure found,’” said Kaitlyn.
Anna Stomberg
Anna Stomberg, a senior at Blackduck High School, worked with two friends to organize an annual “Walk for Thought” that has raised more than $12,000 over the past three years for brain injury research.
Three years ago, two students in the Blackduck area suffered severe brain injuries in car accidents. “These tragedies devastated many and affected the whole community,” said Anna. “My friends and I decided we wanted to find a way to help.”
A call to the Brain Injury Association of Minnesota resulted in the decision to host a local version of the association’s Walk for Thought. To promote their fund-raiser, Anna and her partners distribute posters and seek news coverage from local media.
They ask local businesses to become sponsors, and recruit local organizations to help register walkers, collect funds, run refreshment booths, and handle other details. The walks have not only raised a significant amount of money for the Brain Injury Association, but have inspired another Minnesota city to plan a similar event next year, said Anna.
In addition to the walks, Anna and her friends have organized activities in their town throughout the year to focus attention on personal health and traffic safety, with particular emphasis on the importance of wearing seatbelts and driving safely. To ensure that her effort continues, Anna has persuaded local chapters of the National Honor Society and Family Career and Community Leaders of America to coordinate the Walk for Thought after she leaves for college.
Jacqueline Kenyon
Jacqueline Kenyon, a senior at Michigan Lutheran High School in St. Joseph, has served for the past five years as ambassador of an annual camp for children with congenital hand differences. “I was born without all my fingers due to what is called Amniotic Band Syndrome,” Jacqueline said, “Because I have had many experiences with my hands, I can help those who aren’t comfortable with their differences.”
At the Hands to Love Congenital Hand Camp in Florida, Jacqueline counsels young campers and their parents, both individually and in groups, answering questions and sharing stories about her own experiences.
She gives advice, helps children with personal struggles caused by their differences, and tries to build each child’s self-confidence “by encouraging them to look at their differences as blessings and not a curse.”
Jacqueline also urges parents to embrace and encourage their child’s differences. In addition, she helps organize activities at the camp, and participates in two benefits each year to raise money for the camp.
“What you do or don’t have doesn’t matter,” she said, “It’s the real live person that you are that people will see you for.”Jacqueline Kenyon, a senior at Michigan Lutheran High School in St. Joseph, has served for the past five years as ambassador of an annual camp for children with congenital hand differences. “I was born without all my fingers due to what is called Amniotic Band Syndrome,” Jacqueline said. “Because I have had many experiences with my hands, I can help those who aren’t comfortable with their differences.”
At the Hands to Love Congenital Hand Camp in Florida, Jacqueline counsels young campers and their parents, both individually and in groups, answering questions and sharing stories about her own experiences.
She gives advice, helps children with personal struggles caused by their differences, and tries to build each child’s self-confidence “by encouraging them to look at their differences as blessings and not a curse.”
Jacqueline also urges parents to embrace and encourage their child’s differences. In addition, she helps organize activities at the camp, and participates in two benefits each year to raise money for the camp.
“What you do or don’t have doesn’t matter,” she said. “It’s the real live person that you are that people will see you for.”
Taylor Saraiva
Taylor Saraiva, an eighth-grader at Lemoyne Middle School in Lemoyne, led a school drive last fall to assemble 176 personal health kits for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
When she heard a church leader speaking about the needs of hurricane victims, Taylor decided to take action. “I thought that doing something to assist the victims would be a perfect way to show that my school really does care about others who experience difficulty,” Taylor said.
After speaking with the church leader and obtaining a list of needed items from a relief organization, Taylor designed a competition among homerooms at her school to collect toiletries and other personal-care items for personal health kits.
With the support and help of other student council members and a faculty adviser, Taylor created an informational flyer and distributed it during Back to School night, prepared “Katrina Kare” collection boxes, and finally assembled her 176 completed health kits and delivered them to Mission Central, which sent them to the Gulf Coast.
Many other items were donated to the Red Cross and local Goodwill Industries. “I have learned that no idea is too little and no effort unnecessary when it comes to recognizing the needs of others,” said Taylor.
Ellie Ambrose
Ellie Ambrose, a sixth-grader at Christ Presbyterian Academy, initiated an annual fund-raising run and carnival that have yielded more than $40,000 over the past two years for sick and disadvantaged African children.
Ellie was motivated to begin her project when she saw a slide presentation on poverty in Africa. “It showed tiny houses, droughts, and illnesses,” said Ellie, “Some children were so skinny it looked as if their skin would become too tight and break their bones. Once I saw this, I wanted to help!”
After deciding that she wanted to raise money with a race and a carnival, Ellie put together a plan with her parents and friends. She then delivered speeches to school and local groups to promote the run and raise awareness about Africa, made TV and radio commercials, and attended a lot of planning meetings.
On the day of the first “Ellie’s Run for Africa,” more than 70 volunteers helped Ellie and her family set up and manage a five-kilometer run, a one-mile “family fun run,” and a carnival featuring games, a dunk tank, an African cultural marketplace and African dancers and drummers.
A second event last September brought the total amount of money raised so far to $43,000, and a third run is scheduled for later this year.
Caitlyn Carlile
Caitlyn Carlile, an eighth-grader at Spartanburg Christian Academy, conducts collection drives in her community every three months to benefit a wide variety of charitable organizations.
“My faith has taught me from a very young age that I need to give just as God gives to me,” Caitlyn said. She began in January 2003 by designing a flyer on her computer and distributing it to 200 homes in her neighborhood, asking for canned foods for the Miracle Life Mission, a homeless shelter.
Caitlyn then started thinking about other things she could collect to aid the less fortunate, and recruiting other youth volunteers to help her. “Getting others involved is important because the more people who are aware of a need, the more items I can collect and get into the hands of those who need it,” she said.
Over the past three years, Caitlyn has collected school supplies for the United Way, cell phones for Safe Homes, used eyeglasses for the Lion’s Club, diapers and baby wipes for the Carolina Pregnancy Center, 1,700 pounds of newspaper for the Humane Society to use for cage liners, and 200,000 pop tops for a local Ronald McDonald House.
She also has continued to work on behalf of the Miracle Life Mission, providing the shelter with 1,500 towels, 1,175 cans of food, and 215 toiletry items. “All my life I have been taught that it is more blessed to give than to receive,” said Caitlyn. “By participating in these various projects I have learned first-hand that this belief is true.”
Welland Burnside
Welland Burnside, a senior at Maple Hill High School, has collected more than 175,000 stuffed animals over the past six years for traumatized children around the world, in honor of a young friend who died of cancer.
The day after his friend Alex died, Welland resolved to turn his grief into positive action. “My plan was to conduct a drive for new and gently used stuffed animals and place them on Alex’s grave on his birthday,” Welland said. “At the end of the day, I would gather the animals and donate them to the local Police Department so that officers could carry animals in their cruisers for children in traumatic situations like car wrecks or domestic violence.”
In just one week, Welland worked out a plan with the police, recruited friends to help, sent announcements to the news media, placed posters and collection boxes around town, and planned a graveside celebration. Since then, Welland has coordinated an annual “birthday” drive as a legacy to Alex, but has also vastly expanded his “Animals for Alex” project.
He has conducted many fund-raisers, placed collection boxes at community events throughout the year, and, with the help of friends and family, established annual collection drives in 37 states. His stuffed animals now are not only distributed through local law enforcement agencies, but also are sent to children’s hospitals, group homes, medical missions in Third World countries, young victims of natural disasters, and children in Iraq.
In addition to the animals he’s collected, Welland has raised more than $200,000 in funding and in-kind gifts for his project.
Savanna Petricek
Savanna Petricek, a sophomore at Midwest City High School in Midwest City, is a major fund-raiser, an influential ambassador, and a junior counselor for the Oklahoma/Tulsa Firefighters Burn Camp, which provides a fun and free camp experience to young burn victims.
Six years ago, Savanna was introduced to the camp as a burn victim herself. “I know from personal experience the pain one endures after being burned,” said Savanna, “The key to surviving and returning to a normal life is being able to discuss your problems with others in your same situation.”
More than 75 children from 5 to 16 years old attend the four-day burn camp, where they can swim, ride horses, play games, go fishing—and not have to worry about people staring at their burn scars. Savanna conducts an extensive letter-writing campaign to solicit contributions for the camp, asking businesses and other organizations both for money to run the camp and for gifts that are provided to the campers just before they go home.
So far, she has collected more than $15,000 in donations. She also seeks speaking opportunities at churches and in front of other groups to explain the camp’s mission and recruit volunteers. In addition, as a junior counselor at the camp, she shares her experiences as a burn survivor with the young campers.
“The valuable lesson I learned from my volunteer work is that I am no longer a burn victim,” said Savanna, “I am now a burn survivor and a volunteer who helps burn victims.”
Ajay Mangal
Ajay Mangal, a senior at Pascagoula High School, lost nearly all of his possessions when Hurricane Katrina flooded his coastal city, yet he devoted himself to distributing emergency supplies to other victims immediately after the storm, and helped many families clean out their homes in the following weeks and months.
“Everything my family owned had been washed away before my eyes,” said Ajay, “I lost all hope of normalcy.” But after realizing that some of his neighbors faced even worse situations, “I vowed to do everything in my power to help my family and community return to its feet,” he said.
Ajay immediately called upon classmates whose homes had been spared to meet at the local fairgrounds and use their knowledge of the town to assist the National Guard in distributing bottled water, meals, ice and hygienic items to hundreds of survivors.
After enough out-of-town volunteers arrived to continue the relief effort, Ajay worked alongside several out-of-state church groups to clean out the devastated homes of 20 families, ripping out walls and floors, fixtures, appliances, furniture and everything else contaminated by saltwater and mold.
At the same time, Ajay made a point of providing comforting reassurances to the homeowners that everything would eventually be okay. When his school reopened, Ajay organized groups of students to assist teachers and other personnel who needed help in recovering from the storm. And after he recounted his experiences to friends in other states, they responded by helping to raise more than $35,000 for Katrina victims. The experience, said Ajay, “allowed me to learn the significance of family, love, teamwork, friends, and the unimportance of material objects.”
