Area teens to take part in Youth Day of Caring

Students will sort food, paint, do crafts and do outside cleanup.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Students from area schools and churches throughout the Mahoning Valley will perform volunteer activities Saturday as part of the third annual Youngstown/Mahoning Valley United Way Youth Day of Caring. During the event, held in conjunction with National Youth Service Day, some 133 students will complete community service projects between 9 a.m. and noon.
The students are from St. Patrick's Church, Neighborhood Ministries Youth Media Team, Youth Leadership Mahoning Valley, the Teen Advisory Group of the Volunteer Center of Youngstown/Mahoning Valley, Hubbard and Springfield Local high schools' National Honor Society, Struthers High School Interact Club, Austintown Fitch and South Range high schools' Key Club, and Canfield High School Young Leaders. The student volunteers will sort food donations, paint, do landscaping, assemble craft projects and do outside cleanup.
Where they'll work
Work sites include: Second Harvest Foodbank, Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana, Potential Development, Potential Development School of Autism, Beeghly Oaks Assisted Living Center, Catholic Charities Regional Agency, Lake to River Girl Scouts Council, Help Hot Line, Salvation Army, YMCA, YWCA and the homes of clients of the Volunteer Service to Seniors program.
The students will assemble at 8 a.m. at OCCHA, 3660 Shirley Road, for an overview of the day. They will meet back at OCCHA at noon for an ethnic luncheon and to share their experiences and recap the day.
Youth Day of Caring activities are designed to increase awareness of United Way and its affiliated agencies and how they work to meet community needs, and to increase awareness of the important roles volunteers play in helping to make the Mahoning Valley a better place, said JoAnn Stock, United Way director of campaign and marketing.
"It's great to see these young people pitch in to help to make a difference in our community. When teenagers volunteer in their community, those who benefit from their actions are countless. Not only do those in need benefit from their hard work and time but teenagers themselves grow and prosper from the experience," Stock said.
According to the Youth Service America Web site, "Students who volunteer are more likely to do well in school, graduate, vote and volunteer the rest of their lives, and less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol and engage in other destructive behavior."