Valley Guardians Event: Helping The Youth Grow To Serve The Community
By: Hailey Wesloski
We live in such a globalized world that teenagers don’t know what is going on in their own community! They care about the latest TikTok craze or YouTube sensation but fail to understand the importance of what is going on right before their eyes. Volunteering is a way that students can make an impact in the community while finding out who they are and where they fit in.
Most underserved students are willing and excited to help but don’t know the opportunities and avenues that they can serve. This is different from American adults, who spend about 52 hours a year volunteering for their local communities (TeamStage). Building habits of service early is important and can help students lean into helping their community. Studies also state if you volunteer in high school there is a high likelihood it will lead to volunteering later in life as well (National Center for Education). As students volunteer and serve, they actually benefit the most. It helps them to see the world in a different perspective and gets them out of their own personal problems to see the world in a more accurate way. It also allows them to see what they are good at and the skills that they have. We advise all students to volunteer when trying to figure out their career, their passions, or find happiness in life!
On February 24th The Valley Guardians Executive Leadership scholars took the initiative to go volunteer in the community for the less fortunate. Before the group got started on the service, they got to know each other, ate Canes chicken and practiced some leadership skills. This is a time that all the students look forward to! After the fun, came the work! The group went to Feed My Starving Children, which is a place that provides food and supplies for communities and people who are starving. The facility is designed to allow volunteers to run the facility for the hours they are there. This allows students to assist in the packing of food, working in the warehouse and labeling all of the bags. There were 29 students who attended the event and participated in the service. For most students this was the first time they have volunteered this school year! This activity inspired competitiveness to pack the most boxes and got the students to think about the impact they can have on the world.
Students commented on how nice it was to feel involved and truly think about the difference they were making within the underprivileged communities across the world. Students were able to see the joy that volunteering brings and get the mental and physical benefits that volunteering brings. Students need a place to be able to explore new opportunities and get out of their comfort zone in the community. The Valley Guardians Leadership Program is giving these underprivileged students the opportunity of a lifetime and impacting their lives in so many different ways! The scholar students appreciate the Valley Guardian donors for all of their efforts in making a difference in the community as well as in their individual lives!
The Valley Guardians Leadership Program
The Valley Guardian program is a multiyear coaching program for underserved students in the community. It was created by successful business people in the valley. They got together and formed a non-profit to find ways to fund developmental programs for kids in underserved communities. This program was aimed toward the underserved kids in the valley who have good hearts and have a desire to be successful and be mentored. The kids who are a part of this program have access to all different kinds of services like professional coaches, coaching calls, getaways, leadership education and training workshops, access to professionals in the valley, college and career readiness and more. The Valley Guardian program started with a single school of 6 students, and overtime has grown to 13 schools, 7 districts, and 49 active students. Overall there have been 120 students who have benefited from this program.
The Valley Guardians program offers over thirty online and in person workshops per year. We do many different types of workshops per year including things like arcades, parks, hikes, parties, and online leadership training. Many of the kids who come are not very social and are looking for a place to feel comfortable and be able to meet new people while being themselves. When they come to programs they have a great time. The way we set them up makes kids feel comfortable, whether we ask them what they are interested in doing or set them up to meet new people through social activities at the beginning of each event. The students find they feel connected and accepted through the program.