SARASOTA, FL – On April 15-17, the CYD (Community Youth Development) SRQVolunteen youth volunteers will spearhead a community volunteer effort as part of Global Youth Service Day (GYSD). GYSD takes place in more than 135 countries, to celebrate and mobilize the millions of young people who improve their communities through service. CYD is actively seeking youth volunteers to make this program a success – this year’s focus is helping individuals with disabilities.
This effort is two-fold: the first is to engage as many youth participants in student-led community service efforts as possible. This year’s projects will include projects at Easter Seals Southwest Florida on April 15; with Buddy Up Tennis and Forever Friends on April 16; and at the Loveland Center on April 17.
Additionally, the SRQVolunteen Board solicits submissions from area students for ideas for a Global Youth Service Day volunteer project – the winning middle school and high school projects will earn the submitters a mini-philanthropic grant to be used for future service work and the right to host the GYSD traveling trophy for a year.
“At CYD, we believe that young people can begin making a lasting impact on our community right now,” said CYD executive director Karen Bogues. “There are countless studies establishing that when young people volunteer, it increases their feelings of connection to the community, reduces engagement in risky behavior, contributes to higher levels of self-esteem, and increases the likelihood of graduation and, later, finding employment. We are very proud of our youth volunteers for giving so generously of their time and energies to help others.”
Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is a campaign of an organization called Youth Service America, but it’s made possible by young people and partner organizations around the world. The goal of GYSD – which is now in its 28th year – is to engage millions of young people ages 5-25, especially those not usually asked to serve, in an early step on a lifelong path of service and civic engagement.
“Peer influence is crucial to volunteer programs,” said Bogues. “Having friends who volunteer is a huge factor in a teen’s decision whether or not to volunteer themselves. Simply asking a young person to volunteer – whether they’re asked by a peer, parent or mentor – has been shown to increase the likelihood of participation. That’s why efforts such as the Global Youth Service Day are so important: if you can successfully engage young people in volunteering, you can, in many cases, engage them in some form of community service for a lifetime.”
For more information or to sign up as a volunteer, contact Suriya Khong, CYD’s Director of Programs, at (941) 922-5126 or email email@example.com.
CYD, which is celebrating 20 years of great programs to benefit area teens, provides the tools to empower youth as leaders in service to their community. Students in grades 6-12 participate in a variety of 21st century skill development programs. In 2015, CYD served over 2,000 middle and high school students through 160 youth development activities throughout Sarasota County. CYD is funded in part by Bank of America Client Foundation, Roberta Leventhal Sudakoff Foundation, Scheidel Foundation, Sarasota County Government, and Volunteer Florida. For more information, call (941) 922-5126 or go to www.cydonline.org.