The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards just announced America’s top youth volunteers of 2012. These are volunteers who have helped their communities in many ways. You can do an honoree search by state to see who’s been nominated.
Here’s some information about the program.
“Each year, the program’s judges select two State Honorees and a handful of Distinguished Finalists in each state and the District of Columbia. The 234 Distinguished Finalists receive bronze medallions, and the 102 State Honorees each receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. where they tour the capital’s landmarks, attend a gala awards ceremony, and visit congressional representatives on Capitol Hill.”
While browsing through honorees in my state, I came across Matthias Olson who is a Wisconsin Distinguished Finalist for feeding the hungry. Here’s his story.
“Matthias Olson, 18, of Sturgeon Bay, Wis., a member of the Door County 4-H, and a senior at Southern Door High School in Brussels, raised nearly $2,500 to provide livestock to farmers in third world countries through the organization God’s Global Barnyard. Matthias, who also volunteers for the local food pantry, raised the money by conducting presentations at churches and other community groups to raise awareness about the cause.”
