Teenagers of Valor
The presidents, the elite group of teen volunteer leaders at the Friendship Circle, kicked off the year with their first working meeting on September 11. The 80 teens who gathered, from schools around the region, wasted no time. Snacks sat untouched (we are talking about teenagers here) as they caught up on recent LifeTown happenings, offering insight, critiques, and comments from their experience at camp and other summer programs, and then delved into the work ahead.
The presidents committed to making deliveries for Rosh Hashana, signed up for program volunteer slots through the fall, and then started to plan in earnest for the Friendship Circle Walk and 5K Run, which will take place Sunday, October 30.
By the time the meeting was done they had created their blueprints for fundraising, established their school teams and were on their way to making a significant impact.
Serving as a president means taking on responsibilities well beyond the rest of the 900 teen volunteers in terms of hours and responsibilities. All presidents must sign a contract and receive approval to serve. These are the teens who lead the walk, the fundraising, the raffles, and bring their friends along. These are the ones who come week after week, putting in the hours and the grit. These are teens who make the Friendship Circle and LifeTown the amazing resources they are for the community.
In turn, they become not only lead members of the Friendship Circle family but also trusted resources. “Comments from this particular group are a valued source of feedback for us,” said Toba Grossbaum, LifeTown executive director. “We want them to feel special and important – because they are!”