Community Corner
YWCA Awards Bucks Teen Volunteers
High school students from throughout Bucks County were recognized for their community service efforts.
In conjunction with National Volunteer Week, 17 Bucks County teens were recognized Wednesday night at the Anne’s Choice banquet hall in Warminster for their community service efforts and countless hours of volunteer work.
The teenagers, most of them under the age of 18, were nominated from high schools throughout Bucks County and treated to a buffet dinner and award ceremony in which all nominees received a certificate of recognition.
One of those lucky students was Eric Rakszawski, a senior at Archbishop Wood high school.
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The YWCA awarded Brea Martin, 17, the title of Bucks County teen volunteer of the year. Martin is a senior at Harry S. Truman high school in Levittown.
In addition to serving as secretary of the youth council for the Bucks County Chapter of the NAACP, Martin has also worked with the Youth Organized for Disaster Action and Youth Fighting Against Big Tobacco organizations.
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Two Council Rock high school students were honored including Brittany Colvin, 16 from Council Rock South. Colvin has participated in numerous volunteer projects, including a 30-hour famine. Colvin, along with fellow activists, fasted for 30 hours to raise awareness for those without food. The event is part of a project conducted by World Vision to help ease world hunger.
“Towards the end it was hard” Colvin said, “Because that’s when we were making the soup that we were going to eat to break the famine.” The group had to cook and smell the Campbell’s chicken noodle soup while nearing the end of the 30th hour. “It was the best soup I’ve ever had” Colvin said.
Nominated from Central Bucks East was 17-year-old Brittany Lewis from Doylestown. Lewis is the vice president of the school’s National Honors Society and volunteers at Doylestown Hospital as a transporter. Lewis also went Christmas caroling this last winter to residents at a rehabilitation center as part of a project with the Buckingham 4-H club.
Representatives from the offices of State Reps Bernie O’Neill and Steve Santarsiero were present Wednesday night to give speeches on their behalf, congratulating the nominees for all their hard work and dedication.
O’Neill and Santarsiero were unable to attend the award ceremony on account of serving at the House this week.
“It’s such a surprise to be here” said Bucks County Technical High School senior Caitlyn Frazier. Frazier had no idea that her teacher, Lisa Waters, had nominated her for the award. “I guess I was helping out my community a lot more than I realized” Frazier said.
Frazier has worked with various organizations including Greenbelt Overhaul Alliance of Levittown, or GOAL – a non-profit organization, founded by Frazier’s father Dale, dedicated to cleaning up Levittown through community cooperation.
“Caitlyn spends endless hours getting groups together to help clean up the water ways and atmosphere that have been polluted by people” Waters said. Waters also said that GOAL was recently named conservation group of the year.
The award ceremony Wednesday night marked the 17th year that YWCA has held the program, and plans on holding them for years to come.
YWCA Bucks County is a nonprofit organization serving local children, women, and families. Started in 1954, YWCA offers programs and services to support the less fortunate.
“All the hard work these teens do in their communities is so selfless and remarkable” said Andrea Walls. Walls, who works as the assistant director of youth services at YWCA Bucks County, coordinated the event. “They really are fantastic role models for their peers” Walls said.
The event was sponsored in part by First Federal of Bucks County.
First Federal helps fund the YWCA, NOVA, and United Way – giving “Five percent of our net income to various people in Bucks County” a representative from the bank said.
As the ceremony came to a close, Martin received hugs from her mother, Deidre, and handshake after handshake from her peers.
“Volunteering is not only a help to others” Martin said, holding the engraved glass award, “It’s a help to yourself.”
The other nominees that were recognized at the award program were:
Dhwani Oza from Bensalem High School
Lauren Pepito from Conwell Egan Catholic High School
Alexandra Mangogna from Council Rock North
Kristopher Klein from Holy Ghost Prep
Brenmarie Nazario from Morrisville High School
Thomas Raymond Hische from New Hope-Solebury High School
Juanita Thompson-Quattlebaum from Quakertown High School
Mariah Kelly from Villa Joseph Marie High School
