Over the past several years, the Catawba Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross Youth has served teens with a fresh outlook on their community through a combination of service projects, fundraising events, and discussions concerning their local environment. Every other week, the group gets together to talk over present and future plans that give them the opportunity to directly and indirectly serve their local Red Cross and its mission.
With games at the start of every meeting to quickly warm up new members called "ice breakers", the collective is always open to anything new and fresh. Turnover of members is relatively low with some having been part of the committee for as long as five years. Ideas are constantly flowing back and forth and some sort of project or fundraiser is staged at lease once per month.
Most notably the group commits to a yearly fundraiser knows as the HEROES Campaign which raises money strictly for the Catawba Valley chapter disaster victims in that area. To be considered a "HERO" a person or organization must raise at lease $1000.
Members also have the chance to run for office each year in positions: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. At least once a month these officers meet to serve as a strong, active backbone to our productive organization. This has really led our uniquely assembled group to a strong sense of family and belonging. In our balance of school and life, we find new things about ourselves and others that help shape us into better citizens. This strength has even spawned smaller ARC Youth organizations at area schools further diversifying our outreach.
Everyone here who is with us has found out how they can make a difference in their local and global world, and all of us have put forth the efforts for our peers to see.
Click here to visit the American Red Cross National Youth Website
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