How You Can Help

There are many ways to help the your community, whether by cleaning up a park or serving food at a soup kitchen. One of the best ways to get ideas is to think about what we take for granted in our lives. Brainstorming the things we take for granted may seem silly, but many of these things are absent from the lives of those less fortunate. Very few people wonder if children occupying our homeless shelters ever get that one special day of the year when they get to celebrate themselves.

My brother is an exception to that statement. He is currently helping with a project to bring birthday parties to those less fortunate. In White Plains, NY the Coachman Family Center houses about one hundred families that do not have a place to live. Every other month a group of dedicated middle-schoolers puts on an old-fashioned birthday party for anyone who has had a birthday within the past two months. Some of these kids have never gotten presents let alone had a birthday party, and to see the smiles on the kid’s faces makes all the effort worthwhile. There are lots of ideas out there; hosting a birthday party is just one idea, why don’t you tell us yours.

-Alex Harelick

A Little Bit About Me and The National Youth Commission

My name is Alex Harelick, I am a teenager from White Plains, New York and I am trying to improve the world. Since I was two I have loved to swim and over the past five years I used my swimming abilities to help raise money for worthy charities, such as Multiple Sclerosis and Cancer. I have raised over 25,000 dollars since then, however, I knew I had to do more on a bigger scale. I wanted to be part of a group consisting of kids my age that all had the same aspirations as I did. So, in 2008 I submitted my service project to The League for the All-American Service Team Competition. I was awarded third place and became part of the All-American Service Team, which then made me part of the National Youth Commission.

I knew from our first phone call that these were kids who wanted to help others and do something greater than themselves. We are just getting the ball rolling and we need more dedicated volunteers to really push forward. Anyone who enjoys helping others, whether it is by helping the elderly in your own neighborhood or planning a national service day should join. The National Youth Commission is dedicated to helping those less fortunate; if you would like to make a contribution to your community, your state or even your country please contact YouthCommission@leagueworldwide.org or join out facebook group at National Youth Commission.

-Alex Harelick