Youth Together

Youth Together has taught youth about community service while helping homeless, abused and ill children in two states. We offer eight different projects: Plano Pals - Children supply costumes and treat bags for Halloween, Christmas stockings with gift cards for coats and other necessities, and Easter baskets for homeless children staying at the Samaritan Inn. They can write a note to their Plano Pal and they will receive a note back from their Pal thanking them for their donation. Operation Backpack - This project works with the Children's Advocacy Center to provide backpacks and school supplies to abused and neglected children who have to leave their homes without anything. Kids Flick and Games - Children donate movies and board games to the Plano Presbyterian Hospital for sick children. Operation Paws - Through Operation Kindness, a no-kill animal shelter, each child sponsors a homeless animal and receives a bio, a picture, and a gift bag. Participants are also invited to a party to learn about animal shelters. Kids Wish for Kids - Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas, each student selects a critically ill child and donates $10 towards that child's gift. In return, the student receives a star box with a picture and bio about the child. Grin and Bear It Students donate $10 for bags filled with a stuffed bear,coloring book, storybook and stickers, which are given to young patients while they wait for their operations. The students also received a bear to thank them for their donations. Zooper Troopers - This project works with the Dallas Zoo. Each child donates $10 and receives a gift bag with a picture and bio about the animal that they have chosen to sponsor. They are invited to the zoo to a party to meet and greet their animal. Operation Bookworm - High school students are paired with at risk elementary school students. They read books together to teach the young readers to enjoy books. At the end of the program, there is a party where each child will receive their own book. Starlight, Starbright - Students donate $10 towards laptops to be put in area hospitals for critically ill children. These children can talk with other children about their illnesses on a website made specifically for this purpose. Through these programs we have raised $70,000. A unifying characteristic of these projects is that each revolves around kids helping other kids as a way of teaching youngsters the value of helping others. Each participant receives something tangible back for his contribution, such as a small gift bag or a personal note. We have made it simple for student organizations to run community service programs that will benefit their students. We supply flyers, display board and instructions on how to run each program. Youth Together makes gift bags and gift boxes for area children. We then pick up their donations and take it to the organization. This involves trucks of supplies being taken to organizations. We make the gift bags and star boxes as well as any personal notes, posters or thank yous to give to the students who donated. All of these items are made by middle school or high school students. Youth Together makes life easier by helping youth in the community that need help and teaching children that it is their responsibility to help their community. We have begun a grant program that will further help other students begin their own community service projects as well. We hope that our enthusiastic service to others will continue to grow and multiply with Youth Together.