After weeks of research and practice, six groups of teens stepped up to the microphone last Tuesday night. Teens Give Back, part of Reach’s unique summer program, gives teens the opportunity to be community philanthropists. We give them $3,000. There’s one rule: they have to give it away to charities they select.
Teens identify community challenges and select organizations they respect. They research those organizations and create 90-second pitches. At Tuesday’s event, six groups presented to an audience almost one hundred strong. Supporters, local funders, and Reach families gathered to see these presentations.
The team representing Courtney’s House
Our young people spoke about a variety of issues – veterans, AIDS/HIV, teen pregnancy, youth incarceration, poverty, and human trafficking. While some nerves showed, the young people made some compelling arguments for support.
Like last year, many of the selected organizations reflected one of Reach’s core values: do the work that is most difficult to do and least often done. The six organizations – Courtney’s House, DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, Mentoring Today, Metro Teen AIDS, SOME, and Veterans on the Rise – were all well represented.
Terrell spoke about the DC Campaign’s success cutting the teen pregnancy rate in half and Tavian discussed the importance of SOME’s capacity to address a variety of challenges. Ashley encouraged us to fight for those who fought for us, and Sasha stated the importance of Metro Teen AIDS’ educational programs. Each of these organizations was awarded Honorable Mention, which comes with a $250 contribution on behalf of our teens.
Jada receives her Junior Staff Hoodie
As the final votes were counted, a special ceremony took place. Five Reach teens were promoted to Junior Staff, Reach’s highest honor. Each of these young people was given an official Reach Staff Hoodie, a token of our appreciation for their exemplary work. Congratulations to Jada, Marc, Za’Metria, Napresha, and Jordan, our newest Junior Staff members.
There was laughter and there was applause…then there was an announcement.
The winning team, representing Mentoring Today
Due to the incredible work of Litzi, Napresha, and Neehma, Courtney’s House won our $500 runner-up prize. As that announcement was made, smiles broke out on the faces of the young people representing Mentoring Today, our winners. In honor of Kyare, Za’Metria, Daequan, Fatimah, and Jada, we will make a $1,500 contribution to Mentoring Today, an organization that provides mentoring and support to young people involved in the juvenile justice system. Like Reach, Mentoring Today never gives up on a kid, and our young people respect that.
Thanks for all those who supported the event and congratulations to all the organizations that will receive our support. But, above all, thanks to our young people who showed us all something about giving back to their community.