The five winners of the third annual Youth Power and Hope Awards gather with special guest Rupert Boneham, the central Indiana community activist and a star of the “Survivor” TV show. The students are, from left: Madyson Stricker, South Whitley; Peyton Newman, Winamac; Stephanie Gall, Fort Wayne; Megan Hawkins, Shoals; and Paul Diekhoff, North Vernon.
Annual contest honors young people for community service
For the annual Youth Power and Hope Award winners — Paul Diekhoff, Stephanie Gall, Megan Hawkins, Peyton Newman and Madyson Stricker — age is no barrier when it comes to community service. In fact, you might say this year’s winners could be considered “tie-dyed-in-the-wool” activists — but not just for their young age.
They were greeted and inspired by this year’s special Power and Hope guest: Rupert Boneham, the tie-dye wearing, burly, curly-haired and bewhiskered Hoosier who won the heart of America and $1 million on the CBS “Survivor” reality TV show.
Boneham, wearing a khaki suit with his trademark tie-dye shirt underneath, congratulated the five for their work and imparted his own message of service to them, their families and all those attending the annual meeting of the Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives in Indianapolis Nov. 15.
“I realized that helping others feel good, even just for that moment, made me feel better,” he said of his early career working inside an Abilene, Texas, mental ward after leaving work in a Texas oil field. “Giving of myself to someone that needs it, giving of my world, sharing who I am with somebody that may have nothing, gave me strength and power.”
Boneham, who in autumn announced his candidacy as a Libertarian in Indiana’s governor’s race, joined local REMC representatives and Indiana Statewide’s CEO Bruce Graham in recognizing the five Power and Hope winners on stage. He then spoke to the group about his own experiences.
A native Hoosier, Boneham returned to Indiana and established a non-profit program in Indianapolis in 1991 to help and teach troubled youth. After his 2004 appearance on “Survivor,” where he was called a “bear” of a man with a heart of gold, Boneham parlayed his fame and fortune into a greater opportunity to serve the community by re-establishing his non-profit as “Rupert’s Kids.”
Community commitment is one of the four core values of Touchstone Energy Cooperatives and one of the seven guiding principles of all cooperative businesses.
Electric Consumer and Indiana’s electric cooperatives established the Youth Power and Hope Awards in 2009 to recognize those from the state’s younger generation who are stewards of their community. This summer, the publication issued a call for entries from Indiana fifth through eighth graders who actively serve their communities.
The entrants had to complete an essay regarding community service, list their community involvement and provide a letter of reference. A panel of judges selected the winners.
“I’m sooooo impressed by what is going on here today: the young man and women that we recognize today that are seeing in their community those needs,” Boneham told the electric cooperative gathering. “Our volunteerism rate in this community is going up, and it’s not because of the adults. It’s because of our children — the 17-16-15-14-year-old kids — who are seeing we have to work together. When you help someone else, it’s AMAZING how you feel inside yourself.”
In addition to meeting Boneham on stage and then sitting down with him at a private reception, the winning students received a night’s stay in Indianapolis and met with the annual meeting’s morning inspirational speaker Josh Bleill, a community spokesman for the Indianapolis Colts who was severely injured as a U.S. soldier in Iraq.
The staff of
Electric Consumer was gratified by the response received and by the civic-mindedness of Indiana’s youngsters. —
by Richard G. Biever, senior editor; Photos by Richard G. Biever
Meet this year's five Youth Power & Hope winners:
Paul Diekhoff reshelves books at the Jennings County Public Library. Along with a full slate of 4-H, church and Boy Scout service activities, he also volunteers his time at the recently remodeled library in North Vernon. This summer, he also helped organize and prepare the library’s story time.
Ask what you can do to serve others
by Paul Diekhoff
Community service allows me to be able to help others in my community that are in need. Volunteering reminds me how fortunate I am to have parents who care and family to love me. It gives me a chance to learn new skills and to meet new people.
Community service doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to donate a lot of money. After all, most teens like me don’t have a lot of money to spend. But we do have time.
Just think what we could accomplish if everyone took the time to help someone. The task doesn’t have to be enormous to make a difference. Small acts of kindness and volunteering do make a difference and brighten the day for both the giver and the receiver.
Those acts of kindness can be as simple as visiting the elderly in your community. They have wonderful stories to share about life experiences and sometimes can help you out with those life lessons as well. I have to admit; sometimes those homemade cookies are delicious.
Community service can take form in many ways. Organizations always need volunteers to commit their time and talents. You may be asking yourself: how do I get started in community service? I say, “Open your eyes and ask what you can do to make a difference.”
What better way to live out the Golden Rule; be a volunteer in community service.
Paul is an eighth grader at Jennings County Middle School. He is active in 4-H and Boy Scouts and serves Mass at his church. He also volunteers at the Jennings County Public Library and American Cancer Society. His family’s home is served electrically by Decatur County REMC.
Stephanie Gall, an eighth grader at Canterbury School, a private Christian school on Fort Wayne’s southwest side, helps with the school’s canned food drive last month. The food is loaded into trucks and donated to the Associated Churches Food Bank in Fort Wayne. It’s just one way she shares her time, talent and treasure to help others.
Community service: Time, talent and treasure
by Stephanie Gall
At my parish, we are taught to look at community service as three different parts put together. Those parts are time, talent, and treasure. Each part plays a big role; there cannot be time and talent without treasure. As my parish has taught me, I now see community service as three parts: three parts in which I try to participate to help better my community.
Time is a very important aspect in the triangle of community service. Giving of your time could mean volunteering at an event or simply holding the door as someone walks in. I give of my time when I volunteer with the Fort Wayne Trails at the Disability Expo. I help pass out information to show that anyone can use the trails.
Talent is one of the most fun aspects of community service. Giving of your talent means that you use something that you are especially good at to help put a smile on people’s faces. I gave of my talent when I performed “Storybook Theatre” for children at the Allen County Public Library. It was great to see the smiles on the children’s faces as I acted out stories from around the world.
The last, but still equally important, aspect of community service is treasure. Giving of your treasure could mean giving money to worthwhile causes or donating canned goods to your local food bank. I gave of my treasure when I donated canned food to my school’s yearly food drive.
I write this not pretending that I have done it all. I believe the things that I have done are small, but important. They are like puzzle pieces; a puzzle cannot be complete without all the pieces.
Stephanie is an eighth grader at Canterbury School. She volunteers with Fort Wayne Trails and at Eagle Marsh and is active in Girl Scouts, her school and church. Her family’s home is served electrically by Northeastern REMC.
Megan Hawkins fills baskets for Martin County’s 3rd Annual Build-A-Basket Project. These baskets go to older adults, individuals with disabilities and those on fixed incomes and include everyday necessities. The baskets are a project for both Megan’s student council and 4-H junior leadership.
Self rewards come in helping out
by Megan Hawkins
I really enjoy doing community service and helping others and helping my community.
I visited patients at the nursing home where my grandfather was staying. I got to know one lady very well, and we both benefited from spending time together. I feel sorry for people who are shut-in or in the nursing home.
It gives me a wonderful feeling to know I have brightened their day and helped them to feel better.
I find it rewarding to recycle and help the environment. God created this great place and I need to do my part in keeping it clean. I am and have been enrolled in 4-H’s recycling project to further my part in being “green.”
I do not have to be recognized for my caring for people and different projects. It is self-rewarding by helping out in my community. I plan to continue what I am doing and each year add something else to my community service. (But oh my gosh, if I could meet Rupert, what a super day that would be!)
When I get old and in need, I just hope that there are kids who care enough to be involved in community service projects.
Megan is an eighth grader at Shoals Jr./Sr. High. She is active in leadership positions at both school and in 4-H. She also volunteers with projects at her church and is a bell ringer for the Salvation Army during the holidays. Her family’s home is served electrically by Daviess-Martin County REMC.
Peyton Newman hangs a set of gloves on the Christmas tree at her church in Winamac in preparation for the season. The items of new hats and gloves are collected throughout December and then donated to less fortunate folks in the community. It is just one of many service works for the sixth grader. This summer, she joined other members of the First United Methodist Church middle school group on a mission to Fort Wayne, aiding Burmese refugees living in the area and serving lunch to the homeless. She’s also active in 4-H.
As a third year 4-H member, I take to heart the words in the 4-H pledge that say, “I pledge my hands to larger service for my club, my community, my country, and my world.”
Coming together to make a difference is what community service means to me. I enjoy spending time volunteering with my church youth group and my 4-H Club. Working together as a group teaches teamwork and builds lasting friendships while accomplishing a goal.
This summer, I experienced my first mission’s trip. I traveled with other United Methodist Youth on the REVIVE mission’s trip to Fort Wayne. We spent three days preparing and serving food to homeless families. We also cleaned and painted an old school building that was being renovated into apartments. We unloaded and spread mulch around the grounds.
The last part of our trip was to visit a community of Burmese refugees and offer them donations of clothing and shoes. I was really shocked at the number of people that were in need of these items. The children came running and rummaged through the items as we helped them find appropriate sizes.
They were so excited to have things that most people, including myself, take for granted. Their smiling faces and hugs left me and many others wanting to do more.
Our local youth group decided to ask our congregation for donations of books, toys, clothing, shoes, and school supplies so we could make a return visit. We collected a huge amount of items! Three car loads to be exact. Our second trip was just as rewarding.
Community service does not have to be limited to just your local community. I hope I can participate on another mission’s trip in the near future.
Peyton is a sixth grader at Winamac Middle School. Along with the activities she noted, she also plays piano at church on special occasions and is active in service projects at school. “She always gives 100 percent,” said her fifth grade teacher, Janis Miller. Peyton’s home is served electrically by Fulton County REMC.
Madyson Stricker gets set to place a tray of cookies in the oven last month. She was baking cookies for a Whitley County 4-H fundraiser; she has been the top fundraiser for her club.
Helping people who are less fortunate
by Madyson Stricker
The dictionary definition of community service is “voluntary work, intended to be for the common good, usually done as part of an organized scheme.” That is the collective definition of community service. But that isn’t the real meaning to some people, including me.
Community service is being fortunate enough to help people who aren’t as fortunate.
There are people who are jobless, struggling to provide for their families. Many need all the money they have to stay in their home, and lack bare essentials.
There are the elderly, who like to be independent, who stay in their homes but cannot keep up with the maintenance work. Even picking up litter and twigs in their yard becomes a challenge.
So who will help them? The younger generations, and the more financially capable. We are the ones who can help! We can donate food to local food pantries. We can voluntarily mow an elderly neighbor’s yard. We can keep these people company; let them know that they have a friend out there to support them.
This all comes back to being more fortunate. We have to be appreciative of what has been provided to us. Community service is a great, enjoyable way to give back. Without help, these people may not feel like they can make it through tough times.
They are people who are just like us. When they need us, we need to be there for them.
Here is the real definition of community service: helping others, who may not be as fortunate as us (when they need us) through the tough times. It is a simple as that. So go out there and help someone you know who needs it. Then you’ll feel what I mean.
Madyson is a seventh grader at Indian Springs Middle School in Columbia City. She is active in Relay for Life, the Salvation Army and 4-H, and volunteers at the Whitley County fairgrounds, her school and a variety of other community programs and projects. Her family’s home is served electrically by Northeastern REMC.
For more information about Rupert’s Kids, visit: rupertskids.org. To visit stories about the previous Youth Power & Hope winners, link here: 2010 winners; 2009 winners.