Difference Makers: Doing their part

For Kate Garber, learning how much of a difference she can make is empowering.

“I’ve learned how important volunteering is,” said Garber, a senior at Waynesboro High School. “It’s definitely worth the time and effort to help others who may not have been as lucky as I have.”

During her second year on the Youth Philanthropy Council, Garber will join about 15 other students from local high schools to learn about philanthropy and determine how to award $10,000 in grant money to area nonprofits to help youth in the community.

“It’s a great way to help the community,” Garber said. “I personally don’t feel like I have a way to help on my own, but being on council was really good because we had this money to help these teens.”

The council, overseen by Christiana Shields, grants manager for the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, meets for two hours once a month throughout the school year.

“It gives them the opportunity to build up confidence in a leadership capacity,” said Bill Terry, a council adviser and teacher at Robert E. Lee High School. “It allows them to see the issues that are relevant for youth in the community and do something about it.”

The students work through team building and leadership exercises, learn about the grant writing process and how to assess a nonprofit’s grant application.

“They learn what a 501(c)(3) is and how to make sure a nonprofit’s budget is healthy,” Shields said. “They actually break up into groups and interview the heads of nonprofits about their programs and then after a lot of discussion, determine how much money to award to different programs.”

Last year, the council awarded grants to the Waynesboro YMCA for its midnight basketball program, Valley Hope Counseling Center to pay for teens unable to afford counseling and the Office on Youth for an anger management program for troubled teens.

“I didn’t realize before how much of an issue anger management is,” Garber said. “Hopefully this can help stop it before it becomes a bigger problem.”

Shields said the council seemed especially impressed with the Y’s program.

Midnight basketball is held at the Y on Friday evenings, when the staff opens the gym for 80 to 150 teens to play basketball, eat pizza and snacks and socialize.

“A lot of police officers are there to play basketball with the kids to foster a good relationship with the youth,” Shields said. “The kids were really impressed with these officers playing with the kids and the amount of mutual respect going on.”

After graduation, Garber said she looks forward to continuing to volunteer in the community.

“It’s never too late to start, but its good to start early and get in the habit of volunteering,” she said.

Do you know a Difference Maker?
The News Virginian features community members who make a difference for their neighbors, their streets, complete strangers and those in need. Big ideas or small projects, efforts widely known or never seen, we want to know who helps make life a little better in and around Waynesboro. Nominate difference makers by calling reporter Megan Davis at (540) 932-3565 or via e-mail at MDavis@NewsVirginian.com.