Volunteer Frederick Awarded $1,000 To Lead A Service-Learning Campaign For Global Youth Service Day
By Christina Wessell
State Farm Companies Foundation Supports Service-Learning Projects in Frederick and Across America Frederick, MD–March 18, 2008 – April Brohawn, Volunteer Frederick’s AmeriCorps*VISTA for Youth Service will receive a $1,000 award to launch a service-learning project for Global Youth Service Day on April 25, 26 and 27, 2008.  Volunteer Frederick is one of 100 State Farm® Good Neighbor Service-Learning Award winners chosen by Youth Service America and funded by State Farm Companies Foundation. Volunteer Frederick’s Global Youth Service Day project is the 7th Annual BIG Sweep. The BIG Sweep is Volunteer Frederick’s annual county-wide beautification project that raises money for participating area nonprofits. Structured like a walk-a-thon, participants collect donations from family, friends and other supporters for their chosen nonprofit. However, instead of walking BIG Sweep participants pick up trash from Frederick County roadsides and dump sites. Any local nonprofit organization can participate in the BIG Sweep. Teams representing local nonprofit agencies, school clubs, youth organizations, civic organizations, churches and businesses have participated in the BIG Sweep. Participants can support their own organizations, or raise funds on behalf of other organizations! Over its six-year history, The BIG Sweep has pulled almost 102 tons of trash and recyclables from Frederick roadsides and helped area organizations raise almost $240,000. Last year alone the event mobilized more than 1,000 volunteers who cleaned up almost 22.5 tons of trash and recyclables and 296 tires from area roadsides.  These volunteers raised $46,000 for 69 participating local nonprofit organizations. For 2008 Volunteer Frederick plans to engage over 700 youth under the age of 25 in the BIG Sweep. Teams of youth from local schools, scout groups, churches, 4-H, and other youth groups will join together on April 26th to rid roadsides, parks, and streams from litter. Volunteer Frederick’s own Youth Action Corps will be active in the BIG Sweep as well. “Youth are vital to the success of the BIG Sweep,” says April Brohawn, “Their energy and enthusiasm assists in getting litter collected faster and encourages other teams.” “I am really looking forward to getting out and active in the Frederick Community with my peers on Global Youth Service Day” says April Brohawn. “The BIG Sweep is such a wonderful program that not only helps support local non-profits, but really makes a positive impact on all of Frederick and the environment. I am just lucky to have the opportunity to be involved.” “The State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning grant winners demonstrate unprecedented global caring and initiative, showing the world that young people can be leaders today, not in some distant tomorrow,” says Steve Culbertson, president and CEO of Youth Service America. “By combining the dynamics of leadership, service and learning, the grant recipients build some of the most valuable skills— academic achievement and workforce readiness.” "State Farm is proud to partner with Youth Service America.  As our partnership has grown so has our respect for YSA’s work. Through its strong leadership, young people around the world are experiencing fundamental necessities of democracy - the ability to serve and give back to their community - while gaining academic and workplace readiness skills that are valued by State Farm. We share with YSA the common belief that our young people are not tomorrow's leaders, they are leaders today,” says Edward B. Rust Jr., Chairman and CEO, State Farm   Global Youth Service Day is the largest service event in the world. Global Youth Service Day is a year-round effort to expand the impact of the youth service movement. The initiative launches new service organizations, policy changes, and sustainable service programs to create a culture of engaged youth. State Farm Companies Foundation is the presenting sponsor. More than 120 national partners and 75 lead agencies throughout the United States organize campaigns. Overseas, national lead agencies in more than 100 countries participate. Youth Service America is a national nonprofit resource center that partners with thousands of organizations in more than 100 countries and is committed to increasing the quality and quantity of volunteer opportunities for young people ages 5-25, to serve locally, nationally, and globally. Founded in 1986, Youth Service America’s mission is to expand the impact of the youth service movement with communities, schools, corporations, and governments. For more information: www.YSA.org. State Farm® insures more cars than any other insurer in North America and is the leading U.S. home insurer. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 68,000 employees serve over 75 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 1.7 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 31 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®. # # # MEDIA CONTACT:    April Brohawn                 Volunteer Frederick, Inc.             301-663-5214                 AprilB at VolunteerFrederick.org
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