Nafi, Alternatives School 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 [Your Location] and Across America PROVIDENCE, RI (APRIL 13, 2008) – Melody Moshkowski, Principal and Ellen Huie, Art Teacher at Alternatives School will receive a $1,000 award to launch a service-learning project for Global Youth Service Day on April 25, 26 and 27, 2008.  Alternatives School is one of 100 State Farm® Good Neighbor Service-Learning Award winners chosen by Youth Service America and funded by State Farm Companies Foundation. Alternatives School has chosen the theme of Hunger Awareness as the focus of their community service events. The school participates annually in a program named Project Turkey that feeds local families at Thanksgiving. This year the school hopes to provide 20 families a complete Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings and a few extras. Traditionally the funding for the project stems from an annual plant sale sponsored in part by the students in Botany class at Alternatives School. The award from State Farm supports these efforts by providing the means for the students to build a fully functional herb garden and the materials to create numerous planters to be used in the May plant sale. All proceeds will support the Thanksgiving efforts to feed hungry families in Rhode Island. All facets of the project are student-led. The students have created a full color brochure teaching the community about the causes and effects of hunger. During the three day event April 25th – 27th students will participate in learning more about hunger through special speakers, they will build the herb gardens, create the planters, transplant seedlings into pots and assist with numerous other community service projects around the school grounds. The founder of North American Family Institute, Dr. Yitzhak Bakal will be on hand to speak with the students about community service. Governor Carcieri’s office recognized the student’s efforts by sending an award to be presented to the students during the three day event. “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®. # # # Contact:    Melody F. Moshkowski                  NAFI, Alternatives School                 453-4740/4742                     melodymoshkowski@nafi.com
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