Students Learn By Doing

Friday, we had a story about members of our Youth Leadership Program and the High School Volunteer Council and their involvement in a couple of holiday projects. It serves as a great reminder that the next generation of community leaders is ready and willing to take their place when asked.

It also reminded me of two other recent examples of young people here in the Valley giving back to the community that in turn has supported them so well. Throughout the year, we have written about the problems surrounding hunger here in the Valley. One group that has been doing something about that for many years is the Housatonic Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Once again this year, they spent the first two Saturdays in November conducting their annual "Scouting for Food" drive. On the first Saturday, they delivered empty bags to area homes explaining that they would be collecting food the next weekend and urging people to put non-perishable items in the bags for the drive. The following Saturday, they went back and picked up the bags which were then distributed through the Valley's food bank system. It was a great way for the Scouts to not only learn about a pressing issue in our community, but to have a positive impact on it.

A couple of weeks later, I had the great pleasure of visiting Shelton's Senior Center on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving for a very traditional turkey dinner with the seniors. What makes this annual event so special is that the meal is put on by the Keystone Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley Boys & Girls Club. With little fanfare, they have been doing this event for a couple of decades. Not only do they serve the seniors, but they provide entertainment and a raffle full of great prizes for the seniors. It's a great evening for everyone, and I'm not sure if it's the seniors or the kids who leave with  bigger smiles on their faces.

These are all great examples of the value being delivered by many of the youth groups supported by Valley United Way and our generous donors. We all know that these services provide kids with great places to go and stay active. What these programs also show is that the kids are learning an awful lot about themselves, the community and the value of giving back. I congratulate all of them for a lesson well learned!


For more information about Valley United Way, visit our website at www.valleyunitedway.org.