Reading, PA – Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading, hosted by VOICEup Berks, has been named Affiliate of the Year for 2020. Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) has more than 30 affiliates throughout the U.S. and Canada and each year only one receives this special recognition. The announcement was made at the annual YVC Award Ceremony held virtually on October 17, 2020.
“In the 2019-20 program year, YVC Reading increased their total service hours by 28% and their youth volunteers by 54%,” said Sydney Collins, Affiliate Program Specialist at Youth Volunteer Corps National Headquarters. “Numbers aside, this affiliate had some truly impactful projects this year, including creating encouraging news segments called Some More Good News, hosting a Community Conversations for Change project that addresses racism and includes a community-wide pledge to Stand Together Against Racism, and they built a 70-foot long wooden boardwalk through designated wetlands with an environmental learning center.”
Stand Together Against Racism website link
YVC Reading has grown its program since it launched in 2016 with more than 560 youth volunteering 5,900 hours on YVC projects in the last year. Their youth volunteered at dozens of local nonprofit agencies, including Helping Harvest Food Bank, Rock Hollow Environmental Learning Center, Mary’s Shelter, Hope Rescue Mission, Olivet Boys and Girls Club, Berks Encore and more.
“I am thrilled that despite six months of programming conducted during Covid-19 restrictions, we were able to keep youth actively involved in projects to improve the community.” Said Christi Terefenko, Executive Director of VOiCEup Berks. “The fact that we actually expanded our YVC program during this challenging time is a testament to the incredible dedication and heart of Berks County youth.”
This award includes a $1,000 grant from YVC National Headquarters.
Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading/Berks County focuses on promoting a lifetime commitment to service among youth by offering volunteer projects for youth ages 11 to 18 on Saturdays, after school, during school, virtually, and during the summer. YVC of Reading/Berks County, hosted by VOiCEup, is one of over 30 affiliates of Youth Volunteer Corps, headquartered in Kansas City. YVC of Reading/Berks County has engaged hundreds of young people from diverse backgrounds in service projects to help this community over the past 4 years. During our last program year, 355 youth served 4,627 volunteer hours with YVC of Reading/Berks County. Find more information at www.voiceupberks.org/yvc. VOiCEup Berks is a fund of Berks County Community Foundation.
Some More Good News video link
