Teen Artists for Change

Youth Philanthropy

Independently United founder Kaityn Kenny presents Jim Stevens wtih a check for $700 - the proceeds from their debut "pop-up gallery" auction.

Independently United founder Kaityn Kenny presents Jim Stevens with a check for $700 – the proceeds from their debut “pop-up gallery” auction.

Independently United is a consortium of SouthCoast High School artists, sponsored by GiftsToGive, who exhibit at local “pop-up” galleries and auction their art to support local causes they believe in.

Some people talk about making a difference – these students found a most creative and sustainable way of modeling a new kind of youth philanthropy!

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Important to us
- Partner’s Insurance Sponsors Volunteer Evenings! January 17, 5-8pm
  
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- Student to Student Tutoring
  
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Stories – Youth Philanthropy
- A Real Life Science Experiment: The Ripple Effect!
  
  Michaelah Noelle Nunes is an amazing young women!
  
  Michaelah at the Miss New Bedford’s Outstanding Teen Competition
  
  Michaelah has competed for 4 years in the Miss New Bedford’s Outstanding Teen pageant.
  
  This is her second consecutive year hosting a community drive to benefit GiftsToGive as part of her chosen platform, titled A Real Life Science Experiment: The Ripple Effect.
  
  Michaelah intends to show others how even the smallest form of contribution, much like a drop in a small pond, can have a ripple effect, reaching far and wide.
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- Student Intern Receives Service Award
  
  Student Intern, Camron
  
  15 year-old Intern and New Bedford High School Sophomore, Camron Frazier was honored Friday night at the Bay Sox final game by SouthCoast Serves (a UMass Dartmouth initiative) for his extraordinary volunteer service.
  
  The Bay Sox ended their 2013 season with a 7-0-shutout victory over the visiting Ocean State Waves at Paul Walsh Field, which was nice!
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- Student Interns Wrap Up Their Summer
  
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  Summer Intern Wrap-up Party Luncheon: Ice cream cake and water balloons in the conference room!
  
  Our summer intern story is a story of: service learning, small, medium and large challenges, heartbreak, immaturity, revelation, love, hope, mentoring, education, relationship, service, giving, daily Khan Academy math, frustration, maturity, modeling, customer-service, schedules, disappointment, hard projects, easy projects, hard work, being lazy, meeting hundreds of new people from all over, honor, consequences, integrity, reading, inspiration, fun, open heart surgery, wisdom teeth extraction, poison ivy, sunburn, “what-if”, public relations, marketing, communication, non-communication, truth, independence, explicit instruction, fetching, leadership, cleaning the lavatories, patience, respect, fractions, healthy choices, smart choices, not so smart choices, being invisible, gardening, grumpy adults, being seen and not heard, breaking things, loosing things, organizing things, asking for things, finding things, more pizza than you could ever imagine and pretty much all the other stuff that happens, every day, at the mill!
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- Elementary Stars
  
  Parker students present GiftsToGive CEO Jim Stevens
  with a check for $382.96.
  
  With the support of Parker Elementary School Principal Paul Fay, teacher Tamara Wells-Reynold’s and her 4th grade After School Art Club raised $382.96, from raffle ticket sales of their art work.
  
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- Where Do Youth Leaders Come From?
  
  Troop 80506 – Brockton, MA
  
  We met four remarkable young women today. Girl Scouts all and they were on a mission – a mission to make a difference.
  
  We asked their leader to write a short background on this small but mighty group, this is what she had to say – “When we started our Girl Scout season this year we had a significantly smaller troop. The girls that stayed had one common interest and that was to volunteer and make a difference.
  
  They started together as little girls being led by leaders. They are now young women making their own decisions and leading others to make a difference. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to make a difference. We look forward to coming back.”
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- Words of wisdom from an eight year-old!
  
  Wisdom is all around us, if we listen. Most recently, brilliant, simple and very clear wisdom came to us from Sophia, our favorite eight year-old, Uber Volunteer!
  
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- What’s right with University Students? BSU students talk for themselves!
  
  We met a most remarkable young woman on Saturday, Jessie Barbosa. Photos from our day are here.
  
  Jessie is a student at Bridgewater State University. She organized a day of service with several groups on campus. We asked Jessie to write about their experience, she had this to say – “On Saturday a group of Bridgewater State University students from multiple backgrounds, majors, and ages volunteered their time and services to GiftsToGive in Acushnet. This community service was made possible by a collaboration between The Center of Multicultural Affairs, Men Integrated in Brotherhood and the Community Service Office, which all form part of Bridgewater State University’s clubs and organizations. The students arrived around 9:00am, registered and then received a short orientation, which allowed them to understand the organization’s mission and familiarize themselves with the building.
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- 10 Year-Old Birthday Star Elizabeth
  
  Elizabeth and her friends helped girls they did not know have happier Birthdays!
  
  When we talk about special children, we talk about Elizabeth!
  
  Ten year-old Elizabeth celebrated her birthday in a most amazing way!
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- Student Nathan Turner – Outstanding Volunteer Acknowledgement
  
  Nathan Turner receives the Gold Presidential Service Award
  
  Nathan Turner is not your average young man. Nathan was acknowledged by President Obama for the President’s, Gold Volunteer Service Award.
  
  Nathan has completed over 3,000 hours of volunteer community service. We’re so proud of Nathan. Nathan is a Junior at New Bedford High School and has been volunteering with us since he was in the 6th grade at the Roosevelt Middle School.
  
  Jim Stevens, CEO and Founder of GiftsToGive said “ Nathan inspires us to do more and to be better. He is truly a bright and shining light and a most perfect example of giving and service. When we talk about young people making a difference, we talk about Nathan Turner!”
  
  The New Bedford City Council honored Nathan on January 22 (See video below)
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- Meeting Liam, four year-old philanthropist!
  
  Philanthropy is a big word. It’s a big concept. For a child, it’s one of those ideas/concepts and values that takes perspective, experience and practice. Telling the truth, doing the right thing, not going with strangers, eating the right foods, washing your hands, respecting other people … but … giving away some of your toys, some of your treasure is a huge big deal! Very seldom do we meet a four year-old that had no problem with this, Liam brought us boxes full!
  
  In this crazy mixed up world we live in, to see a four year-old wanting to share his treasure – inspires us to do more and be better at doing it!
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- Being inspired by Sam
  
  On a cold and drizzly Saturday, October 14, 2014 to be exact, in walks a 13 year-old young woman who matter of factly and unpretentiously tells us that she wants to help local children who don’t have the basic things they need; clothes, books, toys and birthday presents. She goes on to tell us that she wants to start now and off she goes to work in the factory on her first volunteer day!
  
  This remarkable young woman is Sam McGill. Sam is currently a freshman at Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical High School and has accumulated 470 volunteer hours to date, mostly on Saturdays and we are hard pressed to think of more than a few Saturday’s Sam has not been with us! Sam is currently helping us manage our Thrift Store.
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- Our 2016 MLK Teach-in and Day Of Service
  
  We focused this special holiday on our service learning initiative with local Middle School students. We bused two-hundred students to Normandin Middle School.
  
  Forty high school and college student leaders and select faculty, facilitated a three hour “Teach-in” revolving around the history of the voting rights movement, the activism and specifically, how students made a difference then and can again. The program also focused on the importance of voting and participating citizenship. (Day after local press here ).
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