WASHINGTON, April 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Mississippi's top two youth volunteers of
2018, Grace McAllister, 15, of
Nettleton and Jameshia Attaway, 14, of Indianola, were honored in the nation's
capital last night for their outstanding volunteer service during
the 23rd annual presentation of The Prudential Spirit of Community
Awards. Jameshia – along with 100 other top youth volunteers from
across the country – received a $1,000 award and personal congratulations from
Olympic gold medalist and World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn at an award ceremony and gala
dinner reception held at the Smithsonian's National Museum of
Natural History. Grace, who was unable to attend last night's
events, was honored in absentia for her outstanding volunteer
service.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, sponsored by
Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association
of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), named Grace and Jameshia
Mississippi's top high school and middle level youth volunteers in
February. In addition to their cash awards, they each received an
engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip with a
parent to Washington, D.C., for
four days of recognition events.
Grace, a member of Monroe
County 4-H and a freshman at Nettleton High School, has
collected and donated more than 1,000 new stuffed animals to
comfort children traumatized by sexual abuse and let them know that
they are not alone. Grace knows firsthand the immeasurable pain of
being abused by a person she trusted. "Being a survivor of sexual
abuse at the hands of my own father, the one person who should
protect me, not hurt me, I decided I wanted to help other victims,"
Grace said.
Grace was abused from the age of 6 until, at 10 years old, she
found the courage to tell her stepmother what was happening. What
followed were months of interviews, counselors, lawyer visits,
court appearances and the disbelief of some family members, she
said. She felt nobody understood. So, Grace created a YouTube video
to tell her story and encourage others to "break the silence." It's
been viewed more than 40,000 times. She then contacted a local
Family Resource Center with a proposal to provide stuffed animals
to young abuse victims. She held collection drives through her
Facebook page, raffled off a huge teddy bear to raise money, and
partnered with local businesses to collect stuffed animals. She
also started an "ambassador" program to encourage children in other
states to collect stuffed animals for their local resource centers.
"I have gained the knowledge that I am a survivor, not a victim,"
said Grace. "I have seen that small tokens of love and hope can
make a difference. I have gained back myself from
volunteering."
Jameshia, a member of Girl Scouts Heart of the South and an
eighth-grader at St. Joseph High School, supplies five schools in
her area with personal hygiene items that she collects for students
who have a need for them during the school day. An avid volunteer
whose role model is her mother, Jameshia was inspired to start her
project after hearing a girl in her school restroom say she needed
a sanitary napkin. "She was embarrassed to walk out of the
restroom," said Jameshia. "Seeing young girls the same age as me
having to leave school because they don't have sanitary napkins, or
a child being picked on because they smell, made me sad. I promised
myself that if I ever got enough money, I would place personal
hygiene products in schools within my area."
So, after getting permission from the school district and
arranging for staff members to assist her, she began raising money
and collecting donations by competing in pageants, speaking to
civic organizations, soliciting businesses, and applying for
grants. Within three months, she had supplied five schools with
personal hygiene items such as soap, towels, deodorant, toothpaste,
toothbrushes and sanitary napkins. She recruited two students at
each school to stock the items and notify her when supplies run
low. "Students don't have to leave school or call home if they need
something," she said. "They can stay in class and learn."
"These honorees exemplify something we've known for a long time
– that young volunteers have the power to bring meaningful change
to their communities," said John
Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc.
"These students have shown leadership and determination well beyond
their years, and it's a privilege to celebrate their service."
"Through their acts of service, these honorees drive home a
powerful lesson for their peers: that one student really can make a
difference," said Daniel P. Kelley, president of NASSP. "We
are honored to shine a spotlight on the compassion, drive and
ingenuity of each of these young volunteers."
Youth volunteers in grades 5-12 were invited to apply for 2018
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards last fall through schools,
Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross
chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of Points of Light's HandsOn
Network. More than 29,000 middle level and high school students
nationwide participated in this year's program.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program was created in
1995 to identify and recognize young people for outstanding
volunteer service – and, in so doing, inspire others to volunteer,
too. In the past 23 years, the program has honored more than
120,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national
level.
For more information about The Prudential Spirit of Community
Awards and this year's honorees, visit
http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit.
About NASSP
The National Association of Secondary School
Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for
principals and other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform
education through school leadership, recognizing that the
fulfillment of each student's potential relies on great leaders in
every school committed to the success of each student. Reflecting
its long-standing commitment to student leadership development,
NASSP administers the National Honor Society, National
Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society,
and National Student Council. Learn more at www.nassp.org.
About Prudential Financial
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a
financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe,
and Latin America. Prudential's
diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual
and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a
variety of products and services, including life insurance,
annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment
management. In the U.S., Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood
for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a
century. For more information, please visit
www.news.prudential.com.
Editors: For pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards
program logo and medallions, visit
https://spirit.prudential.com/resources/media.
For B-roll of Mississippi's honorees at the 2018 national
recognition events, contact Prudential's Harold Banks at (973) 216-4833 or
harold.banks@prudential.com.
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SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc.