LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Feb. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Emmaline
Landes, 17, of El Dorado and
Braden Lisowe, 11, of Benton today were named Arkansas' top two youth volunteers of 2020 by
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program
honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. As
State Honorees, Emmaline and Braden each will receive
$1,000, an engraved silver medallion
and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C., where they will join the top
two honorees from each of the other states and the District of
Columbia for four days of national recognition
events. During the trip, 10 students will be named
America's top youth volunteers of 2020.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its
25th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in
partnership with the National Association of Secondary School
Principals (NASSP).
These are Arkansas' top youth
volunteers of 2020:
High School State Honoree: Emmaline Landes
Nominated by El
Dorado High School
Emmaline, a senior at El Dorado High School, has raised more
than $16,000 since 2013 for nonprofit
agencies and various causes by selling or donating more than 300
pieces of her original artwork. At age 11, Emmaline began painting
portraits of animals at a local shelter, which were then auctioned
at the shelter's annual ball. When the first one sold for
$500, "I realized I could make a
difference through my artwork," she said. Working mainly with
acrylics on canvas, she started making paintings for other
nonprofits in her community, and later formed a nonprofit called
"Heartworks" in memory of her grandmother, who died of ALS in
2016.
Proceeds from the sale of Emmaline's paintings have gone to
address a wide range of causes she cares about, including child
abuse, homelessness, animal adoption, hunger, affordable healthcare
and art education. She also has used her art to help peers in need.
Emmaline's first art show raised funds to cover travel costs for a
friend receiving medical care, to buy personal care items for a
peer whose family is affected by AIDS and to supply weekend meals
for kids who don't have enough to eat at home. A second art show
generated funds to purchase medical supplies and equipment for
people with ALS and other debilitating diseases. In addition,
Emmaline has created a series of paintings of fetal ultrasound
images, which are being donated to purchase baby supplies and
clothing for peers who become pregnant in high school. "It is my
hope that my work reflects the joy I feel from helping others," she
said.
Middle Level State Honoree: Braden Lisowe
Nominated by Bryant
Middle School
Braden, a sixth grader at Bryant Middle School, has provided
more than 2,000 meals for clients of the Arkansas Food Bank by
cooking and selling ready-to-eat meals out of his kitchen and
donating the proceeds. "I've always been interested in cooking,"
explained Braden. "I began cooking ready-to-eat meals for friends
and family to raise money to go to camp, and quickly realized that
I could use my new skills to help others." He knew about the food
bank from volunteering there with his mother and decided that
feeding the hungry was something he could do.
Each week, Braden plans a meal with a main dish and two sides
and solicits orders on a "Braden's Bites" Facebook page managed by
his mother. With as many as 10-12 orders a week, he shops for
ingredients, prepares the meals in his home kitchen with help from
his sister, and arranges delivery. In addition to the proceeds that
he donates to the food bank, Braden donates a meal to someone in
need for every five meals he sells. His meal sales have also
enabled him to purchase 50 sleeping bags for people experiencing
homelessness after severe flooding destroyed their encampment. He
also has donated meals on Mother's Day to mothers who have lost
children, to veterans on Veterans Day, to people who are ill or
recovering from surgery, to foster parents and first responders,
and to others. "I'm really lucky that my family has never had to
worry about where our next meal came from," said Braden, "but being
able to raise funds so that others don't have to feels really
good."
Distinguished Finalists
The program judges also recognized four other Arkansas
students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community
service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze
medallion.
These are Arkansas'
Distinguished Finalists for 2020:
Haley Draeger, 16, of
Sherwood, Arkansas, a
member of the Girl Scouts - Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas and a sophomore at Mount St. Mary
Academy, organized and runs "Kid's
Korner," a twice-monthly event that has given more than 1,300
outfits to 240 families who are staying at the Ronald McDonald
House in Little Rock. Haley
solicits, washes and organizes donated clothing, has helped recruit
additional volunteers, and works directly with families who benefit
from her initiative.
Raichel Frye, 17, of
Foreman, Arkansas, a senior at
Foreman High School, organized a donation drive in her community to
benefit victims of Hurricane Harvey; she printed and distributed
informational fliers, connected with local churches to spread the
word and helped prepare more than 500 donations for delivery.
Raichel was inspired to organize this event after hearing about the
devastation caused by the hurricane to communities in Houston, and plans to host similar donation
drives in the future.
Natalie Hernandez, 18, of
Rogers, Arkansas, a senior at
Don Tyson School of Innovation, is the creator and leader of
"Coding Takes Flight," an educational program that has offered
hourlong block coding sessions to more than 1,000 girls from local
elementary schools. Natalie was inspired to start this project
after being one of only two female students in her high school
programming class; she hopes to help participants expand their
interest in STEM-related fields and gain confidence in their new
skillset.
Hayden Wood, 17, of
Floral, Arkansas, a
senior at Midland High School, is the co-founder of the "Wireless
Education" project, working with state legislators and businesses
to provide students in his community with mobile hot spot flash
drives so they can complete online homework assignments at home.
Hayden used a software program to determine which service provider
would be the best partner for his project, based on service
strength in rural areas where his classmates live.
"In our 25th year of honoring young volunteers,
we are as inspired as ever by the work students are doing to
address the needs of a changing world," said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential
Financial, Inc. "We hope that their resolve, their initiative and
their perspectives on society's challenges move others to consider
how they can make a difference, too."
"Middle level and high school students are doing remarkable
things to shape the future of their communities through volunteer
service. They inspire all students and schools to drive learning
with real-world challenges," said JoAnn
Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP.
"Congratulations to each of the 2020 honorees – it's an honor
to celebrate your commitment to creating positive change."
About The Prudential Spirit of Community
Awards
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards represents
the United States' largest youth
recognition program based solely on volunteer service. All public
and private middle level and high schools in the country, as well
as all Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red
Cross chapters, YMCAs and Points of Light Global Network members,
were eligible to select a student or member for a local Prudential
Spirit of Community Award. These Local Honorees were then reviewed
by an independent judging panel, which selected State Honorees and
Distinguished Finalists based on criteria including personal
initiative, effort, impact and personal growth.
While in Washington, D.C., the
102 State Honorees – one middle level and one high school
student from each state and the District
of Columbia – will tour the capital's landmarks, meet top
youth volunteers from other parts of the world, attend a gala
awards ceremony at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural
History, and visit their congressional representatives on Capitol
Hill. On May 4, 10 of the State
Honorees – five middle level and five high school students – will
be named America's top youth volunteers of 2020. These National
Honorees will receive additional $5,000 scholarships, gold medallions, crystal
trophies and $5,000 grants from
Prudential for nonprofit charitable organizations of their
choice.
Since the program began in 1995, more than 130,000 young
volunteers have been honored at the local, state and national
level. The program also is conducted by Prudential subsidiaries in
Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Ireland, India, China
and Brazil. In addition to
granting its own awards, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
program also distributes President's Volunteer Service Awards to
qualifying Local Honorees.
For information on all of this year's Prudential Spirit of
Community State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists, 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.
For Spirit of Community Awards
program logo and medallion
graphics, please visit
https://spirit.prudential.com/resources/media
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/arkansas-top-youth-volunteers-of-2020-selected-by-national-program-300996083.html
SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc.