“Honoring Our Teen Volunteers”
One of the greatest privileges of serving Maine in the United States Senate is the opportunity I have to meet outstanding young people from our state who are devoting part of their lives to community service. Whether we meet in Washington or at home, I always come away from these meetings inspired by their commitment and encouraged for the future of our state and our nation.
I recently had the opportunity to meet two such remarkable young people – Charlotte Eisenberg of Peaks Island and Ian Pelletier of Deer Isle– when they were in Washington to receive the 2011 Prudential Spirit of Community award, which recognize students for exemplary community service. From more than 29,000 nominees nationwide, only two students from each state are selected for this recognition, so it was a particular honor to meet these two young people.
Although they have dedicated themselves to different types of civic involvement, Charlotte and Ian are united by a desire to make their communities better, to encourage others to get involved, and to grow personally from their experiences. It is a pleasure to share their stories today.
Charlotte is a 13-year-old eighth-grader at King Middle School in Portland. To Charlotte, leadership is nothing new. She has been giving tours of the Civil War history museum on Peaks Island since she was a little girl. She collected hats and mittens for a family shelter, and volunteered at a phone bank for a presidential campaign. Her latest endeavor involved forming an environmental club at her school that encourages composting and recycling. She and her friends formed the “Green Team” and began purchasing compost bins for their classrooms and cafeteria. The compost is even used to help grow the school’s organic garden. I commend Charlotte for her passion and her leadership.
Ian is an 18-year-old senior at Deer Isle-Stonington High School who saw a need in his community and decided that he could help fill it. The Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School and Reach Performing Arts Center lacked adequate storage facilities for maintenance items such as tools, snowblowers and ladders. Instead, these items were stored in an old, rundown shed. And sets and props used during performances in the arts center had to be stored in garages and barns around town. Ian took it upon himself to begin raising funds to build a proper storage facility. He raised $30,000, recruited an architect and solicited bids from local contractors. He hired builders and recruited volunteers—and a year and a half after undertaking the project, a new storage facility was completed. I am impressed with Ian’s commitment and his willingness to help his community.
The energy and determination demonstrated by Ian and Charlotte benefit their communities today and will for years to come. And both of these young people benefit as well from learning the self-reliance and sense of accomplishment that come from taking on responsibilities and meeting them. Ian says he has already learned so much, “At first I thought the project was too big, but once I started, I never had regrets.” What a wonderful lesson to learn at such a young age.
Ian and Charlotte both possess great compassion and integrity, and their desire to serve others is admirable. But they are not alone. These two young Mainers exemplify the tremendous capabilities of our youth. Communities across our state and all of America are brimming with young people making a positive difference. I see it everywhere, and it continues to reaffirm my faith in our next generation of leaders and in our country’s future.
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I recently had the opportunity to meet two such remarkable young people – Charlotte Eisenberg of Peaks Island and Ian Pelletier of Deer Isle– when they were in Washington to receive the 2011 Prudential Spirit of Community award, which recognize students for exemplary community service. From more than 29,000 nominees nationwide, only two students from each state are selected for this recognition, so it was a particular honor to meet these two young people.
Although they have dedicated themselves to different types of civic involvement, Charlotte and Ian are united by a desire to make their communities better, to encourage others to get involved, and to grow personally from their experiences. It is a pleasure to share their stories today.
Charlotte is a 13-year-old eighth-grader at King Middle School in Portland. To Charlotte, leadership is nothing new. She has been giving tours of the Civil War history museum on Peaks Island since she was a little girl. She collected hats and mittens for a family shelter, and volunteered at a phone bank for a presidential campaign. Her latest endeavor involved forming an environmental club at her school that encourages composting and recycling. She and her friends formed the “Green Team” and began purchasing compost bins for their classrooms and cafeteria. The compost is even used to help grow the school’s organic garden. I commend Charlotte for her passion and her leadership.
Ian is an 18-year-old senior at Deer Isle-Stonington High School who saw a need in his community and decided that he could help fill it. The Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School and Reach Performing Arts Center lacked adequate storage facilities for maintenance items such as tools, snowblowers and ladders. Instead, these items were stored in an old, rundown shed. And sets and props used during performances in the arts center had to be stored in garages and barns around town. Ian took it upon himself to begin raising funds to build a proper storage facility. He raised $30,000, recruited an architect and solicited bids from local contractors. He hired builders and recruited volunteers—and a year and a half after undertaking the project, a new storage facility was completed. I am impressed with Ian’s commitment and his willingness to help his community.
The energy and determination demonstrated by Ian and Charlotte benefit their communities today and will for years to come. And both of these young people benefit as well from learning the self-reliance and sense of accomplishment that come from taking on responsibilities and meeting them. Ian says he has already learned so much, “At first I thought the project was too big, but once I started, I never had regrets.” What a wonderful lesson to learn at such a young age.
Ian and Charlotte both possess great compassion and integrity, and their desire to serve others is admirable. But they are not alone. These two young Mainers exemplify the tremendous capabilities of our youth. Communities across our state and all of America are brimming with young people making a positive difference. I see it everywhere, and it continues to reaffirm my faith in our next generation of leaders and in our country’s future.
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