Monadnock United Way celebrated the conclusion of its first Youth Day of Caring with a community event at Birdies in Keene following a month of youth-led service projects across the Monadnock region.
Throughout April, students from five after-school and youth-serving programs completed projects aimed at strengthening their schools and communities. Participating organizations included the Keene Family YMCA, Monadnock Youth Coalition, A.C.C.E.S.S. Winchester, Kid Adventures in Hillsborough and Project Beyond the Bell in Swanzey.
Sponsored by NBT Bank, the projects included gardening, school beautification efforts, collecting cigarette butts for recycling into benches and creating teacher appreciation kits.
The initiative concluded with a Youth Day of Caring celebration attended by students, program directors, community members, Monadnock United Way staff and board members, and representatives from NBT Bank.
Jessica Wisell of NBT Bank said the program helped students see “that even small acts of service can make a big difference.”
Monadnock United Way plans to expand the Youth Day of Caring program in future years to create additional volunteer opportunities for local youth.
