Affiliate recognized for raising the bar by adding 'intentional summer programming'

Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) honored The Rapides Foundation with the prestigious 2024 Affiliate of the Year Award for its exceptional contributions to youth engagement, community service and youth empowerment. The honor was presented at the annual YVC Summit in Virginia Beach in October and accepted by Ashley Stewart, Director of Programs for The Rapides Foundation.

“Each year, we witness remarkable service experiences that not only change lives but also uplift communities, thanks to the dedication of our affiliates. Today, we recognize YVC Alexandria, an affiliate that has truly gone above and beyond in its commitment to youth engagement, service, and empowerment,” said Danette Seffens, YVC’s Affiliate Programs Manager, during the award ceremony

The Foundation became a national affiliate of Youth Volunteer Corps in 2016 as part of its My Civic Life program, which provides Central Louisiana youth with service opportunities so they will become engaged in their communities and make volunteerism a lifelong habit. Service opportunities follow the evidence-based model developed by YVC and are offered in school-based YVC Clubs during the school year through the Youth Volunteer School District Grant.

The Foundation in 2023 began offering the Youth Volunteer Summer Service Grant to provide organizations with funds to implement community-based service opportunities during the summer months for youth ages 11 to 18.

The Affiliate of the Year Award “celebrates YVC Alexandria's transformative impact through innovative service-learning projects, strategic community partnerships, and an unwavering dedication to nurturing the next generation of leaders.”

Over the 2023-2024 program year, YVC Alexandria engaged youth from 17 high schools across four school districts, encouraging a culture of service that extends beyond the school year and into the summer months. “By logging nearly 2,000 additional youth service hours through intentional summer programming, they demonstrated the profound influence a single affiliate can have on a community,” YVC announced in a news release.

Projects have included food drives, reading to young children, volunteering at nursing homes, sending packages to deployed service members and delivering chemo bags to cancer patients. The Central Louisiana affiliate is a Gold Level YVC Affiliate, a designation that indicates exemplary status.

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