Fr iday June 26 2015 The Surrey-Nor th Delta Leader
19
J U N E 18, 2015 T H I R T E E N T H A N N UA L CO M M U N I T Y L E A D E R AWA R D S
YOUTH VOLUNTEER
TOP HONOUR
Amanbir Atwal Teen aims to be productive and meaningful
A
t the age of 13, Amanbir Atwal started volunteering as a way to become more involved in the community. Now 19 years old, Atwal views volunteering as a responsibility. “I had some free time and I wanted to do something productive and meaningful with that time,” she says. “I wanted to be part of a positive change.” Atwal has a genuine appreciation for the value of community service. She started at a grassroots level with the City of Surrey, Surrey Public Library and youth groups such as the Surrey Youth Council. A leader in her high school, Atwal was the chair of the humanitarian club, and she initiated an after-school program for at-risk youth kids in a neighbouring elementary school. “The skills and experience I gained from these early volunteer experiences then helped me to take on more of a leadership role in the community,” Atwal says. At the age of 14, Atwal co-founded Youth
SPONSORED BY
Guildford Town Centre
G
Transforming Society (YTS) with three other friends. YTS raises awareness for humanitarian issues and encourages community volunteerism. Atwal currently volunteers in the emergency room at Surrey Memorial Hospital. She also volunteers as a call taker for the Fraser Health Crisis Line. On top of all that, Atwal is taking a full course load at the University of B.C. while also serving on the executive committee of UBC’s Canadian Liver Foundation. Atwal enjoys the diversity of learning experiences that volunteering brings. “There is rarely a volunteer experience where I have not learned something new and worthwhile,” Atwal says. “I have learned so many skills from volunteering that help me in my academic work and personal life every day.” From teaching leadership and event planning, to showing her how to be compassionate and empathetic, volunteering has shaped Atwal into the person she is today.
T H E B U I L D I N G B LO C K S O F O U R CO M M U N I T Y - I T ’ S A L L A B O U T CO M M I T M E N T
rade 12 student Olivia Helmer cannot pinpoint where her desire to volunteer stemmed from, but she has always aspired to change the world in some shape or form. Since November 2012, Helmer has run the REACH Club at Kwantlen Park Secondary. Helmer and the rest of the club members open their doors once a week at the school, organizing activities, preparing food and creating a safe environment for a welcoming social hub. The group was started after Helmer’s social studies teacher mentioned how many students at Kwantlen Park were unable to connect with the rest of the student body. “In every high school there have always been walls built up between different social
HONOURABLE MENTION
HONOURABLE MENTION
Olivia Helmer
Saurabh Bangar
Promoting a culture of family over cliques in schools
‘Giving back to my community is something I will do for the rest of my life’
groups and grades which causes students to not be able to connect with others easily,” Helmer says. “I, my peers and my social studies teacher wanted to carry out an innovative idea in my school and help our school community become more of a family rather than cliques.” Helmer, 18, is also part of “Inspire,” a club where girls in Grades 10 to 12 come together to mentor girls in Grades 8 and 9 to help them through their first years of high school. Earlier this month won a TD Scholarship for Community Leadership, which is valued at $70,000 for up to four years of postsecondary schooling.
F
or a 20-year-old, Saurabh Bangar has accomplished quite a bit. Bangar began volunteering in his early high school years at Queen Elizabeth Secondary. His main focus was on organizations that serve youth in the community. Now attending SFU Surrey, Bangar is the president and CEO of SOAR Philanthropic Society. SOAR (Success, Opportunity, Achievement, Results) started back in 2012 when Bangar realized many high school students going into post-secondary education were in financial need. Later this year, SOAR will be awarding five scholarships worth $1,000 each to five Grade 12 students across the Lower Mainland. “Every day there are many people that are born within this world and many people that leave. We
come here with nothing and leave with nothing,” he says. “Throughout our lives we notice there are people who require support and it’s important to share with others by giving back to them.” Bangar was recently appointed as the vicepresident of corporate development for Kids Play, which focuses on keeping youth away from the lifestyles of drugs, gangs and violence. “Giving back to my community is something I will do for the rest of my life because without the support of my community I would not be where I am today,” Bangar says. Bangar encourages youth in the community to volunteer their time toward their passions. “Grow that passion to greater heights because in the long run when you look, you will be happy for what you always believed in.”