Taylorsville Youth Council roaring back a year after coronavirus effectively shut them down By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
W
hen Youth Council Mayor and Student Ambassador Emma Powers concocted her idea for a community service project, the Taylorsville High School senior’s goal was humble enough. But thanks to generosity from throughout the community, the result of her clothing drive was nothing short of tremendous. “My original goal was to gather 60 pounds of donated clothing, and we ended up with 415 pounds, stuffed into 17 big plastic bags,” Powers said. “As for the cash donation, I didn’t even solicit monetary contributions. I heard after the fact, The Crossroads of Taylorsville donated $5,000. And an anonymous donor doubled that, creating a $10,000 donation.” Powers’ incredibly successful community service project is just one of several highlights the Taylorsville Youth Council has enjoyed since last fall, in what can only be described as a “bounce-back” year for the group. For years, the Taylorsville Youth Council adviser has been City Council Coordinator Kris Heineman. “COVID really messed up our Youth Council year (from September 2020 through June 2021), with nearly everything being cancelled for the kids,” Heineman said. “That group missed out on a Sub-for-Santa project, the Day at the Legislature, our leadership conference at Utah State. It was awful. But so far this year (September 2021 through June 2022), with The Taylorsville Youth Council donated sacks and sacks of food, for a Thanksgiving feast, to a needy family. (Courtesy Kris Heineman) vaccines and masks, it’s been much better—almost completely back to normal.” Youth Council members to meet Gov. Spencer Cox, Lt. Gov. Next up for the eight boys and seven girls who make up Deidre Henderson and several legislators. The group also enthe Taylorsville Youth Council is that three-day, two-night joyed a guided tour of the State Capitol and sat in on a House leadership conference at Utah State University, March 17–19. debate. “This will be our council’s first USU Leadership ConThe day on Capitol Hill came about a month after Powers ference since 2019,” Heineman said. “Of course last year, the completed her clothing drive. She organized the event to fulfill entire event was cancelled. But back in 2020, so many student one of her student council ambassador obligations. Once she leaders from around Utah were registered that they broke it and fellow ambassador Brandon Sorensen complete their reinto two sessions. Half the kids got to attend the first session, quired activities—including separate community service projin early March. But then the total pandemic lockdown hit, and ects—the Taylorsville City Council will award each of them a the second —session including our —were out of luck. Our $750 college scholarship. council members were crushed.” “I designed fliers advertising the clothing drive and postLittle did they, or any of us, know then, that was just the ed information on social media,” Emma said. “Then I had two beginning of lots of cancellations and reschedulings. big events to accept the donations. First, we had a big donation “All 15 of our Taylorsville Youth Council members will box at the Saturday with Santa (Dec. 4) event, at the Taylorsattend this year’s conference,” Heineman added. “I’ll also be ville Bennion Heritage Center. Then five days later, our collecthere, along with Mayor [Kristie] Overson. I’m guessing some tion box was out again when the city hosted its holiday open city council members will show up too.” house at the [Mid-Valley Performing] Arts Center. I would say “I’m looking forward to the USU conference because our the amount of donated clothing was pretty evenly split [from Taylorsville Youth Mayor and Ambassador Emma Powers collected more than 400 pounds of shirts, pants, socks, hats and other items students learn so many leadership skills and participate in lots the two events].” during her holiday season clothing drive. (Emma Powers) of service projects,” Overson said. “We’re all still concerned Taylorsville Economic Development Specialist Jean about COVID and will take precautions. But things are open- Ashby says it was at that second event where The Crossroads ing up. It’s a fun opportunity for our council members.” of Taylorsville shopping complex officials learned of the drive the monetary donation,” Powers said. “I am so thankful to everyone who helped me organize the clothing drive, and, of Overson and Heineman also joined 12 of their 15 youth and decided to open their checkbook. council members for the annual Day at the Legislature on Jan. “They contacted the city [after the open house], and it course, to all the people who donated. I’m so excited about 19. Again, that event, sponsored by the Utah League of Cit- was all because of Emma’s clothing drive,” Ashby said. “It how it turned out.” One final note, the Taylorsville Youth Council was ies and Towns, had to be scrubbed last year. Taylorsville City was a blizzard that night of the holiday social (Dec. 9), but we Council members Anna Barbieri, Ernest Burgess and Mere- still had 100 to 110 people there. Luckily, The Crossroads of also able to return to another pair of traditions the pandemic dith Harker also tagged along. Taylorsville people attended. This is one of the largest dona- spoiled the previous year, when they assisted a needy fami“Our Day at the Legislature was amazing,” Powers said. tions I have ever seen, especially for a youth project like this.” ly of five in the community. The council provided the family “I was able to go in 2020 as a sophomore, and I was really disAfter searching with no luck to find a Taylorsville-based with a Thanksgiving meal in November and spent about 800 appointed when it was cancelled last year. Part of the fun this charitable organization that could accept the 415 pounds of donated dollars to purchase Sub-for-Santa Christmas gifts the year came when we attended a flag orientation class. I guess donated clothing, Powers turned instead to the Rescue Mis- following month. “This is such a good group of student leaders—super-mothey are considering changing our Utah state flag. So, after the sion of Salt Lake. Meantime, Crossroads of Taylorsville doclass, we got to draw our own flags. Mine had mountains and nors were able to time their $5,000 donation so it would be tivated for community service,” said concluded. “I would say a few (natural red rock arches). It wasn’t very good, but some matched by an anonymous Rescue Mission donor. That’s what this is one of the top two Taylorsville Youth Council groups I have ever had. I’m so happy we’ve been able to return to a other council members drew great ones.” turned their $5,000 into $10,000. This year’s Day at the Legislature allowed Taylorsville “I was so amazed and humbled when I found out about more normal schedule of activities for them this year.” l
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