CHARITY
Youth for Troops
Six teens are helping the military one care package at a time By Ron Sanzone
A
group of teens is proving there isn’t an age restriction to show appreciation for those who are serving all of us. Youth for Troops is an Anthem-based nonprofit that works to improve the lives of veterans and active-duty servicemen and women. The organization was founded in 2017 by six local schoolchildren who comprise its current board of directors: Taylor Piatt, 19, Heather Piatt, 17, Hannah Piatt, 14, Sophie Hoffa, 17, Walter Hoffa, 16, and Leo Hoffa, 14. The three Piatts of Anthem are siblings, as are the three Hoffas of Tramonto. The board members created the nonprofit after helping other organizations committed to helping the armed forces. Those groups encouraged them to branch out on their own so they could contribute in an even more meaningful capacity. “We’ve been doing military events and volunteering for military personnel since we were really little,” Sophie says. “We started this organization because people under 13 sometimes aren’t allowed to volunteer at events. We wanted to get all ages together to serve, such as families, and young kids with older people.” “We love to get youth involved, but all of our projects are intended to be for people of
all ages,” Heather says. “Zero to 120 is what we like to say.” Youth for Troops helps a multitude of ways. Among them are packing and sending care packages with cards to troops deployed overseas, holding flag lines at military funerals and participating in medal ceremonies at VA hospitals. Perhaps Youth for Troops’ most unique — as well as environmentally conscious — effort is providing plastic mats made entirely out of plastic bags to homeless veterans. The mats are 700 to 800 plastics bags crocheted. Youth for Troops partnered with Daisy Mountain Veterans to provide the mats after the departure of the latter’s head, Mary Ann Derryberry, who started the practice in 2016. The six mostly homeschool students started Youth for Troops as an extracurricular activity with five adults. It has since blossomed into a charity that stages monthly events with up to 100 volunteers and an email list of 1,400 individuals of all ages. And it has done this without a marketing team or budget. “We really only grow by word of mouth, so we try to get our volunteers to tell others,” Quinn Rambo, 7, decorates a shipping box for troops overseas.
8
85085 | AUGUST 2019
Hannah says. In addition, “we do a lot of networking events.” To bring awareness of the group, the board members conduct interviews, man volunteer booths at various events and visit schools and businesses. The school presentations are particularly effective in creating a pipeline of volunteers because once students become involved they spread the word to their friends and family, who often end up volunteering as well. “It has grown so rapidly because people are excited and engaged,” Tonya says. “These kids have found an area that people are excited about. People want to support our troops, people want to support our veterans, they want to do something with their kids.” The volunteers’ largest and most frequent event is the monthly care packing event. Donations of food and hygiene products are sorted and then packed into boxes, along with cards of appreciation, before being shipped off to service members overseas. In July, Youth for Troops marked a milestone by sending its 2,000th care package. And some of the recipients of those packages have sent replies. The volunteers receive thank-you letters that are then posted on social media. “In their letters they say that they really appreciate the boxes, that it boosts morale and that it’s nice to hear people back home