Teen volunteers are fighting poverty

Picture only rubble where your house once stood, before it was wrecked by an earthquake. Imagine showing up to the first day of school, excited about one of your new classes but unable to take notes because your family couldn’t afford school supplies. POVERTY has a devastating impact, and teens are on the forefront of working to secure a sustainable future for peers in their own communities and around the world. If you know any exceptional Jewish teen volunteers in California who are working to solve social problems like poverty, nominate them to win $36,000 that will change their lives and help them expand their work.

2011 Recipient Daniel Sobajian distributing school supplies

Daniel Sobajian (pictured above) won a 2011 Tikkun Olam Award for his school supply project. Upon transferring to public school, Daniel learned that a shocking number of his classmates lived below the poverty line and were unable to afford essential school supplies. He was moved to support his peers and ensure a good education was within their reach. Daniel has held over 20 supply drives all over Los Angeles and delivered the materials to over 1,000 students.

Ensuring equal opportunities for their peers is important to teens, and almost one in five of the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award nominees last year worked on projects combating poverty. Other outstanding teens recognized with a nomination last year organized projects such as raising money to support Haitian school children with supplies after the devastating 2010 earthquake, developing youth chapters of established organizations to engage other teens in fighting poverty, and raising funds to enable regular donations to a local food pantry.

Nominations are now open for the 2012 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards. We are calling on you to help us celebrate the power of teens to change the world. Nominations may be submitted through January 6, 2012.