Eighteen Greene Middle School students received the President’s Volunteer Service Award on Nov. 20 for their work with Greene GIVES, a program that connects students to local service opportunities.
Lisa Bertelsen-Kivett, the founder of Greene GIVES, said the program allows middle school students to develop a relationship with their peers and neighbors through service.
“Not only were they doing good work, but they were having fun doing it,” Bertelsen-Kivett said. “They truly built their own community, and they are all good friends.”
Flour Power, a program created within Greene GIVES, has donated over 1,500 loaves of bread to local organizations such as the Hotel de Zinc homeless shelter and the Boys and Girls Club since its launch last year. The initiative’s founder, Jessica Galbraith, said she started Flour Power because it allows students to learn how to contribute positively to the community.
“I think the kids feel empowered and one of the benefits is that there’s a lot of anxiety in our community,” Galbraith said. “Going out and fixing some of the problems is so good for them.”
Seventh grader Geoffrey Kivett is a PVSA gold award winner, given to kids with over 100 hours of service, and said he appreciates the lessons he has learned through the volunteer program.
“No action is too little,” Kivett said. “Being able to make bread with my friends so that we can all join in on the experience of helping others and understanding their situations is amazing.”
Seventh grader Zoe Tsiagbe, who also won the gold award, said her favorite part about Flour Power is helping people in need.
“I feel so grateful to get this award,” Tsiagbe said. “It’s amazing how by doing something you love, you can be rewarded in such a great way without even knowing that you were going to be.”
Since Greene GIVES is over a year old, Galbraith said the program’s leadership is exploring next steps they can take to expand the program while preserving its mission.
“The most important aspect is that the kids are nourishing and feeding our less advantaged community with really healthy food,” Galbraith said. “In the future we’re hoping to be able to expand the program so that more kids will be able to join and do even more things through Greene GIVES.”
