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Global Youth Service Day Makes Tremendous Impact Across Texas

In April, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department completed its 11th year as a Texas Lead Agency for Global Youth Service Day (GYSD). TJJD enlisted the participation of 34 partners during this year’s event, including eighteen juvenile probation departments and a public school district. In addition, our partners engaged 43 public school campuses.


A total of 92 service-learning projects were completed by 10,133 children and youth, and 12,777 hours of service were recorded. There were 153 family members of youth who participated in the projects. TJJD staff estimates that 177,695 Texas citizens benefitted from these service projects in 69 different zip codes across the state. There were 14 media stories that provided coverage and visibility for our GYSD projects. And 29 elected officials participated by issuing proclamations, attending projects, engaging our youth in conversations about social issues, and speaking at opening or celebration events.
 
Furthermore, the following impact measures were recorded:
  • 116,050  Items of food collected and donated
  • 112,715  Pounds of food collected and donated
  • 5,830  Individuals receiving emergency food from community kitchens, food banks, or nonprofit
  • 5,419  Pounds of trash and debris removed
  • 4,050  Books or school supplies collected, donated
  • 1,834  Pounds of waste reduced, reused, recycled, or composted
  • 1,266  Hours served at food bank, food pantry, or kitchen
  • 1,224  People educated about the issue of childhood hunger in the community
  • 1,101  Meals prepared at kitchen, shelter, or other feeding location
  • 400  People registered for food assistance programs (SNAP, Free & Reduced school meals, etc.)
  • 399  Backpacks packed and distributed for weekend feeding program
  • 335  Individuals engaged in physical activity
  • 180  Students gain access to school/education
  • 152  Substance abuse, including tobacco, classes organized
  • 113  Native trees, shrubs, or other native plants planted
  • 90  Animals cared for at animal shelters, etc.
  • 82  Adults and youth mentored, tutored, or read to
  • 41  Native trees, shrubs, or other native plants maintained
  • 37  New adults and youth volunteer mentors, tutors, or readers recruited
  • 29  Parks, public lands, habitats, or wilderness areas cleaned or improved, preserved, protected, or created
  • 26  Actions supporting military families or veterans
  • 22  Food drives or fundraisers organized
  • 16 Letters/cards or care packages donated written to active duty troops
  • 7  Acres of land and soil restored that were degraded by desertification, drought, and floods
  • 5  Acres of harmful invasive vegetation removed
  • 5  Classrooms or school spaces physically improved
  • 5  Sites cleaned, beautified, and/or painted
  • 4  Awareness or education events organized to promote human rights, gender equality, promotion of peace and non-
  • violence, global citizenship, or appreciation of cultural diversity
  • 3  Fitness events organized
  • 3  Health check-ups or consultations provided
  • 3  Handwashing stations constructed
  • 3  Community or school gardens planted or created
  • 3  Buildings or sites reconstructed, renovated, cleaned-up, or otherwise improved
  • 2  Number of housing units developed, repaired, or otherwise improved or made available
  • 2  Emergency housing or shelters improved
  • 2  Sites monitored to collect data about health of land, water, weather, plant life, or animal life
  • 1  Sexual and reproductive health classes organized
  • 1  Roads or sidewalks improved to increase safety
  • 1  Anti-bullying initiatives organized
  • 1  Murals painted or community artwork created
Numbers can certainly communicate the scale of impact in this year’s GYSD event, but there are many stories that cannot be told with statistics. Partners shared stories that their youth learned the importance of giving back to the community after spending several hours at an assisted living facility. A halfway house youth said that he was physically tired after working several hours collecting canned food items for the local food bank, but he said he loved doing something good for others and asked about the next opportunity to do so. Other youth learned how one small act of kindness can impact a whole community of people. GYSD promises to have a lasting impact in the lives of the youth we serve.

Global Youth Service Day, an annual campaign of Youth Service America, celebrates and mobilizes the millions of youth across the globe who improve their communities each day of the year through service and service-learning. The 28th Annual Global Youth Service Day is April 15-17, 2016.  Established in 1988, GYSD is the largest service event in the world and is now celebrated in over 100 countries. During GYSD, children and youth address the world’s most critical issues in partnership with families, schools, community and faith-based organizations, businesses, and governments.

PHOTO: Youth from TJJD’s York Halfway House deliver donations to the Good Samaritan Rescue Mission.

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