Family Service of Roanoke Valley has been selected as the recipient of the State Farm Good Neighbor Citizenship grant, an award that will make it possible to engage over fifty youth in the Roanoke Valley in service / learning projects that benefit a growing and vulnerable population in our community — the elderly. The $16,000 award will be used to apply Family Service’s Teen Outreach Program (TOP) approach to positive youth development, tapping into the best within selected middle school students, by giving them the opportunity to help others. This method of engaging youth in service / helping activities has been found to prevent problem behaviors.
Youth who engage in service learning opportunities have been found to develop such positive skills as goal setting and healthy decision-making. Family Service will study the impact of the Good Neighbor Citizenship project on such student outcomes as improved school attendance, grades and attitudes toward school and graduation, the avoidance of problem behaviors and increased levels of interest in civic responsibility.
On behalf of the community and the seniors, the objectives will be to address safety concerns of senior homeowners who are in need of assistance with trash removal, smoke alarms, improved locks, simple landscaping, improved lighting, strengthening or installing hand rails, repairing mailboxes and other challenges that might compromise the safety of elderly persons. Students’ service learning projects will focus on the remediation of these safety and quality of life threats facing their older neighbors.
The inter-generational service projects funded by State Farm will continue throughout the school year, culminating on April 24th, Global Youth Service Day, where the goal will be to engage about 750 volunteers throughout the Roanoke Valley in a wide range of service projects aimed to improve the health and welfare of our community.
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