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www.ReporterNewspapers.netl SEPT. 6 —SEPT. 19, 2013 | 15
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Young Leaders “volunteer backbone” of the YMCA
BY MELISSA WEINMAN
melissaweinman@reporternewspapers.net
MELISSA WEINMAN
From left, Micah Hurt, Alayna Orr and Lindsey Starr help
their friends do sit ups during a Leaders Club meeting.
Alvarez Stampley believes volun
teers make the Cowart Family YMCA in
Brookhaven successful — teenage volun
teers, in particular.
Stampley leads the Leaders Club, a
group of about 50
high school students
who do everything
at the Y, from refer
eeing soccer games
to babysitting kids.
“They serve
as the ‘volunteer
backbone’ of our
branch,” Stampley
said.
Founded in
1995, the Lead
ers Club is the only
group of its kind in
Atlanta. Part service,
part social and part
athletic, the club is open to eighth grad
ers through 12th grade students. Stamp-
ley said the annual open enrollment pe
riod just ended, and new members of
the leaders club are beginning to attend
their first meetings.
“They have a three-month trial peri
od,” Stampley said. “At the end of that
trial period, they must be voted in by
current club members.”
Stampley said the selection process is
based on sweat equity. Those who show
up at meetings and put in their volun
teer hours are invited to stay as perma
nent members, he said. This year, there
are 55 leaders from nine area middle and
high schools.
Leaders are required to perform
15 hours of community service each
month, a big commitment for busy stu
dents juggling school, sports and other
social activities.
But they say it’s a lot of fun, too.
“It’s definitely worth it. It doesn’t feel
like hard work,” said Emily Agadzhano-
va, a junior at Chamblee Charter ITigh
School.
Eric Llaurador, also a junior at Cham
blee, said “Volunteering is actually pret
ty cool. I love reffing soccer and basket
ball.”
Stampley said because of the Leaders
Club volunteers, the YMCA is able put
more money into activities that would
otherwise have to go toward paying staff.
“They do it strictly on a volunteer ba
sis, so they don’t get paid anything for
it,” Stampley said.
Leaders Club members serve as
coaches and referees for youth sports
and provide “parents night out” pro
grams to babysit children, among oth
er efforts.
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Stampley said the Leaders Club
meets once a week, in addition to oth
er activities. Fie said the time commit
ment, taking leadership roles, and as
suming responsibility is a positive thing
for the Leaders.
“We’re empower
ing teens,” he said.
While the mem
bers of the Leaders
Club support the
YMCA, they also
support each other.
At a recent Lead
ers Club meeting,
the members sat
around the room
in a big circle. They
shared what they call
“pats on the back” —
things like winning
soccer games or get
ting good grades on a quiz.
At the end of the meeting, they did
“spirit fingers,” asking their friends for
good vibes. One member shared that he
was waiting to hear about a scholarship
application, and everyone waved their
fingers in his direction.
“It really serves as a big mentoring
tree,” Stampley said. “It really becomes
one, large family unit.”
The word “family” comes up a lot at
Leaders Club. Llaurador said he’s very
close to his friends in Leaders Club.
“I like to think of it as my second
family,” he said. “We definitely mesh
very quickly as one big family.”
Agadzhanova has been a part of
the Leaders Club for years.“It’s been a
big part of my life. It’s helped me make
friends,” she said. “It helps me give back
and it gives back to me.”
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“Volunteering is
actually pretty cool.”
- ERIC LLAURADOR
CHAMBLEE JUNIOR
