Speak Up For Service Day Celebrates Community Involvement of Youth
Too often, the community involvement of young people is overlooked. On Speak Up For Service Day, October 30th, we recognize the impact of the young people who are actively engaged in community service. Speak Up For Service Day shines a light on their contributions.
The Mandan Lions Club of North Dakota, itself a community service organization, established Speak Up For Service Day in 2014, but its history goes back a little further. In 2003, the Lions club started the Student Speakers Contest for high school students in honor of Laura Christensen Espejo, a local woman who had devoted her life to improving health care availability for the less fortunate of Fargo and Peru. The contest went statewide in 2010. Today Lions Clubs throughout the North America hold public speaking contests for youths. Speakers are encouraged to share insights about current issues.
Get Involved
Speak Up For Service Day provides an opportunity to recognize the youth in your community for the projects they support and to encourage further community involvement by young people. If you are in a position to do so, create opportunities for youth to get involved. The benefits are many including confidence boosting and positive community impact. Here are some ways to observe Speak Up For Service Day:
Be vocal! Speak to others, especially young people, about the service initiatives available in your community.
Celebrate and encourage young people who get involved in their communities.
Raise awareness about the contributions young people make to their communities.
Starting to give of one’s time and effort at a young age can lead to a lifetime of fulfilling volunteer work and community service. Use Speak Up For Service Day as a springboard to get a young person in your life involved in community service.