When you throw a rock into a pond, ripples form on the surface and can spread a great distance. What kind of ripples will you make in the world?

Gretchen Lima, Youth Council leader

That is the question posed annually to the 22 bright, motivated high school and middle school students who comprise the Community Soup Kitchen’s Youth Council. The Youth Council was formed as an extension of the “Hunger in Our Own Backyard” program. It is an opportunity for students to take a leadership role in solving the local problems of homelessness and poverty.

Participants are chosen from area schools and work collaboratively with fellow students, soup kitchen staff and volunteers to understand homelessness and poverty, communicate the causes effectively and inspire change in their own community.  Students then take the knowledge and leadership skills they have developed at the Soup Kitchen back to their schools and use them to plan and organize an educational fundraising event.

Please contact us if your school is interested in joining the Youth Council and for applications for positions on the Youth Council for the coming school year.

Youth Council members are expected to:

• Participate in the Soup Kitchen’s half-day “Hunger in Our Own Backyard” workshop
• Attend the six annual Youth Council meetings
• Complete a day of service at the Soup Kitchen
• Plan and organize an educational fundraising event at their school