Arizona's Top Youth Volunteers Of 2020 Selected By National Program

PHOENIX, Feb. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael Bendok, 16, of Phoenix and Clare Flaherty, 13, of Scottsdale today were named Arizona's top two youth volunteers of 2020 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. As State Honorees, Michael and Clare each will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C., where they will join the top two honorees from each of the other states and the District of Columbia for four days of national recognition events. During the trip, 10 students will be named America's top youth volunteers of 2020. 

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 25^th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

These are Arizona's top youth volunteers of 2020:

High School State Honoree: Michael Bendok
Nominated by Phoenix Country Day School

Michael, a junior at Phoenix Country Day School, leads an effort that has raised more than $141,000 to find treatments for rare diseases that are often overlooked and underfunded because they affect relatively small numbers of people. When he moved to Arizona four years ago, Michael met a boy at school who had to drag an oxygen tank behind him because of a rare lung disease. Coincidentally, Michael's best friend's brother, Harry, also had a rare lung disease, and Michael himself was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder when he was younger. All of this made Michael acutely aware of the scarcity of treatments available to people with rare diseases. "Considering the fact that 25 million people currently suffer from one of 7,000 documented rare diseases in the United States, I found the lack of treatment available for patients abysmal," he said.

Fortunately, Michael outgrew his condition, and Harry's life was saved thanks to research by the Translational Genomics Research Institute's Center for Rare Childhood Disorders. "But other kids are not as lucky as Harry and me," Michael said. So with the help of three friends, Michael founded "Kidz 4 Causes," a nonprofit that raises funds to help pay for genetic testing at the Center for Rare Childhood Disorders, the first step toward finding effective treatments. In four years, Michael's team has organized four coin drives, four community runs, three restaurant fundraisers and eight school presentations. The money raised by these activities helps pay for genetic testing for kids whose families cannot afford the full cost. So far, Michael has been told that his efforts have helped more than 20 families find treatments for their children.

Middle Level State Honoree: Clare Flaherty
Nominated by BASIS Scottsdale

Clare, an eighth-grader at BASIS Scottsdale, volunteers as a foster "mother" for homeless newborn kittens, caring for them for up to two months at a time until they are ready for adoption from the Arizona Humane Society. "My mother has instilled in me the deep impact an animal can have on a human life, and the importance of treating animals properly," said Clare. "Animals enrich the lives of humans." In 2017, she learned that the local animal shelter was at capacity for cats and kittens and could no longer accept any more strays. She also discovered that there aren't enough people in Arizona willing to provide short-term care for homeless animals. She said she was particularly struck by the phrase "Save a Life Today" on the shelter's website.

After persuading her parents with a PowerPoint presentation, Clare completed two classes on the humane society's website to become a certified foster parent. Initially, she thought volunteering would be mostly about "playing with cute, cuddly babies," she said, but quickly found out that there's a lot of work involved. Some kittens need feeding by bottle or syringe every three hours, even in the middle of the night. Some need medication up to five times a day. Clare also has to keep her kittens clean, maintain detailed charts, work on socialization and even help some of them relieve themselves. Once a kitten reaches two pounds, it goes back to the shelter and is put up for adoption. "Giving my kittens back is a sad day," Clare said. "There are tears. But it is a wonderful day when I learn of my kittens' adoptions."   

Distinguished Finalists

The program judges also recognized six other Arizona students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion.

These are Arizona's Distinguished Finalists for 2020:

Garvey Blackwell, 16, of Yuma, Arizona, a member of Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona and a junior at Yuma Academy–Homeschool, is dedicated to helping other teenagers volunteer in their local community; she organized "The Nucleus," an expo that highlighted volunteer opportunities at nearly 40 organizations in her area. The expo attracted more than 250 attendees, and participating organizations received 500 pledges from new volunteers.

Brianna Iannone, 18, of Scottsdale, Arizona, a member of the Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine and a senior at Chaparral High School, started "Learn Through Play," an educational program that teaches students about common challenges faced by people with disabilities; she also established two sensory toy libraries in her community. Along with adapting toys to make them better suited for children with disabilities, Brianna built a play kitchen and restaurant to help students practice math and social skills.

Emilie Ma, 16, of Chandler, Arizona, a junior at Hamilton High School, is an active volunteer, contributing her time to the Native Health Center, working with families struggling with poverty, and serving as a research assistant at Arizona State University; she also started "Modern Health Organization," a club at her school that focuses on mental and physical health. Her club has completed numerous volunteer projects, including visiting patients with Alzheimer's and assembling feminine hygiene care packages.

Kaitlyn Martinez, 16, of Tolleson, Arizona, a senior at Phoenix Coding Academy, started and runs "Backpacks 4 Kids," a nonprofit that has provided more than 10,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to children in need; her organization also offers "love bundles," which include hygiene products, a blanket and toys for children in transitional housing. Kaitlyn was first inspired to start her project after learning that a classmate failed an assignment because she didn't have the supplies she needed to complete her work.

Gwendolyn Morgan-Flowers, 17, of Fort Defiance, Arizona, a senior at St. Michael Indian School, created the "Native American Music Fund (NAMF)," a nonprofit organization that has offered free musical instruments, lessons and cultural field trips to more than 400 children on her Navajo reservation. To establish the program, Gwendolyn sent out letters, solicited donations on social media and applied for grants; in her first year, she raised enough to buy and distribute 100 guitars and keyboards.

Margaret Sarbacker, 17, of Peoria, Arizona, a senior at Liberty High School, created a student activism club at her high school, through which she and her classmates have completed volunteer activities including organizing two voter registration drives and advocating for better student mental health resources. Margaret, who has contributed more than 100 hours towards her project, first became involved in activism after participating in March For Our Lives to fight gun violence in America.

"In our 25^th year of honoring young volunteers, we are as inspired as ever by the work students are doing to address the needs of a changing world," said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "We hope that their resolve, their initiative and their perspectives on society's challenges move others to consider how they can make a difference, too."

"Middle level and high school students are doing remarkable things to shape the future of their communities through volunteer service. They inspire all students and schools to drive learning with real-world challenges," said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. "Congratulations to each of the 2020 honorees – it's an honor to celebrate your commitment to creating positive change."

About The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards represents the United States' largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteer service. All public and private middle level and high schools in the country, as well as all Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and Points of Light Global Network members, were eligible to select a student or member for a local Prudential Spirit of Community Award. These Local Honorees were then reviewed by an independent judging panel, which selected State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists based on criteria including personal initiative, effort, impact and personal growth. 

While in Washington, D.C., the 102 State Honorees – one middle level and one high school student from each state and the District of Columbia – will tour the capital's landmarks, meet top youth volunteers from other parts of the world, attend a gala awards ceremony at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, and visit their congressional representatives on Capitol Hill. On May 4, 10 of the State Honorees – five middle level and five high school students – will be named America's top youth volunteers of 2020. These National Honorees will receive additional $5,000 scholarships, gold medallions, crystal trophies and $5,000 grants from Prudential for nonprofit charitable organizations of their choice.   

Since the program began in 1995, more than 130,000 young volunteers have been honored at the local, state and national level. The program also is conducted by Prudential subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Ireland, India, China and Brazil. In addition to granting its own awards, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program also distributes President's Volunteer Service Awards to qualifying Local Honorees.

For information on all of this year's Prudential Spirit of Community State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists, visit http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit.

About NASSP

The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for principals and other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student's potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the success of each student. Reflecting its long-standing commitment to student leadership development, NASSP administers the National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society, and National Student Council. Learn more at www.nassp.org

About Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com.

For Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallion graphics, please visit https://spirit.prudential.com/resources/media

SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc.