California's Top Youth Volunteers of 2021 Selected by National Program

NEWARK, N.J., Feb. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shaivi Shah, 16, of Rancho Santa Margarita and Vera Loui, 11, of Milpitas today were named California's top youth volunteers of 2021 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, America's largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer service.

As State Honorees, Shaivi and Vera will each receive a $2,500 scholarship, a silver medallion and an invitation to the program's virtual national recognition celebration in April, where 10 of the 102 State Honorees will be named America's top youth volunteers of the year. Those 10 National Honorees will earn an additional $5,000 scholarship, a gold medallion, a crystal trophy for their nominating organization and a $5,000 grant for a nonprofit charitable organization of their choice.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, conducted annually by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), honors students in grades 5-12 for making meaningful contributions to their communities through volunteer service.

"We created the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards 26 years ago to highlight and support the work of young people taking on the challenges of a changing world – a mission that rings truer than ever given the events of last year," said Charles Lowrey, Prudential's chairman and CEO. "We are proud to celebrate the vision and determination of Spirit of Community's Class of 2021, and all the ways they're making their communities safer, healthier and more equitable places to live."

These are California's top youth volunteers of 2021:

High School State Honoree: Shaivi Shah
Nominated by Tesoro High School

Shaivi, a junior at Tesoro High School, responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by assembling and donating more than 4,600 sanitation kits to 21 different homeless shelters, food pantries and rescue missions across southern California, and inspired similar efforts in other parts of the country. When the pandemic began, "I was overwhelmed by everything," she said. But "I didn't just want to sit in my room and whine about all the ways my life would change. Instead, I wanted to be someone who utilized their extra free time to help people." After hearing a speech by Gov. Gavin Newsom about the vulnerability of people experiencing homelessness, Shaivi decided to create sanitation kits for them.

She began by going to a local store and purchasing enough hand soap, lotion, hand sanitizer and face masks to make 50 kits, which she took to a local shelter. At that point she realized that she would have to raise money if her project was to continue, so she set up a GoFundMe and reached out to the media to publicize her efforts. It took a while, but finally her project caught the eye of a reporter and after a story appeared, donations skyrocketed. So far she has raised more than $19,000 from nearly 500 donors. In addition, volunteers in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Colorado and Florida have adopted her project in order to serve the homeless in their communities.

Middle Level State Honoree: Vera Loui
Nominated by William Burnett Elementary

Vera, a sixth-grader at William Burnett Elementary, has made more than 450 cloth masks since last summer to donate to her school district. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, Vera heard stories of ordinary people doing so much to help neighbors in need. But "I did not see any mask donations going to families in our school district, so I thought I would start a project, because disadvantaged families have the highest risk of COVID-19," Vera said. Despite the fact that she didn't sew, Vera set out to make masks.

She began by watching YouTube videos on how to make cloth masks. Her mother helped her cut and pin the fabric, and then Vera sewed the perimeter, fit nose wires into place, and added adjustable ear straps to each mask. "When I first started making masks, it took a long time to make each one," she said, but now she can make one in just 26 minutes. After she had completed her first batch, she made arrangements with the head of the district summer free lunch program to supply 300 masks for parents who were picking up food for their children. When school started in the fall, she dropped off another 150 at an elementary school for distribution to teachers, staff, and students. In addition, Vera published a step-by-step tutorial on mask-making to inspire others to help keep themselves and their communities safe.

State Honorees in The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Class of 2021 – the top middle level and high school volunteer from all 50 states and the District of Columbia – were selected for service initiatives completed, at least in part, between the fall of 2019 and the fall of 2020. Selection was based on criteria including impact, effort, initiative and the personal growth demonstrated over the course of the project. Several Distinguished Finalists and runners-up were also selected in each state, and all qualifying applicants received President's Volunteer Service Awards. 

"It speaks volumes about the character of today's secondary school students that the Spirit of Community program heard from more than 21,000 applicants this fall – most of them stories of young volunteers overcoming the hardships of a global pandemic to support those in need," said Ronn Nozoe, Chief Executive Officer, NASSP. "While we're especially proud to celebrate this year's 102 State Honorees, NASSP applauds every student who's found a way to volunteer this past year. You inspire your peers and adults alike to remember that, even in times of crisis, we all have something to give."

To read the names and stories of all of this year's State Honorees, visit http://spirit.prudential.com.

About Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial wellness leader and premier active global investment manager, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees help to make lives better by creating financial opportunity for more people. Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit news.prudential.com. 

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 http://nassp.org.

SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc.

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