With so much going on in our lives nowadays, it’s easy to see how volunteerism has fallen by seven percentage points since the end of the pandemic, as reported by AmeriCorps. Yet, more than 60.7 million people of all ages and backgrounds continue to volunteer each year—all with the goal of bringing light to the lives of those who desperately need it. These “super kids” have not only made significant strides in helping to make their community a better place but also found joy, self-fulfillment and meaningful friendships in doing so.

Remi Alexander

Alexander, a local middle school student, is on the board of her school’s National Junior Honor Society and enjoys volunteering not just for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida, but also at her local elementary school’s media center, the Healthy Kids Run in Lake Nona and Arthritis Foundation events with her mother.

Alexander’s younger sister suffers from juvenile idiopathic arthritis so she sees firsthand what pediatric patients endure, and is driven to do what she can to help bring a smile—even if only for a brief moment—to those who are already going through so much.

Alexander started volunteering by baking cookies for the families staying in the Ronald McDonald houses. The moment she was old enough to directly volunteer in the houses, she gathered some friends and began organizing Share-A-Meals. Alexander would plan out a meal to prepare for the families, gather some friends, go to the grocery store, purchase all the ingredients and go to the house to prepare the meals. After doing this several times and getting an idea of other things the families need during their stay, she started organizing snack kits and toiletry bag donations.

One day, she decided they could do more on a more consistent and global scale and became a junior ambassador. She approached the volunteer coordinator with her idea of hosting periodic collection events to stock and supply the hospitality carts that go through the local hospital’s pediatric units and provide toys, snacks, socks, toiletries and other necessities to children and families in the hospitals. From there, the Junior Cornerstone Society program was born.

Alexander continues to organize and host collection events every couple of months and has enlisted her friends and sister into the Junior Cornerstone Society program. Together they all make a greater impact.

Milani Ellis

Ellis, a senior at Dr. Phillips High School, prides herself on creating a safe place where everyone can be showcased, celebrated and heard. Ellis’ ability to draw a crowd and recruit classmates helps her unite the school and community. As Dr. Phillips’ senior class president and a member of the student government, she flawlessly plans and executes school events to foster an atmosphere of camaraderie. Furthering her work as class president, Ellis also holds the title of vice president for Dr. Phillips’ Black Student Union, where she ensures Black history is learned and celebrated through student-led presentations and events.

Ellis is also a Center for International Studies (CIS) student leader. The Dr. Phillips High School’s CIS magnet program was established in 1987 and has since combined strong academic programs with international flair to ensure students graduate well-rounded and with a heightened sense of cultural awareness. Ellis is an ambassador who exudes confidence, curiosity, awareness and hospitality when hosting international visitors or recruiting new students. As a Take Action sponsor and speaker, Ellis strives to ensure that marginalized groups’ voices are heard. Ellis’ primary goal is to build community and raise awareness of the diversity worth celebrating in our community.

Isabella Gallego

Gallego, a senior at Winter Park High School, is Orlando Pet Alliance’s youngest-ever “Lead Kitty Cuddler Volunteer.” Gallego first learned about Pet Alliance when she was just 6 years old after bringing her sick cat to their veterinary hospital.

From the moment she walked in and saw the volunteers caring for the cats, she knew she wanted to volunteer as well. When she turned 16 years old, she did just that and now, as a lead volunteer, she trains the new volunteers, greets and assists potential adopters, and caters to all the cats’ needs.

“The moment that stands out to me the most when I’m volunteering is when I see a connection between a cat and a person. I believe that you don’t choose a cat, more so the cat chooses you,” Gallego says. “When you work with a cat for a really long time and you finally see that cat connect with somebody—it’s beautiful. That’s when you know you have not only helped a person find a companion, but you’ve helped that cat find a better life.”

Through her work with Pet Alliance, Gallego has developed and fine-tuned her communication and interpersonal skills, showcasing the personal benefits of community work. After high school Gallego plans to continue to care for those in need through majoring in social work.

Rhea Maniar

Maniar, a senior at Trinity Preparatory School, is one busy student: From politics and honor societies to music and volunteering, she stays involved. At Trinity Prep, Maniar is a varsity cheerleader, president of the school’s Key Club, head fiction editor of the school’s literary magazine, director of training for forensics, co-captain of the History Bowl, presiding member of the honor council, vice-president of Spanish Honor Society, a member of the National Honor Society, Rho Kappa History Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta, and a student note taker.

As president of Trinity Prep’s Key Club, Maniar organized voter registration, handmade over 100 dog toys for Judy’s Pet Rescue, coordinated a supply drive after Hurricane Ian and helped with donations for the Coalition for the Homeless.

Unlike most students her age, her work goes beyond her academics and extracurricular activities. For the past eight seasons, Maniar has been accepted into Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras’ shows. She’s also active in the Florida Democratic Party, serving as the youngest resolutions committee member in state party history and as vice chair of the youth council. In addition, Maniar serves as chair of the Florida High School Democrats, Florida policy director for Voters of Tomorrow and is a member of the Windermere Active Youth Council.

If that wasn’t enough, Maniar has also interned for both the Florida Senate and Florida House of Representatives. To round it all out, Maniar volunteers as one of the youngest docents at Oakland Nature Preserve Inc. and as a camp counselor for the Orange County Regional History Center. She is planning to pursue higher education in history and obtain a doctorate in cultural anthropology.

Paul Noorlander

Noorlander, a sophomore at Hagerty High School in Oviedo, is an aspiring film student who dreams of going to NYU’s film school. He is also a cancer survivor, having received a bone marrow transplant at the age of 11.

Noorlander and his mother moved to Philadelphia for a year for his treatment, and Noorlander’s transplantation from a then-unknown donor was successful. Noorlander’s 19-year-old sister, Amanda, is also a survivor: She had cancer at the age of 2 and now has thyroid cancer, with an upcoming surgery scheduled in November.

Noorlander, Amanda and their mom, RoxAnn, all volunteer at Give Kids The World Village. Since 2021, Noorlander has volunteered more than 155 hours at the Village and loves sharing his story with families so that children can see how healthy he is now.

Venecia Rodriguez

Rodriguez, a senior at Osceola County School for the Arts, spent most of her life living in Venezuela during its lowest point, when there was a national scarcity of menstrual care products and other personal care items such as toilet paper, soap and even food. As a result, she saw the impact that essential care product poverty can have in a nation where “having access to human needs became a privilege instead of a right.” It made her want to contribute to eradicate instances where humans must choose to either eat for the day or buy items to take care of their physical health. Therefore, advancing equity became one of her personal goals in all areas of her interests.

It inspired her to create EmpowHER, a woman-led empowerment student organization. Through EmpowHER, she created a place where anyone—regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, background or socioeconomic status—could be heard and valued while working toward essential care equality. Since the establishment of this student organization three years ago, Rodriguez has conducted annual drives collecting personal care items for the homeless and menstrual products for the women on the streets in an effort to “make these humans feel like what they are again: humans.”

In addition to this, Rodriquez recently became a global ambassador for the philanthropic initiatives RenewToday and WeDeliverPeriod to “cultivate a global community dedicated to celebrating the purpose and dignity of women and girls by fighting period poverty and promoting the development, health and survival of adolescents and women to end extreme poverty, contributing to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

Rahul Sivakumaran

According to 16-year-old Sivakumaran, United Against Poverty (UAP) is “truly one of a kind.” He spent his summer doing a volunteer internship with the nonprofit program and made an impact in the lives of the participants in the Success Training Employment Program (STEP). STEP was designed to help those in need by teaching them skills they can use in their professional lives while also promoting development and growth along the way to help them shine in their careers and lives well beyond the program.

Through STEP, Sivakumaran was tasked with providing one-on-one assistance to the participants—many of whom do not have knowledge or are not “computer savvy”—and patiently guided them through the computer application UAP uses to train. With the guidance of the STEP Educators, Sivakumaran helped them formulate their résumés and, in turn, prepared them for their first step toward securing employment.

“Giving back to the community has always been something my parents have encouraged at an early age,” says Sivakumaran. “Volunteering not only impacted my life, but I could feel the difference that both I and other members of the team were making in other people’s lives—an experience that I have never felt before. Working with UAP, I have been exposed to important lifelong skills and made irreplaceable memories while genuinely making a difference and helping those in need.”