While today’s youths are often thought of as lazy, screen-addicted adolescents, the truth of the matter is there are plenty of kids out in the world doing amazing things that are having a lasting impact in the community. Here, we introduce you to some of Orlando’s finest; children who show tremendous maturity for their age and who have mastered the art of selfless giving. 

Gavin Haines

Gavin Haines

Haines, a 15-year-old from Winter Haven, is a Make-A-Wish child who stopped having seizures for the first time after his visit to Give Kids The World Village in March 2020. Give Kids The World is a nonprofit resoirt in Kissimmee that provides free vacation for kids with critical illnesses and their families. Amazed and grateful for the healing effects of their visit, Haines and his mother, Stacey, moved from Connecticut to Central Florida just a month later to dedicate their time to volunteering at the Village. The mother-and-son duo raised $2,500 at Give Kids The World’s “Over The Edge” fundraising event, where Haines rappelled down the side of the 32-story Hyatt Regency Orlando twice.

A devoted Star Wars fan since he was 5, Haines participated in last year’s “Night of a Million Lights” fundraiser by installing lights to create his own Star Wars-themed villa for the Village. “It was so nice to be able to share a small portion of the Village with people who had never heard of it before that event, and we’re so excited that we get to do it again,” Stacey says. 

When he’s not volunteering with Give Kids The World, Haines enjoys visiting theme parks, reading Japanese manga and playing video games with his friends. Haines is planning his very own fun-filled fundraiser for Give Kids The World, set to happen in March 2022: an 18-hour virtual gaming event with everything from Super Smash Brothers to Scrabble.

“Gavin is a remarkable young man whose own battle with a critical illness has shaped him into a compassionate and insightful young caregiver,” says Give Kids The World President and CEO Pamela Landwirth. “He has used those gifts to pay it forward to other wish children and their families by volunteering at the Village, assisting with fundraising events and inspiring others with his story of courage and hope.

Matthew Lucas, Maaz Mohiuddin, Michael Crocetti, Jackson Bennett and JT Rattigan 

Last year, a group of teenagers came together to create Play For Keeps, a nonprofit with the intent of helping underprivileged kids in the Orlando area through sports. They wanted to bring the excitement and happiness of sports to those who might not have access to it. The team consists of Lucas, who heads the marketing, digital and technology efforts; Rattigan, finance and business operations; Bennett, community events and mentoring; Mohiuddin, philanthropic giving and fundraising; and Crocetti, public relations.  

“We started off small with a used sports ball drive in our school. After we saw how much we raised in just two weeks, we decided to aim higher,” says Lucas, the founding member of Play For Keeps. Lucas, who has been playing soccer since the age of 3 and also enjoys lacrosse, has seen his own life shaped by sports and enjoys bringing the same joy to other kids. Most recently, the teens organized a virtual 5K race called “Kicks for Kids” and successfully raised $10,000 to purchase new athletic shoes and socks for 385 students at Mollie Ray Elementary. 

“We hope that we make a positive impact on each child we encounter, giving them a mentor to look up to, but it’s really not about us. We had mentors who encouraged us and made an impact on our lives. We are now emulating them with hopes of passing on that torch, that these kids we positively influence will one day do the same to the next generation of athletes,” says Rattigan, who plays varsity football at Windermere Preparatory School and credits his coaches and teachers with his drive to help the community.

Moving forward, the teens are collaborating with a group of kids in Atlanta in hopes of starting a new chapter of Play For Keeps.

Kiley Mack

Mack, a 17-year-old senior at Boone High School, has been involved with Generation Ratify for almost two years. A youth-led movement with the goal of advancing gender equality in America, the organization has over 5,000 members across all 50 states. In the summer of 2020, Mack and other members of Generation Ratify organized a menstrual product collection drive. Mack recalls the drive being one of her favorite experiences with Generation Ratify: “For about a month, folks from the Orlando area dropped off menstrual products at Rep. Anna Eskamani’s office. We eventually collected over 200 products and donated them to Harbor House [of Central Florida], a nonprofit that aids domestic abuse survivors.”

“She approached our team about partnering for a period products drive earlier this year and showed a fierce commitment to serving others in meaningful ways. We are so inspired by her passion and will be cheering her on the whole way,” Eskamani says of Mack’s drive and leadership.

 As a result of her advocacy work through Generation Ratify, Mack was recently invited to speak on a panel celebrating Women’s Equality Day with Eskamani and other congresswomen. “I believe people should not be oppressed for just existing and being who they are,” says Mack regarding her inspiration to engage in advocacy work. “To combat any sort of discrimination is work that must be done.” When she’s not organizing around important local and national legislation, Mack enjoys reading, collecting vinyl and watching Jeopardy with her parents. 

Isabela Salaz

Salaz, a second-grader from Idyllwilde Elementary in Sanford, has been volunteering with her grandmother, Michelle, at Pet Rescue by Judy for the past two years. “She loves going to the rescue; she calls it her job. She puts on her Pet Rescue by Judy T-shirt and takes her job seriously,” says Michelle. The young girl spends time in the “Kitty Kingdom,” petting and playing with the cats. However, Salaz’s favorite part of Pet Rescue by Judy is spending time with Jeter, a 5-year-old male dog who is being treated for skin cancer and is currently available for adoption. Salaz calls Jeter her “big boy,” and she often reads him stories, tells him about school and paints him pictures. Aside from offering Jeter treats and hugs, Salaz also makes goodie bags for the rescue dogs and cats to take with them to their forever homes. She also likes greeting people who come in and helps carry and sort donations.

Although Salaz becomes very attached to the animals and is sad to see them go, she knows the pets deserve to find a home. “She never forgets them. I have pictures saved that I plan to make into a collage one day because she remembers each one of them and loves looking through my phone to find them,” reflects the 7-year-old’s grandmother.

Jay Khemchandani 

Khemchandani, a junior at Windermere Preparatory School, founded a program called Connect A Kid to help students with unequal access to education and tutoring conquer their classes and standardized testing, like the SAT. The teenager also founded Teens That Teach for students who are disadvantaged by their lack of access to private tutors. As a high school student sitting for these classes and exams himself, Khemchandani is able to offer these students valuable perspectives and peer collaboration. “Volunteering has put me in the unique position of giving people the time and space to share their stories, and through active listening, I am able to lift their voices up,” he says.

He also volunteers with Service and Love Together (SALT), which provides laundry services, clothes and showers for the homeless population. Besides being a volunteer, he is working with SALT’s Angie Torrez on raising funds for a “wish list” of necessary resources to aid the program. “It is touching and inspiring to see Jay’s keen interest in trying to help the neurodiverse homeless in his community through SALT, and he is a fine example of what teens can do,” says Torrez regarding the teen’s advocacy work. 

Lyla Hamilton, Sophia Loachamin, Lily Mascardo and Sophia Williams

Lyla Hamilton, Sophia Loachamin, Lily Mascardo and Sophia Williams

In September, four young ladies from Girl Scout Troop 767 completed their Bronze Award project at Oakland Nature Preserve. The Bronze Award is earned by Girl Scouts for completing an important community project through teamwork. The team consisted of Hamilton, Loachamin, Mascardo and Williams. The 11-year-olds constructed two opossum boxes and two snake boards for the enrichment of the animals at the preserve. “Opossums and snakes are less appreciated than other animals. It was great to help show what they are really like to others,” Mascardo says. 

The girls hand-delivered their constructed project to the animals and enjoyed seeing the opossums and snakes safe in their new homes. “I didn’t realize just how much I enjoyed our project until we delivered it to the animals. It was fun and a lot of work and it was great doing it together, but getting to meet the animals and see them use it just made it really special. Seriously, opossums are my new favorite animal,” Loachamin says.  

Tyler Anderson

Tyler Anderson

Anderson, an 18-year-old from Pine Hills, has been involved with the Boys & Girls Club since he was 10. He has fond memories of the organization: “When I go through those blue doors, it feels like a second home. A lot of my talents and skills were brought out there.” The Boys & Girls Club allowed Anderson to engage in art from an early age, which he credits with the launch of his own shoe customization business. He also regularly participated in Celebrate the Children, an annual showcase of youth art, by dancing or supporting other young performers. His favorite part of Celebrate the Children was recognizing the diverse accomplishments and talents of children who may not be receiving support elsewhere. 

As a recent high school graduate pursuing an engineering degree, Anderson hopes to keep in touch with the club by providing math tutoring to children after school. “It’s about giving back and connecting with youth who might be struggling or demotivated, because I was at that point once, too, so it fills my heart to do that,” he says. Anderson was recognized as the 2021 Kiwanis Club of Orlando Foundation Youth of the Year for his leadership skills and service in the Boys & Girls Club.

Camila Giménez Valero

Giménez-Valero, a 17-year-old junior at Lake Nona High School, has volunteered at Orange County Library’s Southeast Branch every Saturday since February. Before she started volunteering, the booklover used to browse her local library all the time. “I chose to join the Teen Library Corp because I love books and the library is amazing, so it was an environment I felt comfortable in as well as something that I loved doing,” Giménez-Valero says. Now, she spreads her enjoyment of literacy to other local youth by preparing enriching crafts and STEAM packets for kids who come through the library.

“This is an amazing job personally because it highlights the importance of public libraries; families really do attend them and even the smallest things such as the packets for kids can make a difference,” she says. When she’s not reading Jane Austen or volunteering with Teen Library Corp, Giménez-Valero competes on her high school’s debate team. She plans to major in political science in college and continue volunteering at libraries in order to expand her own knowledge while spreading a love of literacy to others in the community. 

Kierra Jones

Jones, a 19-year-old volunteer with OTTER: Older Teachers Teaching Early Readers, has demonstrated an unyielding dedication to her volunteer work despite the impact of COVID-19. After volunteering at Advent Health East Orlando for a year, the program came to a halt due to the effects of the pandemic. However, in the midst of the pandemic’s urgency, Jones’ drive to help others only increased. To continue serving the community while keeping herself and others safe, she embarked on virtual volunteer work with OTTER through Volunteers for Community Impact.

Jones reads virtually to her reading partners, who range from ages 3 to 7, once a week for 30 minutes. By reading aloud, Jones helps children practice vocabulary development, reading comprehension and communication skills. At a time when schools were closed, the program provided support for students and parents at home. “Kierra showed awesome spirit and patience. She is really kind and passionate about helping. I see improvement in the way that my children communicate with one another,” says a parent of children to whom Jones reads.

Jones credits her parents with her passion for cultivating literacy in the community: “Both of my parents shared their love of reading with me while I was younger. Now that I am a little older, I am very grateful that I can share this passion with others as well.”

Aby Garcia Espinoza

Garcia, a 16-year-old from Oak Ridge, started volunteering at the Orlando Dream Center when he was 14 years old. Eager to serve his community, he participates in many of the organization’s Food Drop events, which distribute over 35,000 pounds of food to the local community. Garcia does everything from organizing, packing and distributing food to breaking down boxes and cleaning up after events. 

“Every time I handed down a bag of groceries to a family, I saw joy and excitement,” he says, reflecting on a recent Food Drop. “Even though it wasn’t a cart full of food … but it was a simple bag to get them just through the week. It made me feel pure joy to know that I can make a change for people who are in the same position me and my family used to be in.” 

Garcia heard about the Orlando Dream Center in middle school when the founder led a Bible study at school. The teenager volunteers every Thursday but dedicates even more time to his volunteer work during the summer months. In his free time, Garcia is also a church drummer and dedicated athlete. 

“Aby has become a key player over the years,” says Yaneisy Maldonado, director of operations at the Dream Center. “He is key in working with inventory and, at this time, he is even helping others learn how we operate here at the Dream Center.”