Local school-aged volunteers make their community better one day at a time.

Anna Kate Horton in Malawi

For most of us, time away from school during our early years was an exercise in leisure, whiling away the hours with all the fun activities in which kids love to engage. Others, though, find a higher purpose for their childhood downtime, instead choosing to give of themselves for the benefit of others to make their community a better place.

Every city in America is bound to have children and teens who fit that bill, but we like to think that Greater Orlando is home to more than its fair share of them. For instance, we didn’t have to look too hard to find the charitable kids spotlighted here, but each of them undoubtedly deserves recognition—an assessment with which we’re sure you’ll agree once you hear their stories.

Abigail Adams

Abigail Adams has Down syndrome, but don’t think for a second that it keeps her from achieving—or from helping others in need. On the professional side, she’s played the lead in a recent Walt Disney World television commercial, and she’s also done print ads and performed at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Perhaps more importantly, though, she gives of herself to collect food for the homeless, read books to children at shelters, and sing carols to the elderly.

“I love to help people,” says Adams, who’s also an avid Girl Scout. “Many of the people supported by these charities are my friends.”

As part of her charitable efforts, Adams recently participated in The Dream Royal Organization’s Night of Home fashion showcase, with the proceeds benefiting the Special Olympics. Also, Adams worked with the University of Central Florida to create a video promoting The Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida’s (DSACF’s) Buddy Walk at Lake Eola, and she helped present sponsorship awards to retired MLB player Johnny Damon and other celebrities at DSACF’s Bowl-a-Thon.

Adams, who also uses social media to advocate for people with disabilities, says she gets a lot out of her efforts, too. “It makes me feel great,” she says. “It’s so much fun to work with my friends to help other people.”

Surumya Bahrgava

In the summer before fifth grade, Lake Highland Preparatory School junior Surumya Bahrgava was diagnosed with epilepsy, but the distressing news had an upside: It inspired her to help others in the same position. “From then on,” she says, “I’ve been motivated to make a difference in the lives of kids with epilepsy or other barriers to learning.”

In eighth grade, she began volunteering at United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Central Florida’s charter school for kids with special needs. “I had a special connection to those kids and a unique potential to help them, given my own struggle with epilepsy,” says Bahrgava, who continues to regularly volunteer at the organization.

In the years since, Bahrgava has become involved with Florida Hospital’s Be the Difference program, participates in charity walks, and founded Teen Epilepsy Orlando, an organization she continues to lead. Her favorite volunteerism experience to date involves developing a relationship with a boy with Down syndrome. “I’ll never forget how I helped him learn to walk, how to eat on his own, and even talk,” she says.

For Bahrgava, such situations make the long hours of volunteerism worth it. “I like knowing that I’m making a difference in other people’s lives and that they appreciate me,” she says. “Plus, it’s something different every day.”

Kaisai “Cassie” Chen

Windermere Preparatory School requires that all students complete a set amount of community service before graduation—but for Kaisai “Cassie” Chen, that number was just a mile marker on her way to completing nearly 300 hours of volunteer work to date.

At first, she says, she was simply fulfilling her scholastic requirements. “However, as I completed more volunteer work, I found that I was not just thinking about finishing my 100 hours of volunteer work, [but] more about how to help others.”

Her volunteerism started in her freshman year on a trip to Indonesia, during which time she taught children at an orphanage, helped disabled residents at senior-living facilities, and cleaned beaches. In the years since, Chen’s also helped Second Harvest Food Bank, the Orlando Science Center, United Against Poverty, and numerous other good causes. “Every time I do volunteer, I tell myself, ‘The more you do, the more people you could help,’” she says.

Interestingly enough, Chen says helping professionals put baby turtles back in the ocean in Indonesia is her favorite charitable experience to date. “One by one, little turtles could go back to their homes,” she says. “So, when I put them back, I really thought about giving them a better life. It was fun, and I did a small part for the world.”

Cassidy and Savanna Schenk, center

The DJ Sisters

Despite their young age, sisters Cassidy and Savanna Schenk (center) have already turned their DJ skills into a successful business, but their volunteer work is what really makes them stand out. First, as the girls put it in a joint statement, “Both of us have ‘donated’ our birthdays each year since we were in fourth grade and asked our friends and family to donate money for others in need—as opposed to spending money on birthday gifts for us.”

Beyond that selfless tradition, the girls have also supported the economically challenged Palmetto Elementary School. Their efforts helped fund field trips to Legoland Florida, with the trip being a reward for students who studied extra hours for standardized testing. “Helping other children—and seeing how powerful and positive of an impact one person can make—motivated us to help support other charitable initiatives anytime we are asked,” say the Schenks.

They also perform at no charge for children’s fundraisers, Spirit Night for their old elementary school, Girl Scout events and other worthy causes. Simply put, they find it more fun to give than to receive.

When asked how volunteerism makes them feel, the Schenks say: “Happy. Humbled. Appreciative. … It makes [us] want to do more, help more and give more.”

Katrina Gucwa, right

Katrina Gucwa

According to Karen Stella, volunteer services coordinator at Circle Christian School, student Katrina Gucwa was a shy child before she started volunteering for the Russell Home for Atypical Children. Since then, though, she’s blossomed into a spirit-filled young lady with a desire to serve where needed.

“Volunteering at the Russell Home makes me feel fulfilled because I’m building relationships while helping these special children,” says Gucwa. “In another setting, I wouldn’t be able to do this.”

Besides helping to staff the Russell Home’s annual Fall Festival & 5K fundraiser—an event that she’s also convinced her family to assist with—Gucwa has spent the past year creating lesson plans and teaching special-needs children and adults at the home. “To be a part of the Russell Home and to be a friend to these children is a privilege,” she says.

Gucwa has also found that volunteering can result in unexpected dividends. “The children and the staff are so accepting that they make me feel like I’m part of the family,” she says. “They impact many people with their love and kindness, as they did for my family when they made a giant card for my dad while he was in the hospital for cancer surgery.”

Anna Kate Horton

The First Academy senior Anna Kate Horton has been making annual trips abroad since 2014. That might not sound like volunteer work at first blush, but given that she travels to Malawi, Africa, to assist the Children of the Nations (COTN) charitable organization, rest assured that it is.

“Each year I go back, I form new relationships with kids and further the relationships I have previously built,” says Horton, whose pilgrimages were inspired by her mother’s work with COTN.

While in Africa, Horton and her partners paint classrooms or houses, help children write to their sponsors, and assist the organization in feeding kids from different villages, among other tasks. “Every day was jam-packed with activities and things to do,” she says, “but more importantly has always been the most rewarding couple weeks.”

Though Horton was nervous before her first trip, she’s glad she challenged herself to do it. “These trips have opened my eyes to what truly matters in life; the relationships you build and how blessed we are with so little,” she says. “At the end of each trip, I am always the last one to say goodbye because I truly leave a little more of my heart in Malawi each time. I love that place more than life itself, and I can’t wait to go back again this summer.”

Lakeland Periman (left) and Daniel Lopez (second from right)

Daniel Lopez and Lakelan Periman

Students at Lake Mary Preparatory School, Daniel Lopez and Lakelan Periman were presented with the Jackie Bailes Legacy Award at 2016’s United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Central Florida Gala. The reason? They worked hard to raise more than $64,000 for children with special needs via the Lake Scary 5K.

Lopez and Periman currently serve as co-chairs of the event, which is hosted by Lake Mary Prep and was founded by students. “We both saw this event start up and become very successful,” they explain in a joint statement, “and as the founding students were approaching graduation, we wanted to ensure that this organization and cause continued after their departure. Because we had seen the benefits and success of this event, we wanted to continue to provide this opportunity to others that benefitted…”

They also say that the effort they put in nets never-ending dividends. “To be able to help others because of the work that we do, makes the what-seems-endless tasks more rewarding.”

So far, the best experience has been bringing Lake Mary’s entire class of 2017 to UCP to visit with students and help in classrooms. “Being able to observe and interact with these students specifically was special and brought awareness to a cause where others may not have heard of it before,” they say.

Luke Rosser

An avid bicyclist and student advocate for the American Diabetes Association (ADA), Luke Rosser has helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for Greater Orlando’s edition of Tour de Cure, the annual cycling event that generates much-needed funds for the ADA. Making his contributions even more remarkable is that Rosser himself has type 1 diabetes.

“I am a youth ambassador for [the ADA], and I speak to local schools and businesses about health and wellness, spreading diabetes, and [diabetic ketoacidosis],” he says, adding that he also fundraises for Florida Hospital Orlando, the TRI Research Center at Florida Hospital, and families who cannot afford insulin and diabetes supplies.

Rosser says that after being diagnosed with diabetes two years ago, he decided he wanted to do more than just live with the disease: He wanted to help spread awareness about the condition and show others who live with it that they can do anything. “I wanted to make a difference in my community and beyond,” says Rosser. “It feels good to help others and share how exercise saved my life, and I can maybe help others.”

Beyond benefiting other people, Rosser’s service helps him in many ways, too. “Volunteering and helping others makes you feel good,” he says. “It helps to know that maybe something I have said or have done can actually help them.”

Gabrielle “Gaby” Pohlod

Trinity Preparatory School student Gabrielle “Gaby” Pohlod came to our attention through her tireless work with the Ronald McDonald House Share-A-Meal program. Not only has she been volunteering at Ronald McDonald House since elementary school, but since joining her school’s Key Club, she’s taken over a leadership role through which she’s encouraged her fellow students to help with the worthwhile charity.

“Over the past couple of months, I have organized volunteer opportunities for students in Key Club and myself,” she says. “We have volunteered at Ronald McDonald [House], where we prepare, provide and serve food for the families staying inside the house.”

Not that there aren’t opportunities for fun there, too. “After serving food to the people at Ronald McDonald [House], some of the Key Club students and I decided to play with the children so the parents could relax during their stressful time,” she recalls. “All of us danced, had tea parties and read books to the children, which was really fun.”

At the end of the day, Pohlod’s dedication to serving others pays off for her, too. “Volunteer work makes me feel more appreciative of what I have,” she says. “It also gives me a warm feeling in my heart knowing that I am able to make someone else’s day better by helping them.”

Wandy Soto

A fourth-grader at Durrance Elementary School, Wandy Soto takes safety seriously—so much so that he volunteered to become a member of the safety patrol at his school. “In the morning,” he adds, “I assist students in wheelchairs to their classrooms, or open doors for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.”

For these and other efforts, Soto was recently recognized as the first-ever Central Florida recipient of Sonny’s BBQ Random Acts of BBQ: Students Edition program, specifically for selflessly giving his time and talent to others at Durrance. As a result, he and his class were surprised with a catered lunch.

But for Soto, acts of kindness are rewards in and of themselves. “There is a student in my class who needs help with words, stapling papers, or anything else where he has to use his hands, so I enjoy helping him complete classroom activities,” he says. “Another time, while assisting a student in a wheelchair, their bookbag fell off, and I helped them put it back on and get to class in time.”

Like the other youth volunteers featured here, Soto says he doesn’t need any appreciation for his good deeds, as doing them is reward enough. “[Doing good deeds] makes me feel nice, because I’m helping other students,” he says. “I also feel inspired to assist students in need.”

Patrick Simmonds

A student at Circle Christian School, Patrick Simmonds doesn’t just help others—he’s become a passionate advocate for the Russell Home for Atypical Children, a nonprofit organization that cares for special-needs children and adults. “At church, I have grown up with people who all have the strongest serving hearts,” says Simmonds. “This really inspired me to be like them and put myself second and others first.”

However, Simmonds’ efforts aren’t limited to the Russell Home, as he’s also a regular volunteer for his church’s activities, including the annual 434 Christmas Store. “The Christmas Store gives parents who are in a tough financial situation the opportunity to pick three gifts for each of their teens,” he explains. “This gives them the opportunity to be heroes in their teenagers’ eyes on Christmas morning.”

During the past four years, he’s also volunteered at the Mascot Games to support New Hope for Kids, and he plays a big role in organizing the Russell Home’s annual Fall Festival & 5K, which raised $17,500 for the charity last year alone.

To hear him tell it, Simmonds is big on volunteering because it brings him happiness. “Life can be tough,” he says, “but if everyone helps each other, light can shine through the darkness.”

This article originally appeared in Orlando Family Magazine’s April 2017 issue.