By Felix Hoover

For YourNewsColumbus

Posted 10-11-09

 

For 15 Saturdays this year, Austin Clemmons spent the day serving the elderly, cleaning facilities for youths and picking up trash at bus stops.

But on October 9 he was in Dublin with 20 other students from local middle schools and high schools to be recognized for volunteerism.

Clemmons, a sophomore at Africentric Early College, showcased his noteworthy contributions as part of City Year, a local, national and international program that provides services opportunities for young people.

Clemmons, the 20 other youths and City Year all were recognized at the second Nyela Awards Program Luncheon at the Columbus Marriott Northwest. The program was presented by the Alpha Sigma Omega Education Foundation of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

One of Clemmons' most memorable experiences as a volunteer came at Camp Nuhop, a residential summer camp that serves children with learning disabilities, he said.

"We helped clean cabins inside and out," he said "We worked with people from Cleveland and Detroit."

Clemmons also worked with Corey Bell, a sophomore at Centennial High School, who learned to drag a baseball diamond with wire fencing.

Feeding senior citizens ice cream at a nursing homes was among the memorable experiences as a volunteer for

Camae Hill, a sophomore at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Educational Center.

This year's Nyela program was the second and will continue every other year, said Angela Wheatley, spokeswoman for the education foundation.

Two years ago, there were seven honorees, all females. This year, the program was expanded to include boys and girls, in keeping with the national sorority's commitment to heightening the family, Wheatley said.

Stephanie A. Yancey-Bland, president of the chapter, said, " In order to sustain our community, you need to do service, and these young people have done this."

Saturday's program also recognized youths who have exhibited leadership. In August, the Nyela program introduced students to service-oriented community leaders, including Yvette McGee Brown, President of the Center for Child and Family Advocacy, and Janet Jackson, president and chief executive officer of the United Way of Central Ohio.

Yasemin Barnes-Nutter of Fort Hayes Educational Center is exhibiting signs of leadership as a "recruiter" for City Year.

"Two of my friends should be joining City Year," she said. "I told them about my experience and how fun it was and how we meet other people in the community and become friends."

Many of the honorees are also learning at a young age that an experience doesn't have to be fun to be rewarding.

Elizabeth Parker, a senior at Columbus Alternative High School, eventual hope to start her own nonprofit organization to do AIDS research.

For now, she has spent way more than the 120 hours of community service needed for graduation from high school. Her volunteer time includes work with unruly teens who are dealing with drug problems.

"It's nice to see these people trying to get over addiction or throw off gang membership," Parker said.