Nevada celebrates youth and their spirit of giving

CARSON CITY -- A Las Vegas seventh grader and a Northern Nevada senior have been honored as Nevada's top two youth volunteers in 2000 by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism.

Christopher Gardner, 13, a seventh grader at Hyde Park Middle School, has gotten out of bed at 4:45 every Thursday morning for the past year to help deliver hot stew and coffee to homeless people in a city park. Christopher and his mother volunteer with their church's soup kitchen. "I'm lucky to have a nice house and family, and it makes me happy to do things for others who aren't so lucky," Christopher said.

Christopher has been helping his church package food baskets since he was 6 years old. When the group needed help at a soup kitchen for the 6 a.m. shift, volunteers were not easy to come by, but Christopher offered to help, despite it being a school day and having to wake up before 5 a.m.

"I feel it is important because these poor people have slept out in the cold all night, and they really need hot food and coffee to start their day and help them survive," he said. Though frightened at first by the appearances of the homeless, Christopher has discovered "how nice and friendly they are" and has made many friends among them.

In addition to his work at the soup kitchen, Christopher goes garage-sale hopping, using his own money to buy all the used coats, blankets and warm clothes he can find -- which he then donates to the poor.

"Helping others isn't all work, it can be fun, too," he said. "You always get back more than you give."

Elizabeth Moss, 17, a senior at Albert Lowry High School in Winnemucca, created and operates a "welcome wagon" at her school in an effort to make every new student feel at home. "I know what it feels like to enter a new town, a new school, knowing no one," said Elizabeth, who has moved seven times in her life.

"Many of the violent scenes that were taking place in the high schools across the country seemed to boil down to students who felt friendless, alone and unwanted," she said. "By creating an environment where involved students were reaching out to welcome new students, I felt that all students would benefit."

Gardner and Moss will receive $1,000 each, an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip in May to Washington, D.C., where they will join the top honorees -- one middle level and one high school youth -- from other states for several days of national recognition events. Ten of them will be named America's top youth volunteers for 2000.

The awards, now in their fifth year, are sponsored by the Prudential Insurance Company of America in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals. More than 20,000 high school and middle level students were considered for awards in this year's program.

The program judges recognized two other Nevada students as distinguished finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion:

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