The Youth Alliance Awards presentation is one of Volunteer Fox Cities’ signature events and is the ONLY volunteer award & recognition program exclusive to young people under the age of 18. The award program, started in 1994, seeks to recognize the spirit of volunteerism, as found in future leaders of our community, and to encourage young people and adults to take hold of that same spirit in their own lives.
All individuals and organizations throughout the Fox Cities are encouraged to nominate any youth or youth group who has demonstrated a commitment to helping others and has succeeded in positively impacting the lives of others. Each nominee will be recognized at the ceremony. Of all nominations, one individual and one group is chosen to receive the The Fox Cities Youth Service Award in recognition of service to the community. Click here to nominate an individual or group for an Alliance Award!
Due to the COVID-19 Health Emergency, we will be holding this year’s Youth Alliance Awards virtually. Check our Facebook page starting the first week of May to see all of this year’s nominees highlighted. We will also not be choosing a winner, yet celebrating the accomplishments of all of the nominees equally.
Click the links below to read the names of 2019 Youth Alliance Award winners (celebrated at the 2019 Youth Alliance Awards on May 8, 2019).
INDIVIDUAL nominees:
| Hannah Sherwood |
| Kelssie Steger |
| Taylor Beck |
| Leah McMillen |
| Amyah Brooks |
| Carter Johnson |
| Nathan Brantmeier |
| Michael Mlodzik |
| Callah Dornfeld |
| Holly Krabbe |
| Emma DeBruin |
| Ian Moehr |
| Alex Fritsch |
| Caleb Frank |
| Sydney Squier |
| Jordan De la Hunt |
| Danielle Zheng |
The 2019 Individual Youth Alliance Awards winner is Amyah Brooks.
Amyah’s nominator writes: Amyah is a driven, young individual who always puts others before herself. Amyah has taken over as Key Club President this year and has organized many volunteer activities for our group. She has volunteered at after school programs, she volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club, she organized a Holiday Party for Harbor House, and she wrote a grant for our club so that we could buy material and make tie blankets for the homeless shelter. Amyah is continuously looking for new ways to help others and has organized for our group to volunteer at a spaghetti dinner benefitting NAMI. Additionally, Amyah cares so greatly for our school. She noticed that after the new year, students and staff needed a boost of energy. To resolve this issue, she proposed a week dedicated to promoting a healthier physical and mental lifestyle. She presented her mental health week initiative to our administration council and we are in the process of incorporating it each school year.
She has also impacted the families who stay at the Harbor House Domestic Abuse Program. Because of her hard work and motivation, they were able to give children and their mothers a holiday celebration with crafts, singing, stories and snacks. Helping the homeless is another passion of Amyah’s. Amyah was the reason that her club was able to purchase material and make blankets for them. Recently, there was a large fire in downtown Appleton. She immediately started brainstorming ideas for how they could help the individuals who lost everything in the fire.
Amyah is a goal-oriented individual who truly believes anything is possible. The time she has spent investigating volunteer opportunities for Key Club, volunteering at various events, and beginning a mental health awareness week at Appleton West is truly appreciated and undervalued. She deserves recognition for the 10+ hours she dedicates a week to volunteer opportunities.
GROUP nominees:
|
Jillian Kohl, Cameron Haen |
| Sara Aldana and the Service Club |
| Keaton Duffeck, Montannah Weiss, Amidal Czajaa |
| United Way Fox Cities Youth Board: Jack Loken, Mya Gruett, Kristin Halfmann, Maiya Nate, Julia Walters, Ethan Jones, Katie Donovan |
| WisconSibs, Inc. Volunteer Group: Zoe Wilda, Thalia Mann, Sophia Schinke, Jack Schinke, Randy Young, Emily Lillo, Helena Marks, Christian Merkel, Samantha Merkel, Autumn Shea, Autmn Schultz, James Jensen, Olivia Ashikino |
| Grignon Mansion Junior Docents: Emily Werth, Anna Franzen, Kaci Franzen, Katie Zwicker, Charlotte Allen, Marissa Hietpas, Isaac Ohzourk, Blayke Rekowski, Elise McMorrow, Alize Schaefer, Ava Bammon, Ellie Riddle |
The 2019 Group Youth Alliance Awards winner is WisconSibs, Inc. Volunteer Group: Zoe Wilda, Thalia Mann, Sophia Schinke, Jack Schinke, Randy Young, Emily Lillo, Helena Marks, Christian Merkel, Samantha Merkel, Autumn Shea, Autmn Schultz, James Jensen, Olivia Ashikino.
This group of teens are all growing up with siblings who have disabilities; autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or even more rare developmental disabilities. Each of them have developed leadership skills within their family in their sibling roles. Each has performed tasks to help their siblings that most other teens haven’t expected, or can even imagine, doing. They are indeed hidden heroes, though they would never accept that title. This group of teens is exceptional because they have demonstrated eagerness to take on challenges and sincere hearts for helping for others by investing time and effort to become strong leaders. All have completed at least one year of the Teen Sib Leadership program and volunteered hundreds of hours to help younger siblings through the sibling journey. Some have taken additional training to become facilitators/leaders of several of the WisconSibs programs. They support one another through rough times and celebrate the joys that only fellow siblings can truly appreciate.
