Oct. 11 -- St. Joseph is full of individuals who go out of their way to help better the lives of kids, and the Youth Alliance wants to celebrate those people with the Superstars for Kids award.
Every year, the Youth Alliance holds the Superstars for Kids event to acknowledge individuals in the community and surrounding regions that dedicate their time and energy to supporting local youth.
"A little bit of recognition goes a long way for an individual," Youth Alliance Executive Director Robin Hammond said. "And when they give their time, that is one of the only things they kind of get back. They have personal satisfaction, of course, for what they have done. But it lets them know that people in the community recognize their contributions, know how much time that they have given, and it lets us say thank you to them."
The annual event will also recognize youth that have worked in the volunteer program with the Presidential Volunteer Service award. Youth aged 11 to 18 years old earn the award by accomplishing a number of volunteer hours.
"It's a great opportunity to hear a little bit about what that program's all about and to celebrate the fruits of their effort," Hammond said.
Youth Alliance will as well celebrate accomplishments of the kids involved in different programs at the nonprofit.
"We have several young folks that come through here on an annual basis and they work really, really hard to earn their high school equivalency as well as a credential through the U.S. Department of Labor," Hammond said. "We have some individuals that we will be acknowledging that have really overcome a lot of milestones to earn those, credentials. And we really want to let them know that we're proud of them."
Youth Alliance will accept Superstars for Kids nominations until Oct. 14. Submission forms can be picked up in the Youth Alliance building located at 5223 Mitchell Ave. or on the group's Facebook page.