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Americorps Member Paves The Way For Next Generation of Volunteer Leaders

(PRWEB) May 2, 2007

Taralyn Caudle is a native of Huntsville, Alabama and a proud graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. After pursuing graduate studies at the University of Memphis, Taralyn returned to Huntsville with her mind set on giving back to the community that has given so much to her.

Community involvement and volunteerism have been a part of Taralyn’s life since she was a teenager and member of both the United Way Youth Council and the Huntsville Hospital Teen Auxiliary Program. While in college, Taralyn expanded her service experience as a mayoral campaign volunteer in Atlanta and an unpaid White House Intern in Washington, D.C.

Taralyn’s lifelong commitment to community service has now come full circle – in her role as The Volunteer Center’s Youth Volunteer Corps Program Manager, Taralyn mentors youth and has sparked passion for service in a whole new generation of volunteers. Taralyn is also an AmeriCorps member, and has committed 12 months of full-time volunteer service to planning, coordinating, and implementing YVC after-school, Saturday morning and summer volunteer projects for youth ages 11-18. But Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) projects aren’t just about service; they teach, too! YVC members learn about their community, government, explore possible careers, and develop academic, social and leadership skills, all while having fun and working together to create positive change in their neighborhoods and community..

Since the launch of the Youth Volunteer Corps program in January, 2007, Taralyn has helped recruit over 120 young people who have contributed more than 600 hours of meaningful service to nonprofit agencies and organizations in Madison County. YVC members select projects from a quarterly catalog, and catalogs are distributed free to public and private middle and high schools in throughout the county.

The Youth Volunteer Corps experience has become a spring board for youth who are new to volunteering, initiating continuous independent and passionate service. Morgan Hudson, a student at Sparkman High School, agrees. “Originally, I joined [YVC] to get volunteer hours for Beta Club at my school. I realized that I really enjoyed helping people. I want to continue to volunteer whenever my schedule allows it, even outside of YVC.”

For Huntsville’s military families, the YVC provides youth a way to quickly make new friends and get to know their community. Courtney Basley, who moved to Huntsville less than a year ago, is a prime example. “I was very interested in joining the [YVC] program because it was a great opportunity to get to know my community while at the same time making it a better place.”

Parents are enthusiastic about The Volunteer Center’s YVC program as well. Joanna Jones, whose son, Jamaal, is a YVC member, observed a distinct change in her son soon after he began volunteering on a regular basis. “I have noticed a difference in my son since he began [volunteering] with YVC in January, and he’s actually looking forward to doing more with the group. What my son has learned from being involved with YVC has impacted him positively and will be something he’ll always remember.”

Taralyn knows firsthand the pride that such experiences can give a young person. “That sense of pride transfers into other parts of their lives, and I believe, forever changes the way they view the community in which they live,”

Patricia Grace Quigley, a senior at Sparkman High School, sums it up best. “Service to others is a joy because any work of compassion…leaves you with a feeling of love toward others. If you’ve never experienced the joy, fun and challenges of service, then I suggest you try a year as a volunteer. You might even have as much fun as I did!”

The Volunteer Center of Madison County is the premier connection between volunteers and community needs. We partner with the community to mobilize volunteers and provide solutions to local challenges. We build the capacity of partner agencies – United Way and Combined Federal Campaign – to involve and manage volunteers and to address local needs through volunteering. Created in 1969 as a clearing-house to link new volunteers with non-profit organizations, the Volunteer Center believes that only people can solve community problems.

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