Young volunteers honored

Some of Iowa’s best volunteers are its youngest, and this week they’re named in “Spirit of Community” awards by Prudential. The company’s Scott Peterson says the program began eight years ago and by last fall recognized 24-thousand American youths outstanding in their community service. Their projects tend to focus on helping the disadvantaged, whether it’s hungry or homeless people through collection drives or fundraising activities. Peterson says teens accomplish an unbelievable amount with their public-service projects. Peterson says a lot of the kids also work to help the sick or disabled, do environmental projects, spend time tutoring or mentoring young people or helping senior citizens. Iowa’s two finalists are 17-year-old Justin Peters and 14-year-old Jill Martin of Granger. Justin Peters, a senior at Cedar Falls High School, established a new volunteer division at a local hospital to fix up and maintain the garden and grounds around the hospital. Jill, who was nominated by her 4-H group, made about 100 toiletry kits for abused women and children staying at Des Moines’ House of Mercy Shelter. As state honorees, each will get an engraved silver medallion from Prudential “Spirit of Community” Awards and an expense-paid trip to the nation’s capital with the other top honorees from every state.