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500 Teens at the "Count Me In" Volunteer Fair
More than 500 teens filled the Buena Vista building at the UTSA downtown campus during the “count me in” volunteer fair. The city-wide event was hosted by Firstmark CU (San Antonio) and included more than 30 non-profit organizations that were looking for teen volunteers. “Response to the first-annual event exceeded our expectations. In fact, many of the agencies claimed to have signed up more teens in the first hour than they had anticipated from the whole fair,” said Kelley Farwell, Firstmark CU staff member and organizer of the event. “Students who registered came from over 50 area schools and churches and were eager to learn about volunteer opportunities at places like Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Humane Society, SAMMinistries, San Antonio Children’s Museum, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Christus Santa Rosa, and the San Antonio Sports Foundation.” While at the fair, teens heard presentations about the importance of community service in the college application process, the impact of teen volunteerism in our community, and the story of a local student who won a four-year scholarship for his commitment to service. There was also a session on “paying for college” that outlined financial assistance, scholarships, and student loans as well as the steps students can take to be prepared for college. “Firstmark CU was proud to sponsor this event. It not only demonstrates our commitment to youth, education and our community, but also supports the credit union philosophy of “people helping people,” said CEO Leon Ewing. Seniors were invited to apply for one of ten, $1,000 scholarships Firstmark CU will award in 2007.