Make A Difference Grants^©

"This has definitely made an impact on my life and others in my community. It is the best feeling in the world to know that we are making a difference in someone's life."

The Youth Resources Make A Difference Grants, previously known as the Service Learning and Youth As Resources programs, provide grants for local youth-led service projects. These address real problems and enhance young people's brainstorming, planning, budgeting, communication, teambuilding, and leadership skills. During the process youth learn practical applications to academic learning, use cognitive and social skills, develop future job skills, and realize they can solve community problems, which helps to build self-esteem.

128,591 local children and teens have been involved in 2,008 youth-led service projects and have received over $713,716 in grants from Youth Resources. Nearly 300 youth were directly involved in 14 Make A Difference Grants projects in the 2011-12 school year making a positive impact on over 6,600 people in their communities!

Applications are accepted each fall for grants ranging from $100-$1,000.

2012-2013 Make A Difference Grant Recipients

Profiles of past Make a Difference
Grant Recipients

Chandler Elementary School-Special Education Kindergarten Class

The Special Education class at Chandler Elementary School is comprised of kindergarten students with varying degrees of disability levels. The Student Council helped the kindergartners with their service project. Birthday bags were put together for less fortunate students in the school and their families. Many of the parents in the school could not afford the supplies necessary to provide a birthday for their child. The birthday boxes contained all the essentials for a child's birthday (wrapping paper, small gift, cake mix, icing, spaghetti noodles, spaghetti sauce with meat, disposable pan, and candles.) The kindergarteners were involved in all aspects of the project: making lists of items to purchase, shopping for items, sorting items, and packaging the bags. The grant money from Youth Resources equipped Chandler students to put 38 birthday bags into the hands of students in their school. The project allowed for 275 people to be impacted in the community!

Patchwork Central

Youth leaders and volunteers with Patchwork Central provided a Christmas shopping extravaganza. They set up a store where less fortunate children could choose from a variety of gift items. Based off the child's participation in Patchwork's programs, the children were able to pick out a certain amount of Christmas gifts. The children then presented the gifts to their loved ones at Christmas. The event was well attended with 47 children taking part in the project. The children took home over 180 gifts for their families. After the event, the children, youth leaders, and adult volunteers shared a meal together. The project allowed for 300 people to be impacted in the community!

St. Joseph School-Student Council

The Student Council members at St. Joseph helped purchase foods and prepare meals for the families at Ozanam Shelter. The project began in December and monthly meals were prepared through May. Each month the students planned the menu and invited other students in the school to donate food items. The students would then purchase items that weren't donated. The project allowed for 500 people to be impacted in the community!

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