New York Teen Uses His Musical Talent to Assist Othersots of kids play musical instru-ments, but only a handful areaccepted to the prestigious

Juilliard School in NewYork City.

Meet Jourdan Urbach, a vio-linist who, at age 15, has usedhis extraordinary abilities to raisemore than $1.3 million fornational charities focused onneurological diseases.

Jourdan, a 2007 PrudentialSpirit of Community NationalHonoree, got the bug for beinga volunteer fundraiser when hewas only seven. After a neurosur-geon gave him a tour of a hos-pital's intensive care unit (ICU) forchildren, Jourdan recalls that, “Ileft with a strong determinationto bring these children somemeasure of peace, temporal

enjoyment, a little contagiousenthusiasm, and a reminder ofwhat’s outside the ICU door.”

He began by rounding upother great student musiciansstudying at Juilliard and perform-ing as a group for children in hos-pitals in and around New YorkCity. Not satisfied, Jourdan decid-ed to use his reputation as amusical prodigy to stage benefitperformances for large audi-ences, with the proceeds goingto charity.

Not only did he work to lineup concert halls, Jourdan alsomanaged to recruit entire sym-phony orchestras to play withhim. Jourdan has played benefitconcerts across the United States,including at the Wortham Centerin Houston, the famous Carnegie

Hall in New York, and the equal-ly famous Lincoln Center also inNew York.

As if playing benefit concertswasn't enough, Jourdan also haspromoted neurological research

by appearing on TV and bydelivering lectures to prestigious

medical organizations. The list ofcharities that have benefitedfrom his dedication is equallyimpressive. It includes theNational Multiple SclerosisSociety, the Children’s HearingInstitute and the Institute for Musicand Neurological Function.

Where Jourdan’s talents takehim as an adult only time willtell. But it’s likely he will never for-get that visit to the hospital whenhe was seven. “I saw firsthandthe suffering of children with neu-rological diseases,” he says.

Okay, so maybe you aren't amusical prodigy. That doesn'tmean you can’t use whatevertalent you have to raise moneyfor whatever charity you want.

Go for it!

Jourdan Urbach

ryce Pfeiffer, a 2007Prudential Spirit ofCommunity NationalHonoree, found his

ideal volunteer project whenhe went on a fishing trip withhis grandfather. “Grandpamade it into the boat,” Bryceremembers, “but not before

he was cut up and bruised.”Bryce’s grandfather is handi-

capped, and according toBryce, “His handicaps made asimple canoe boarding a 30-minute ordeal.” To make surethat would never happen againto either his grandfather or any

other handicapped person inthe area, Bryce decided to buyand install a handicapped-accessible fishing dock on thelake at his local state park.

It wasn’t easy, in partbecause Bryce has a fear ofpublic speaking. But after reach-ing out to over 40 business

groups, Bryce raised over$17,000. He bought the dock,recruited volunteers, and over-saw the installation process.

“Handicapped citizens andtheir families now have a safeplace to enjoy nature togeth-er,” says Bryce.

She Helps Fight Poverty around the Worldhen she went

back to China tovisit relatives, Aily

Zhang of Californiafound her cause. Realizinghow lucky she was to be grow-ing up in America, “I knew forsure that I wanted to giveimpoverished people thethings I’ve taken for granted.”

And so began what Aily, a2007 Prudential Spirit ofCommunity State Honoree,thinks will be her lifelong pas-sion: fighting to eliminatepoverty in the world. Shejoined a United Nations organ-ization dedicated to eliminat-ing poverty by 2025. Shebecame head of her school'scommunity service organiza-tion, a position that enabledher to recruit other volunteersfor fundraisers, the first of which

brought in $1,200.Aily collects food and cloth-

ing for homeless people. Shespeaks to local business groups

and writes to newspapers in aneffort to raise matching funds.Says Aily: “It's not fair for me tobe so lucky while people fromother countries are barelyclinging to life.”

Fall 2007 • Vol. 4 No. 3

The official newspaper of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, sponsored by Prudential Financial and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Copyright 2007 Prudential Financial. All rights reserved.

He Didn’t Want His Grandpa to Get Hurt Again

Bryce Pfeiffer

Aily Zhang

How many volunteers has President Bush honored sincetaking office in 2002? (Answer and more questions are on the back page.)

Quiz Question

WB

L

hen Amber Rosewas only seven

years old, she wasin the hospital for

several days. “I was able todraw pictures and escape fromthe scariness of surgery, nee-dles, tubes and machines,” sherecalls, an experience that

stuck with her and led her tofound a nonprofit organizationthat distributes art supplies tochildren around the world whoare hospitalized, disadvan-taged, or the victims of naturaldisasters.

Amber’s group, the “ArtAngels,” has distributed morethan $30,000 of supplies tokids in Ghana, Armenia,Nicaragua, Malaysia, and theUnited States.

Says Amber: “If I can accom-plish my goal of improving lives,then the world will be a betterplace and the future will bebrighter.”

* * *

“Appearance is a big dealin middle school,” saysChristina Senger of Oklahoma.So to help out underprivilegedHispanic children, Christina con-ducted a community drive thatcollected new and gently usedschool uniforms.

Christina put notices in localCatholic parishes and madeannouncements at the end ofMass in her church. She got a$1,000 grant to buy uniformsand convinced a uniform com-pany to donate still more. Sheeven convinced a local dry

cleaner to clean and press theuniforms she collected at nocharge.

Says Christina: “Quite often,I take for granted my closet ofclothes. I learned to be thank-ful for what I have.”

* * *

“My teacher made methink how great it would be tohelp people,” says RebeccaSchwager of Kentucky, explain-ing why she has helped raise$10,000 for victims of violencein Darfur, Sudan and why she isa volunteer mentor for refugee

children at a local communitycenter.

Rebecca and others raisedthe money by writing lettersand seeking donations fromorganizations, businesses andindividuals. She has workedpersonally with more than 30children from around the

world, helping them adapt tolife in the United States.

Says Rebecca: “Volunteeringis so important to me becauseit was taking a big step fromchildhood to becoming ayoung adult.”

Mathilda Karel Spark ofLong Beach, CA recently had abirthday and celebrated it withher friends, all of whom arevolunteers at a local hospital.There’s nothing special aboutthat. Right?

What made the day specialwas that Mathilda was cele-brating her 105th birthday.

Mathilda, who is still anactive volunteer at the hospi-tal, has put in nearly 21,000hours of volunteer work sinceshe started back in 1961.

Why does she still do it? “Itkeeps me out of mischief,” shetold a local reporter.

* * *What do you call it when

550 people get together tospend a day working on 65different volunteer projects? InLivingston County, MI they callit a volunteer “blitz.”

On the county's most recentblitz day, volunteers painted,cleaned and performed otherprojects at homes, schools andother locations. They also helddrives to collect personal careitems for disadvantaged peo-ple and food for a communityfood bank.

The person in charge told alocal reporter that she hopesthe volunteers will “see howgood it is to do these kinds ofthings and to give back to thecommunity like this.”

* * *For their volunteer project,

a group of fourth graders inCalifornia recently raised somuch money by selling bottledwater that they were able topay for a water pump for acommunity in South Africa.Now people in the villagehave clean water to drink.

* * *

When it comes to volun-teerism, even rubber duckiesplay a role. Just ask the peo-ple who recently attendedthe annual “duck race” inElgin, IL.

Rubber duckies wereplaced in a local fountain.Then kids jumped in the waterand started pulling them out.For every duck they collected,the kids got a prize.

It was all part of the localboys and girls club's annualfundraiser put on by dedicatedvolunteers.

Helpers Around the World

N E W S

Rebecca Schwager

Christina Senger

Amber Rose

This year students at one Virginia school plan to collect items forschoolroom kits that they will send to disadvantaged children incountries around the world. They plan to send the kits to Liberia,Afghanistan, the Ukraine, Iraq and Burundi. Can you find each ofthese countries on the numbered map?

(Answers are on back page)

W

5

4

21

3

t was while Robert Schaaf ofMissouri was sorting cans at alocal food bank over hisChristmas vacation that the

idea came to him.His idea: a “charitable gar-

den” staffed by volunteers thatwould donate its produce to thefood bank.

And so began a four-year

project for which Robert wasrecently named both a 2007Prudential Spirit of CommunityState Honoree and the foodbank's Humanitarian of theYear (the first time a minorhad received this award).

Robert began by convincing

a local college to let him use ahalf acre of its property for whathe decided to call his “NeverGrow Hungry CommunityGarden.” Then he persuaded adozen classmates and several

adults to help out by research-ing agricultural techniques, get-ting advice from local farmersand nurseries, and getting busi-nesses to donate seeds andtools.

The group got together on aregular basis to tend the gar-den, harvest the crops, anddeliver the food to the foodbank. Hundreds have benefitedfrom Robert's dedication andvision.

IRobert’s ‘Charitable Garden’

Helps Hundreds

Robert Schaaf

n eight years RyanBloomquist of Connecticutand his “Lemonade Gang”have raised over $16,000

to fight nervous-system dis-eases and help families ofyoung cancer victims.

At first, Ryan and his friendsraised money by operating alemonade stand. Then they

branched out, organizingboth a summer cabaret and aChistmas variety show.

They have donated some

of the money they haveraised to medical groups thatfight disease. They have alsoused it to put on a summertheater camp for young chil-dren and to stage a benefit

concert for victims of HurricaneKatrina.

Ryan, a 2007 PrudentialSpirit of Community StateHonoree, says, “There is noth-ing better than giving back tothe community. It feels goodto know I'm making a differ-ence in the world.”

The 'Lemonade Gang’ Raises Money to Fight Diseases

Ryan Bloomquist

hen you havecerebral palsy like

Zachary Woolley ofAlabama, you can’t

walk or dress yourself.But that hasn’t stopped this

2007 Prudential Spirit of

Community State Honoreefrom making a big contribu-tion through volunteerism.

Zachary has helped raisedmore than $10,000 to find acure for his disease. He alsohas bought equipment for agirl in Poland who suffers fromthe same disease.

Zachary is a spokesperson

for United Cerebral Palsy and achampion for the Children'sMiracle Network. He connect-ed with a girl in Polandthrough a project he startedwhere he produces and sells aspecial Christmas ornament.While working on the project,Zachary discovered that theartist commissioned to createthe ornament in Poland had adaughter with cerebral palsy.

Says Zachary: “I may be in

a wheelchair, but I have agood home and family. Wehave so much.”

He Can’t Walk or Dress Himself,But He’s Helped Raise over $10,000

Zachary Woolley

foster child herself,Heather Wilder of

Nevada remembersbeing anxious and

afraid. And so, after she wasadopted, “I thought it wouldbe nice to try to ease some ofthose feelings for other kidswho are in foster care.”

With the help of her adopt-

ed mother and another formerfoster child, Heather wrote aseries of booklets for foster chil-dren to help them betterunderstand their situation. Thebooklets were distributedthrough state agencies, acounseling center and a chil-

dren’s mental health hospital.Heather, a 2007 Prudential

Spirit of Community NationalHonoree, didn’t just write aseries of 10 booklets. She alsoobtained a grant to pay forprinting, fun-looking clothbook pockets and a variety ofother activity materials that sheand her friend created.

Says Heather: “I am so gladI am not in foster care any-more, but I am mindful ofwhat it means, and I am morethan happy to help anotherfoster child get to the point

where they can experiencewhat a childhood should reallybe like.”

She Writes Booklets to Help Other Foster Kids

Heather Wilder

I

AW

Poland

COMPUTER C O R N E Rwww.studentvolunteerlink.com

Quiz1. According to a nationalsurvey, what is the topreason why kids volunteer:a. Their schools require

them tob. Their parents want

them toc. Somebody asks them tod. They feel guilty about

having money

2. In 2006, how manyAmericans chose to volunteer:a. 37 millionb. 61 millionc. 99 milliond. 147 million

3. How many hours didAmericans spend on volunteerism in 2006:a. 2.1 billionb. 4.1 billionc. 6.1 billiond. 8.1 billion

4. “Rosie the Riveter”encouraged Americans to volunteer during whatperiod of U.S. history:a. The Civil Warb. The Great Depressionc. World War Id. World War II

5. What volunteer activitydo Americans do themost:a. Raise moneyb. Coachc. Tutord. Physical Labor

6. What's the most common reason whyAmericans say they don'tvolunteer:a. Too busyb. Health problemsc. Too youngd. Too old

In each issue we let kids speakfor themselves on why they vol-unteer and why they chose theprojects they did. Each of thesekids is a 2007 Prudential Spiritof Community State Honoree.

“I felt it was important tospread the word about breastcancer,” says Kasey Brownell ofMontana, explaining why sheorganized a community walk/run fundraiser to benefit cancerpatients and their families.

“Breast cancer affectseveryone who has it,” saysKasey. She was involved inevery aspect of organizing the

race, from recruiting volunteersto ordering T-shirts to setting upa ceremony to honor breastcancer survivors.

Says Kasey: “My experi-ence challenged me to attackan adult problem with myheart and strength.”

* * *

“After attending Bible Campone summer and having toleave after one night becauseof lack of medical support andknowledge of my disease bythe staff, I was very upset andthought I would never be ableto attend camp and have funlike healthy kids.”

So says Bridget Alldritt ofMinnesota as she explains whyshe co-founded a summercamp for children stricken withulcerative colitis and Crohn'sdisease.

“I am dedicated to easing

the pain and suffering of asmany children living with thesediseases as possible,” says

Bridget, which is why she hasalso raised nearly $50,000 forgroups fighting the diseasethrough charity events.

* * *

“Diseases are out there sowe have to help those whohave them and keep raisingmoney so scientists can find acure to stop them,” says MasonGonzalez Park of NorthCarolina.

Mason has helped raisenearly $50,000 for groupsfighting diabetes, heart diseaseand cancer. He started whenhe was only six years old. “It

was a great feeling to knowthat even at such a young ageI could be involved and havesuch an impact on others.”

Adds Mason: “If everyonewould take time to helpchange someone's life, theworld would be a much betterplace filled with happiness andhope.”

QUIZ ANSWERS1. c; 2. b; 3. d; 4. d; 5. a; 6. a

Quiz answer from page 2Since March 2002, President

Bush has honored morethan 600 volunteers.

MAP ANSWERS

1. IRAQ

2. AFGHANISTAN

3. THE UKRAINE

4. BURUNDI

5. LIBERIA

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards constitute the nation’slargest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteercommunity service. Since its inception in 1995, the program hashonored more than 75,000 middle and high school students at thelocal, state and national level. Applications can be submitted onlinethrough www.prudential.com/spirit or www.principals.org/prudential,and must be certified by a school, Girl Scout council, county 4-H program, Red Cross chapter, YMCA or Volunteer Center affiliatedwith the Points of Light Foundation.

For more information, visit www.prudential.com/spirit orwww.principals.org/prudential, or call 1-877-525-8491.

Publisher - Scott PetersonEditor - Bill Paul

Art Director - Stephen BlauweissProduction Assistant - Sylvia Rosado

In Their Own Words

Kasey Brownell

Bridget Alldritt

Mason Gonzalez Park

Another in our series aboutWeb sites developed by kidswho have been recognized byThe Prudential Spirit ofCommunity Awards program.

The “Student VolunteerLink” Web site developedand managed by GreysonGregory of Connecticutkeeps kids up to date onopportunities to volunteer inConnecticut communities.

On his Web site,Greyson, a 2007 PrudentialSpirit of Community

Distinguished Finalist, high-lights all kinds of volunteerprograms that middle andhigh school kids getinvolved with, everythingfrom national campaignssuch as the National andGlobal Youth Service Dayto high school clubs in hishometown.

The site’s mission is to“advance the develop-ment of youth service andphilanthropy by providingvolunteer resources andopportunities.”

Schools and organiza-tions are encouraged tosubmit activities for whichvolunteers are needed.Ways to raise money, suchas how to obtain a grant,are discussed.

Every kid is encouragedto register his communityproject. And there's a greatlist of links that can help anykid get started on his ownvolunteer project.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Report is theofficial newspaper of The Prudential Spirit ofCommunity Awards program. It is publishedonline by Prudential Financial, in cooperation withEarth Preservers Inc. of Westfield, NJ. (908) 654-9293. Copyright 2004-2007 Prudential Financial.All rights reserved. The Prudential Spirit ofCommunity Report can be downloaded andreproduced for free.