Power of Youth
Youth make a difference in our Saranam community— a big difference.
Throughout the year students, youth groups, troops, and individuals help in so many ways. Their help at Saranam is impactful for the organization and for themselves. So far in 2025, 40% of our volunteers have been youth under the age of 18. This includes 17 youth groups totaling more than 785 volunteer hours. It’s not about the numbers though. Through the projects, they are learning the strength of kindness and compassion, teamwork, and broadening their perspectives. Another layer of lessons are communication, learning what is important to them, and sharing their talents with the community. Saranam’s Community Engagement Coordinator, Sunny Holmes, shared,
“Our youth volunteers are the amazing! Their creativity and enthusiasm make such a difference in our work. We hope through their time with us that they learn about the many, many ways they can connect in their community, build new skills, and become transformational citizens as they grow.”
The various projects they work on help prep homes for families, keep our property welcoming and safe, and organize drives to ensure our families have what they need. Here is a list of some of those projects:
- Landscaping
- Moving furniture and sorting household items
- Painting projects
- Holiday gifts and wrapping
- Drives (cleanings supplies, toiletries, paper goods, baby items)
Here are some of the ways youth groups have helped at Saranam.
Warmth in the Classroom
Earlier this year, local Girls Scout Troop #10624 added warmth to Saranam’s temporary classroom at our ADC Family Campus by donating fun spots for little ones to sit on. The scouts, grades 8-11, voted to spend a portion of their cookie proceeds for sitting mats with fun animal faces, plush pillows, and colorful nature posters. “The troop is always interested
in helping the unhoused. While we have given to other unhoused, they liked the fact that Saranam helps families”, said Troop Leader, Annette Hatch. The troop has also donated summer toys and items to families during the pandemic and have plans to donate items later this year. Three cheers for cookie fun and philanthropy by teens!
Students Getting Involved
Bosque School, a school close by to Saranam’s ADC Family Campus, has gotten involved through their
Community Engagement class. After learning about Saranam’s work from Sunny Holmes, each section of the class scheduled a site visit and hands-on volunteering time to help with landscaping and painting projects. The students were interested to hear how the homes were repurposed from APS portables.
In another portion of the class, they learned basic food safety handling and made lasagnas and enchiladas (with a veggie) in the kitchen of the local restaurant, Three Sisters. The meals were then delivered and given to the families at both campuses. “One meal covered helps and takes something off the parent,” Hayley Pedrick said, one of the team teachers, “plus homemade food is a much healthier meal.”
Bosque School also offers a semester-long elective called Service Leadership. Students learn about and volunteer at nonprofits and organizations in the Albuquerque area and then choose an organization to volunteer an additional 6 hours. One student wanted to volunteer at Saranam. “I chose Saranam because I like their values and they needed help.” said Bosque student, Sophie Nims. “I thought it was fun and liked hanging out with the families and kids. Everyone was so friendly.” She loved volunteering so much, she surpassed the required 6 hours and reached 50 hours by volunteering with more organizations! Sophie likes working with children and is considering studying education in college.
From Far and Wide
Youth come from far and wide to help at Saranam! One partner organization, Be the Neighbor, is a
justice-based service-learning ministry that offers summer trips across the United States. Cyndy Twedell, Site Director, said she is “inspired and awed by the young people who give up a week of their summers to work, serve, and learn. I’ve observed their energy and enthusiasm and eagerness to help. They recognize what it takes to make a home filled with dignity and beauty.” She said the participants are “hard working and open-hearted, sometimes rethinking assumptions as they learn about the families Saranam serves. They go home more aware and ready to continue the work in their hometowns.” We fully appreciate their hard work, and that they want to learn more about our community and travel to Albuquerque!
Community Cares
A youth volunteers may wonder how staining a fence can help others or wrapping a holiday gift makes a difference or something as simple as painting a rock? At Saranam, we ALL work together to create a better environment and community for each other. The stained fence offers pride and safety where families live, a wrapped gift brings a sense of belonging to a child and a painted rock may bring a smile to a family member walking to their front door after a long day. At Saranam, community care happens in big and little ways every day!
Saranam is beyond thankful for these and other stories of youth’s impact. If you are interested in getting a class, youth group, or troop involved contact Sunny Holmes, Community Engagement Coordinator at sholmes@saranamabq.org.