HELPIS is pleased to announce Deonildo (DEO) DeAlvarenga as our recipient of the Month of May Kindness Scholarship. He wants to study in the computer engineering/IT field and will be attending Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology in the Fall. We can't wait to see what amazing things he will accomplish!
"He started with the YMCA in Brockton at the end of 8th grade as a Summer Leader. He then stayed on as a member of our Kidz Konnect Advisory Council and has been an active member for the past four years. He has given back by volunteering as a chaperone on our fieldtrips for younger kids in our centers for families experiencing homelessness, volunteering at MLK Day of Service events, and by volunteering at YMCA events like our annual Haunted House, Valentine’s Day party, and Healthy Kids’ Day.
Additionally, he has led workshops at our Kidz Konnect meetings, through partnerships with events at the Boys and Girls Club, and at our Y’s Annual Youth conference 2 years in a row. Additionally, he has spoken at several Y events to share the impact it has made on him, (I attached one of his speeches as well).
He also volunteered as a CIT at Camp Satucket the first summer after he was a Summer Leader, and then moved on to get hired as a Camp Counselor and is currently working his third summer there as an employee."
~Amanda Trask, Community Coordinator, Big Sister Big Brother, OLD COLONY YMCA
"First off I want to say thank you for the opportunity to be able to be part of this scholarship. I first heard about this scholarship through my advisor of Kidz Konnect, Amanda Trask. This year has been the craziest year of my life. With my dad losing his job and watching him struggle to find another job because of his lack of education, I've realized the importance for me to pursue a degree. I never want to struggle like he has these past few months nor do I want my family to.
This scholarship will help me tremendously because money is tight in the family and every penny will help. That's why I have taken every opportunity I can to earn money through scholarships and hard work. This year, I have worked hard to get high honor roll at my school all four terms, which is something I had never previously done before, but accomplishing this showed me that through hard work and dedication, anything is possible. I know when you receive you must give back and pay it forward.
Whether I get this scholarship or not, I intend to give back to my community by volunteering in community events and through Kidz Konnect, which I have been doing for the past four years. I will plan to either host Kidz Konnect members for a tour of my school, or come back next year to talk to them about my experience in college. I know that by doing this, I could help impact their future and make sure they also understand the importance of education. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you again for this opportunity."
~Deonildo De Alvarenga
HELPIS Help Me Help Someone, Inc. (HMHS) is a social network for kind and charitable deeds. It connects people in need with people who want to help. Right now in the world there are so many people in need, but there are also so many people who would love to help, but who don’t know how to make their contributions meaningful. Giving money is not something that everyone feels comfortable doing, especially when one can’t always be sure that funds are delivered where they are most needed.