Youth Action Teams

Get involved and make a difference!

Youth Action Teams in Partnership with Major League Baseball Players Association

Alex Cora, David Ortiz and Jason Varitek of the Boston Red Sox meet with Action Team Members from Maine and Massachusetts at Fenway Park.

Volunteers of America and the Major League Baseball Players Trust joined together as national partners in 2002. A major part of the partnership is the personal involvement of Major League baseball players in raising public awareness regarding Volunteers of America and its programs with the goal of encouraging young people across the country to volunteer in their communities.

Action Team Members from Maine spending the day at Fenway Park on a tour and training with the players.

The signature program of the partnership between Volunteers of America and the Major League Baseball Players Trust is the youth Action Teams. The Action Teams are comprised of Major Leaguers and area high school students who serve as team captains. The Major Leaguers and Action Team members work together to inspire youth to get involved in their communities by volunteering at Volunteers of America’s programs.

Lewiston Regional Technical Center Launches Youth Action Team

LEWISTON, ME. — High school students from the Lewiston Regional Technical Center (LRTC) have formed a new Youth Action Team to help encourage young people to volunteer in the community. “This is a dream come true for our program,” said Glenn Michaels, Director of Marketing and Community Engagement for Volunteers of America Northern New England. “Through LRTC we can reach students from a variety of regional high schools and one home-schooled student who are participating in the program. The Action Team, administered nationally by the Major League Baseball Players Trust and Volunteers of America, includes teams in more than 150 high schools across the U.S. To date, 20,000 students have helped over 90,000 people in need.

The incredible work they do at LRTC, which recently included a ramp for a handicapped veteran and repairing the town gazebo (see photograph), is exactly what the Major League Baseball Players had in mind when they created this program,” Michaels explained.

In Maine, Youth Action Teams across the state, the teams are mentored by Mike Cameron, Bill Hall, David "Papi" Ortiz and Jason Varitek of the Boston Red Sox. Projects have included reading to children and assisting teachers in day-care and Head Start programs, serving meals at homeless shelters and senior centers, collecting food and clothing, and more.

The LRTC students received Youth Action Team T-shirts donated by the Major League baseball players and a generous $1,000 donation from an official sponsor, the Timothy J. Mynahan Foundation of Lewiston. The foundation was created to honor the Lewiston High School graduate, an honor student who was tragically killed by a drunk driver in 1991.

“We’re grateful to the players for helping in such a personal and practical way,” says Michaels. “Their contributions are really making a difference.”

Across Maine, the Youth Action Teams have supported fund-raising and awareness-building efforts over the past year for various programs managed and supported by Volunteers of America:

Students at Edward Little High School in Auburn passed cans at home basketball games to provide groceries for youth on the street in danger of becoming homeless.
Students at Scarborough High School in Scarborough collected 175 Frisbees for Camp POSTCARD, held a St. Patrick's Day party for the residents of the Paul Hazelton House for seniors, and coordinated a community-wide raking day for Scarborough seniors.
Students at Mt. Ararat High School in Brunswick held a clothing drive, served a St. Patrick’s Day meal for seniors at our Westrum House in Topsham and collected recreational equipment for campers at Camp POSTCARD
Students at Georges Valley High School in Thomaston held a luau at the Rocky Coast House for seniors and served food with a complementary hula lesson—complete with grass skirts!

“Our goal is to grow the program to in Maine,” says June Koegel, president and CEO of Volunteers of America Northern New England. “We know that when people begin volunteering young, it becomes a life-long interest. The Youth Action Teams are a tremendous way for young people to see that no matter who you are—a high school student or major league ball player—you can make a difference that matters.”

Team captains are identified by school administrators; they then recruit fellow students to develop service projects under the guidance of Volunteers of America staff. The projects often exceed school requirements for community service.

LRTC instructor Mario Pascarelli says, “Current and future projects for our Youth Action Team includes fixing vandalized baseball dugouts, rebuilding a city tractor, and other projects to enhance the community. These students work hard and are dedicated to doing quality work. It’s an honor to be associated with the program and to see students be recognized for their contributions.”

The Major League Baseball Players Trust has been active in Androscoggin County before, donating a van to Volunteers of America to help homeless youth in the area.

The Maine Youth Action Team program is grateful to official sponsor Moody’s Collision Centers, whose generous donation will pay for transportation and a Recognition Day celebration; and to the Timothy J. Mynahan Foundation of Lewiston, official sponsor of the Androscoggin County Action Team.

To learn more or to sponsor an Action Team in your area, please contact 207-373-1140 ext. 216 or glenn.michaels@voanne.org.

SEE OUR MOST RECENT TRIP TO FENWAY PARK

The Action Teams:

The teens that are selected to be team captains work through local school districts to recruit other teens to volunteer in projects developed by Volunteer of America’s local offices. Projects have included reading to children and assisting teachers in day care and head start programs, serving meals at homeless shelters and senior centers, working at activities and events at our housing facilities, collecting food, clothing, gifts, and other needed items for the people we serve, holiday activities and many other projects.

Currently, Major League baseball players involved with the Maine Action teams are Alex Cora, David Ortiz and Jason Varitek of the Boston Red Sox. The 2006-2007 Action Teams are from the following Maine high schools: South Portland, Thornton Academy, Kennebunk, York, REAL School of Windham, and Edward Little.

To date, the teams have inspired nearly 4,000 students to assist over 22,000 people in need. Action Teams are currently at work in Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Seattle, New England, Detroit and Dallas.

Learn About Becoming an Action Team Sponsor:

Sponsoring the action team is a great way to involve your organization in this exciting program for Maine Youth. Learn More

Learn more about the Action Teams by contacting:

Sharon Ross
Action Team Manager
Volunteers of America of Northern New England, Inc.
14 Maine Street, Suite 205
Brunswick, ME 04011
Telephone: 207.373.1140 Ext. 206
Email: sharon.ross@voanne.org

The Action Team Program is grateful to the following Major Sponsors.

Moody's Collision Centers are the official "Recognition Day" sponsor for Action Teams. Their generous donation will pay for our transportation and our recognition celebration for team leaders at Fenway Park. This includes a tour of the stadium, meeting players, getting their photograph on the field before the game and watching the game afterwards. It is a memory of a lifetime! To learn more about Moody's Collision Centers

The Timothy J. Mynahan Foundation is the official sponsor of the Androscoggin County Action Team. Timothy J. Mynahan, son of Timothy and Bernadette Mynahan was born June 6, 1970, in Lewiston. Throughout his life, he demonstrated consistent excellence in academics and athletics. Through this generous donation, we are proud to honor his memory by providing this unique opportunity to youth in Androscoggin County. To learn more about the Timothy J. Mynahan Foundation

Visit Volunteers of America's national website at http://www.voa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4576.