Webster’s Dictionary defines volunteering as doing charitable or helpful work on ones own free will. Volunteering helps the youth learn to respect others, learn to understand diverse peoples, develop leadership and future job skills, and learn what it means to be a good citizen. Furthermore, youth who volunteer just one hour a week are 50% less likely to abuse drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, or engage in destructive behavior. In 1991, UCLA discovered that youth who volunteer are more likely to do well in school, graduate, vote, and be philanthropic. President George W. Bush stated at his Inaugural Address on January 20, 2001, "Any definition of a successful life in America must include service to others."

      Some of Sarah Lee’s accomplishments in regards to her platform, "YES: Youth Engaged in Service," include fund-raisers for the Florida Special Olympics, Relay for Life Cancer Walks, March of Dimes, the BIGS Program, Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina fund-raisers, volunteering at Stella’s House and local nursing homes. She also visits and speaks at local preschools and elementary schools about being kind, sharing, and why it is important helping their mommies and daddies. However, her most significant projects have been the annual Neighborhood Food Drive, Operation Christmas Child, and Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Sarah Lee has found these three projects to be the most rewarding and the three that impact people greatly. It is amazing to witness how thankful someone is for a simple basket of food, or a small Christmas present.

      Sarah Lee seeks to promote and encourage volunteerism among today’s youth. She helps them recognize the power of a thank you, the importance of working throughout their communities, and to value the power of good that volunteers can achieve when working together. She sends this message to youth throughout northeast Florida by speaking at local schools and by starting events that would give the youth a chance to volunteer. By doing this Sarah Lee hopes to plant a seed in the youth’s lives that will one day develop into a passion and eagerness to serve others.

Remember "YES, we can do it," "YES, youth can make a difference," and "YES, we can get Youth Engaged in Service!"

"I have one hand to help myself and one hand to help the world."

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