Youth Volunteer Program
What is the purpose of the program?
To recognize youth in our community who volunteer and contribute to the betterment of our community, our nation or our world.
To recognize youth in our community who volunteer and contribute to the betterment of our community, our nation or our world.
Who is eligible to be recognized as a youth volunteer?
Any youth registered and active in a school, sporting organization, church or other organization in the Oakridge Optimist Club's catchment area.
Any youth registered and active in a school, sporting organization, church or other organization in the Oakridge Optimist Club's catchment area.
How is the selection of your candidate made?
The Oakridge Optimist Club has reached out to several schools, churches and organizations. Each organization is asked to select one youth that is currently registered and who is active as a volunteer in any capacity.
The Oakridge Optimist Club has reached out to several schools, churches and organizations. Each organization is asked to select one youth that is currently registered and who is active as a volunteer in any capacity.
What type of recognition is given to each person selected?
Each nominee will be invited to attend a ceremony, along with family or other guests, where their accomplishments will be shared. They will receive a certificate and the club will make a donation to a community organization on their behalf.
Where and when will this recognition occur?
The presentations are made at a suitable venue during National Volunteers' Week in April each year.
What types of organizations will be considered for a donation?
The Oakridge Optimist Club will make a donation, identified by the selected youth, to an organization that ideally benefits youth and, or, the community in the area of health, recreation, safety or education and is subject to the approval of the Committee.
How can I get more information about this program?
Contact the committee chair by email at YVRPchair@oakridgeoptimists.ca.
2024 Program
Plans are underway and the presentations will be made during National Volunteers Week in April. For more information on how you can participate please contact YRVPchair@oakridgeoptimists.ca.
2023 Program
Our 7th recognition celebration was held on April 26, 2023 at Innovation Works in London. We are pleased to say that limitations regarding COVID were in the past. This year we were pleased to be able to celebrate 13 extraordinary young people who volunteer their time in our community. Mayor Josh Morgan spoke to our gathering via recorded message and regretted not being able to attend. We were fortunate to have Kubet Weston, apast Olympic athlete, as our guest speaker and Iain Stevenson as our musical guest. We are looking forward and planning our celebration for next year’s recipients!!
Front Row L-R Elizabeth Cade (Scouts Canada - 70th London); Layna Hare (John Dearness Public School); Jun Lee (Oakridge Presbyterian Church); Bennet Cole (Notre Dame Catholic Elementary School); Charlie Appleton (St. Paul Catholic Elementary School); Noah Debicki (Holy Family Parish); Medina Omar (London Muslim Mosque);
Back Row L-R Kate Anderson (St. Aidan’s Anglican Church); Wareesha Khattak (St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School); Mekhi Norcross West London Alliance Church); Jayla Norcross (West London Alliance Church); Noor Farooqi (Oakridge Secondary School); Marc Chevarie (Scouts Canada – 70th London)
2022 Program
Our 6th Recognition Celebration was held on Wednesday April 27 2022 at Innovation Works in downtown London. With volunteer opportunities still limited due to COVID 19, we were pleased to be able to honour 9 awesome young people for their selfless contributions. Our own Optimist member, Councillor Steve Lehman, spoke on behalf of the City of London to thank our honourees. We were again fortunate to have Glen Pearson co-director of the London Food Bank as our guest speaker.
From L-R: Emma Shenouda (St Paul’s Coptic Orthodox Church), Caleb Postma (West London Alliance Church), Huda Sallam (London Muslim Mosque), Danté FosterdelMundo (Oakridge Secondary School), Julie Kim (Oakridge Presbyterian Church), Ellie Park (Oakridge Presbyterian Church), Charlie Appleton (St Paul’s Catholic elementary School)
Absent: Pano Fragis (St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School), Stavro Fragis (St Thomas Aquinas Secondary school)
2021 Program
This program has been suspended due to COVID-19
2020 Program
Our presentation was cancelled due to COVID restrictions but we honoured 14 outstanding honourees individually. Congratulations to Garret Micks, Avery Wyant, Rachael Wright, Sophie Charlebois, Amaani Sahib, Katie Bell, Matheson Ebel, Adam Reid, Mony Madiol, Seth Townshend, Nate Appleton, Lydia Farag, Eric Trudell and Kristianna Toth. Have a look at their biographies and more here.
Front Row: Kate Martin (Notre Dame School), Maia Ivanisevic (Matthews Hall School), Arielle Tucker (Ecole Marie-Curie), Clora Bang (Oakridge Presbyterian Church), Noor Farooqi (Eagle Heights School), April Pinch (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints).
Back Row: Erin Kirwin (Riverside United Church), Mustfah Madlol (Oakridge Secondary School), Jude Dieleman (London Christian Academy), Nicholas Gutierrez-Moreno (Holy Family Parish), Caelan Parker (70th London Scout Group), Mac Stanley (West London Alliance Church), Sam Humphrey (Clara Brenton School), Iain Stevenson (St. Aidan’s Anglican Church), Pierre Ibrahim (St. Paul’s Coptic Orthodox Church) .
Missing from photo: Julia Alias (St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School) and Isaac Metron (Oakridge Optimist Baseball).
2019 Program
Our 4th annual Youth Volunteer Recognition Program presentation was a tremendous success. The evening had many highlights ranging from our mayor, Ed Holder, handing out certificates on behalf of the city to one of our recipients performing an original song. The night finished off with one of our recipients, Mustfah Madlol, being our guest speaker. It was a true celebration of our youth in our community. We celebrated the accomplishments of 17 phenomenal young people. Click here to see the booklet.
Congratulations to all. Front row from left Abdullah Al-Jarad, Tyne Townshend, Mackenzie Carvalho, Allison Duncan, Sarah Cupit, Sarah Bignell, Andria Gioiosa. Back row from left Sophie Hersey, Olivia Gioiosa, MaddieMcCready, Emma Wilton, Athena Bikas, Anya Goulem, Sara El-Laham, Marcus Robinson, Jack Goettling, Owen Davies, Adele St. John. Unable to attend the ceremony and not pictured was Matthew Wright.
2018 Program
We celebrated the activities and achievements of 19 young people in the Oakridge community on April 25th, 2018 at Innovation Works. Our guest speaker was Glen Pearson of the London Food Bank. Each nominee was listed with a brief biography in our brochure, was given a framed certificate of recognition and a donation was made by our club in their name to a charity of their choice. Click here to see the booklet.
Front row: Dahlia Sullivan (John Dearness School), Katie King (56th Pathfinders), Emma Kirwin (Riverside United Church), Kennedy Porter (St. Paul School), Cara Suggett (Oakridge Optimist Soccer).
Back row (standing): Mazlynne Wilbee (Clara Brenton School), Anne Sullivan (Ecole Marie-Curie), Luqman Kharrat (London Muslim Mosque), Nathan Mitchell (West London Alliance Church), Nicholas La Forge (Oakridge Optimist Baseball), Justyn Reid (Oakridge Presbyterian Church), Het Mehta (Oakridge Secondary School), Nooraiz Noorani (Matthews Hall), Taryn Soper (Riverside School), Laura Flynn (Holy Family Parish), Emma Chaddock (Notre Dame School).
Missing from photo: Eiffie Cahill (St. Aidan's Anglican Church), Kamil Kata (St.Thomas Aquinas Secondary School). Click here to see the booklet.
2017 program
Our second event was held on April 26, 2017 and we recognized 18 young volunteers from the Oakridge community.
Congratulations to Tyler, Yardy, Laurel Batch, Luis Neves, Rebecca Myette, Tasha Buckley, Owen Thompson, Kathleen Ward, Ryan Theoret, Evan Malcomson, Varun Shah, Jaden Arnold, Hassan Yusuf, Christopher Veilleux, Amanda Keys, Spencer Jeffreys, Annaliesa Hughes and Tim Magwood. The Oakridge Optimist Club made a $350 donation to the charity of choice for each honouree. You can learn a little more about each of them and their volunteer efforts by looking at the attached booklet.
2016 Program
We held our first event to honour 17 young members of our community for their outstanding volunteer activity at a ceremony at FireRock Golf Club on Wednesday, April 6, 2016.