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Group Makes Its Mark

Tribune photo by JAY NOLAN

Brittany Hines, from the Town N Country Youth Council, makes a holiday poster recently for Rocky Creek Village at the Town N Country Recreation Center. The group of energetic kids has a hand in all sorts of local projects.

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 24, 2008

TOWN 'N COUNTRY - You don't have to know any members of the Town 'N Country Youth Council to see a bit of their handiwork.

Just check out the lantana growing near Town and Country Elementary, holiday cards at holiday lane in Upper Tampa Bay Park, or the stands of trees along the Town 'N Country Greenway.

Perhaps you've seen them in action: cleaning up yards at a grandparents' day at Rocky Creek Village; doling out supplies to poor children at a back-to-school fair; picking up during a pond cleanup in Twelve Oaks.

These are just a few of the places where the group of teenagers has left its mark.

Rob Gamester, one of the co-founders of the youth group, estimates the kids have done the equivalent of a quarter-million dollars worth of work over the past several years.

They've had a hand in so many worthwhile projects, Gamester said he often tells the youths: "Your DNA is all over Town 'N Country."

The council year runs from May through June, with meetings on the first Sunday monthly at 2 p.m. at the Town 'N Country Recreation Center.

That's when they plan upcoming projects and events.

"They make the decisions. They really have ownership over this," said Cherie Denham, the Hillsborough County liaison for the youth council. "They're very committed."

During a recent meeting, their enthusiasm was obvious.

Kids lined up to sign up: To march in the Veterans Day Parade, to give tours of a new library, to make holiday posters for Rocky Creek Village, to work at the Festival of Lights.

They decide what projects they want to do and which ones they might not want to do again.

Stephen Holiman, 17, said he joined the group because his parents forced him to. He stayed because it's fun and he's made good friends.

Katie Baron, the group's president, also joined years ago and will miss it when she graduates.

"It gives us opportunities to get involved in our community which, as corny as it sounds, it's a lot of fun," she said.

Claudia Beran's daughter, Colleen, is also a member of the group. She thinks it's a valuable experience for kids.

"It opens their eyes to know that there are people less fortunate than them," she said. "It just teaches them that we're here to serve other people."

The group even has some influence.

When the community was seeking ideas for the Town 'N Country Commons project, they turned to this group for ideas on what the teen room at the new library should include.

A lot of the work they do is in response to requests from community organizations, Denham said.

Members live in Town 'N Country and range in age from 12 to 18. They attend numerous schools: Alonso, Leto, Sickles, Hillsborough, Robinson and Jefferson high schools, Incarnation Catholic School and Davidson, Smith and Webb middle schools.

"We have four sets of siblings," Denham said.

A lot of the kids join the group because it's a good way for them to earn the community service hours they need to qualify for scholarships, or to meet their school's graduation requirements, Denham said.

"A lot of kids that are in honors programs; they have to have certain types of hours, not just community. Not just landscaping or environmental. They have to have creative hours, where they are creating something artistic," Denham said.

The kind of help they provide runs the gamut.

In May, they were at Upper Tampa Bay Park, collecting fish in the bay to feed to the fish they have in the aquariums at the park.

They helped with the fall festival at The Children's Home.

"That was fun," Denham said. "The kids, they love to work with smaller children. Anytime they're working with little kids, that's just their thing.

The kids sign up for as much or as little as they want to do each month.

"We understand that they are teenagers. This is high school. It's their fun time. If they're not able to make it, we understand that they have other commitments," Denham said.

At the same the time, when the kids are out in the community, the council adheres to a code of conduct.

"We tell them, 'You can listen to your iPod if you're gardening, but not if you're interacting with the community.'

"If they're texting their friends or calling their friends, they can do it on a break, but if we're serving people we consider them customers. We don't want to ignore our customers."

Denham said she rarely has to do more than gently prod them to be courteous.

With technology so commonplace, it's easy for kids to forget how offensive it can be when they're talking on their cell phones, or listening to their iPods, when they're supposed to be tending to others.

Over the course of her involvement with the group, Denham said she has noticed one thing that seems to be universal with teenagers: "They like to sleep late."

So, when they're scheduling activities, she avoids the early morning hours - if possible.

"In the summer, if we're doing something outdoors, we really try to plan it in the morning before the heat of the day sets in.

"If it's flexible, I'll try to make it maybe 10."

The group's annual budget is about $2,000. Much of it is self-generated dues of $5 twice a year and fundraisers, such as car washes and hot dog sales. Some money comes from donations by businesses.

The money goes for pizza for their monthly meetings and T-shirts they wear to events.

They also get occasional rewards - going to Wet 'n Wild in Orlando, to the Florida State Fair and even to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game.

Once in awhile, a kid will get lazy and won't want to do his or her share of the work, Denham said.

She doesn't worry about it.

"It's set up in a way where the kids govern themselves," she said. "It's a positive peer pressure."

If somebody is slacking off, causing others to work harder, the slacker doesn't get credit for the hours, Denham said.

The group also forbids foul language and fighting, she said.

Besides giving them a place where their opinion counts and their work is appreciated, the council offers youths other benefits, Denham said.

The experience prepares the youths for work, she said. "We do have uniforms. We have boundaries."

Beyond that, though, it gives them a taste of the satisfaction that comes from volunteering.

"It is a gratification that you can't get anywhere else," said Denham, who developed her appreciation for volunteer work during her youth, while helping at her church. "It is very, very fulfilling."

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

For those wanting to

volunteer, call Cherie Denham at (813) 363-1556.

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