After an exhausting day at school or work, it’s good to go home and kick off your shoes and sit back. Maybe flip through the channels and sip some tea as you contemplate that essay that’s due real soon. Yes, this is your time. The period between after school and before study time. As a hardworking student, you have a right to spend your leisure time as you wish.

One group of students uses their free time to help others.  They aren’t munching on a bag of Doritos or shooting some hoops with a friend. The volunteers of the United Way Youth Council put their in-between-time to good use.

These serious teens meet every other Saturday and Monday of the month where they discuss fundraising opportunities and learn about the many organizations that the United Way funds. They also have the chance to sign up for different volunteering opportunities with many of the United Way’s partner agencies.

While you may be sitting idle and playing on your laptop, the United Way spends their personal hours giving back to the community. For many students, United Way Youth Council has been a constant throughout their high school careers. Some students even join in their freshman year and continue until they graduate from high school.

The group of teens that make up the council is wide and diverse. Many high schools, cultures, and personalities are represented. This unique and interesting blend does not diminish the unity and friendship within the group; the diversity often brings the young adults closer together.

“The Youth Council accomplishes a lot every year,” Marcie Williams, United Way Youth Leaders’ adviser explains. “Even when they have totally different ideas on how or what to do, I am always impressed with them.  I mean, these kids are giving up their time to help the community when they could be doing other things.”