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Amazing Kids! of the MonthAmazing Kids! is proud to highlight the Amazing Kids! of the Month! Each month, we showcase kids who are accomplishing amazing things. We hope that by telling their special stories, we will inspire other kids to accomplish their own amazing achievements. |
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Amazing Kids! of the Month for March, 2006:
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| Chardonnay Houlette (right), Amazing
Kids! PenPal, Youth Ambassador and "Washin' for the Weary" founder, and little sister helping wash personal belongings for hurricane survivors |
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Quotes of the Month |
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"So often, children are left out of the loop in the recovery process for disasters. They want to help and yet don’t think that they can or they do not know how. It is so important that we make them feel needed and a part of the recovery, because they are. By acknowledging their value, it gives them a since of self worth. My daughter Chardonnay has not stopped volunteering her time since Katrina hit, but it hit home. She lives and breathes the disaster because it was in her backyard. So often children want to help but distance prevents it. My daughter has been working with a great organization, Amazing Kids!, which allows any child who wants to be a part, fill that void. Please see the attached flyer. My daughter Chardonnay Houlette, Miss Louisiana Jr. National Teenager, is the Amazing Kids! Youth Ambassador for Louisiana and their 'Amazing Kids PenPals for Hurricane Survivors' program. We would greatly appreciate it if you would post or circulate the attached so the children in your area can be matched with displaced children simply needing a friend." |
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| Pam Garland Quinlan, AKOM Chardonnay Houlette's mother |
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| "Hi Mrs. Alyse. This is Chardonnay...I have finally decided
to
return to my humble home after 4 weeks of being gone! [due to Hurricane
Katrina]...I just wanted to give a big thanks for everything you are
doing for my community...if there is anything I can do to help please
let me know...well I'm going to sign off now because I have not had a
good hot cooked meal, watch television, or simply smell something other
than sheetrock dust...and boy does home sweet home smell nice..." "Your pen pal program has made a BIG difference in many peoples lives and has given me the opportuity to speak out about not only pen pals for Hurricane Katrina but many other issues that concern our community as well and I can't thank you enough for that..." |
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| Amazing Chardonnay Houlette, age 15 founder of "Washin' for the Weary;"Amazing Kids! PenPal to a hurricane survivor; Amazing Kids! Youth Ambassador for the state of Louisiana; and Miss Louisiana Junior National Teenager, 2006. |
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| "Being an Amazing Kids! PenPal to a hurricane survivor, I have learned that there are families that are a lot less fortunate than us. It makes me feel good about myself to know that I am helping and supporting someone in many ways. Just taking a little bit of time to write to someone who needs a friend can make them happy, and let them know that somebody cares." | ||||||||
| Amazing Jason Huska, age 13, Amazing Kids! Youth Ambassador along with brother Adam, age 14; both celebrated their Bar Mitzvahs by donating their time and part of their Bar Mitzvah money to support hurricane survivors through the Amazing Kids! PenPals program . |
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"There is something to be said about raising money for those in need. Yes, that is good. But to actually go to the people and help them is humbling and inspiring." "Sometimes when you start something, you end up someplace you never expected. You can't always see the bigger picture until it's right in front of you." "Please tell your amazing kids to keep working, but also to remember to go the extra mile, even when you think it's not possible. Tell them to believe...because in believing, dreams come true." |
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| Dorianne Hennessy, mother to Amazing
Brendan Hennessy, age 9; founder of Little Hands, Big Hearts; current and former AKOM, April 2005 |
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| "With love, You sustain the living; with great compassion give life to all. You send help to the falling and healing to the sick; You bring freedom to the captive and keep faith with those who sleep in the dust." | ||||||||
| Excerpt from a Jewish Shabbat evening
prayer service (quote suggested by Lori Zisook, Jason and Adam Huska's mother) |
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In late August and early September 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita wreaked havoc on the Central Gulf coast of the United States and the lives of its residents. Most of the nation, and much of the world, watched as the tragedy unfolded on television, while many people in the Central Gulf states lost loved ones and friends, and were left without homes or personal belongings. Many were forced to move to a different town or state. As a result, many children lost touch with their friends. Sadly, many children survivors of the hurricanes today still do not know where many of their friends are. So many, many people, including children, were deeply touched by the images of the hurricane areas which they saw on television and in the newspapers. Many were moved to action, wishing to offer their help in aiding those affected in any way possible. It is a testament to the amazing compassion and heart of the American people,and others around the world, that so many people came to the aid of the survivors. It is both heart-warming and inspiring to know that so many
children volunteered to help out. Some
started collection drives as their schools or elsewhere in their
communities, donating clothing, books, toys, school supplies. Some
opened their homes and hearts to hurricane affected families. Some
washed the flood-soaked clothes and other belongings of survivors.
Still others registered to become pen pals to children survivors of the
hurricane, through the Amazing Kids!
PenPals program, finding it was a simple,
but meaningful way to let children hurricane survivors know that
someone was thinking of them and cared. This month, Amazing Kids! is honored to share the stories of several of these "Amazing Young Hurricane Heroes" who have been working hard to help brighten the lives of hurricane survivors in the Gulf region. Read their story below, and who knows? You just might be inspired to join their efforts too! And don't forget, if you, or a young person (or persons!) you know, has an amazing project you are involved in, or a special skill, talent or ability you want to tell the world about, be sure to let Amazing Kids! know about it! Teachers are invited to nominate their entire classroom and the amazing projects they are working on too! Simply complete our online nomination form for the Amazing Kid! of the Month award, or email us! |
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Amazing Young Hurricane Heroes
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Chardonnay Houlette,
Founder, Washin' for the Weary and Amazing Kids! Youth Ambassador and
PenPal; Louisiana
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| Chardonnay Houlette, age 15; Founder,
Washin' for the Weary; Miss Louisiana Jr. National Teenager, 2006; Amazing Kids! Youth Ambassador for Louisiana and Amazing Kids! PenPal to a hurricane survivor |
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Meet Amazing Chardonnay Houlette, age 15, of Louisiana. Chardonnay is the current Miss Louisiana Jr. National Teenager, 2006, and is an Amazing Kids! Youth Ambassador. Although Amazing Chardonnay and her family were themselves victims of Hurricane Katrina, they were fortunate to have sustained minimum damage to their home. Though they did have damage to their home, and her younger sister Shea, age 5, lost all of her clothes when her father's home was flooded,that didn't stop Chardonnay and Shea from taking action to help those who were hardest hit by the hurricane. Immediately after the hurricane, Chardonnay began a program
called "Washin' for the Weary," visiting neighbors homes and washing
their personal belongings which remained once the floodwaters had
receded. Chardonnay knew it was important to clean the items, to
remove any disease-causing bacteria left by the floodwaters. Her mother says: "Chardonnay is extremely active in her school and use to public speaking. This week, she is helping a hurricane victim tear sheetrock out of a house; she impresses me every time I turn around." "Chardonnay
and Jena [Amazing Kids!
Youth Ambassador from Georgia] traveled to a number of schools
promoting the AK PenPals
for Hurricane Survivors program and have been very active. Chardonnay
was asked to speak to at Jena's school in Winder, Georgia to the Anchor
Club and she really enjoyed doing so." Chardonnay recently met with Louisiana Governor about
the Amazing Kids! PenPalsfor Hurricane Survivors program. (see photo below) Way to
go, Chardonnay! Earlier this month, Chardonnay emailed Amazing Kids! to give
an update on her work as the Amazing Kids! Youth Ambassador for
Louisiana. She says: "Your pen pal program has made a BIG difference in many peoples lives and has given me the opportuity to speak out about not only pen pals for Hurricane Katrina but many other issues that concern our community as well and I can't thank you enough for that..."
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Amazing Kids! Youth Ambassador Chardonnay
Houlette meeting with
Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to discuss the Amazing Kids! PenPals for Hurricane Survivors program. Back to Table of Contents |
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Jena Sims, Amazing Kids! Youth Ambassador and Amazing Kids! PenPal; Georgia
PenPals for Hurricane Survivors program Another Amazing Kids! Youth Ambassador is Jena Sims, age 16, from Georgia. Jena has been an amazing help in encouraging students in Georgia--and beyond--to register to become Amazing Kids! PenPals to hurricane survivors. Our April 2004 Amazing Kid! of the Month for her work supporting the American Cancer Society, Jena was also named the 2005 Miss Junior National Teenager, Kohl's Kids Who Care State Winner, and a 2005 Build-a-Bear "Huggable Hero," (appearing on the cover of their 2006 calendar!) As an Amazing Kids! Youth Ambassador, Jena has helped Amazing Kids! to register hundreds of students from throughout Georgia and around the country by not only posting messages on her website (www.ornaments4cure.org) and pageant message boards, but by visiting schools and student organizations and clubs in her area to speak about the PenPals program and encourage them to sign up via the online information and registration page: www.amazing-kids.org/AKPenPals.html. Teaming up with Chardonnay, the two of them spent an entire week visiting schools and student groups in her area to promote the PenPals program. Talk about amazing! Amazing Kids! received more registrations for the program than in any other week! Keep up the great work, Jena! |
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| Action Day and
Primaries Plus Dance Students, founder "Soul Mates" and Amazing Kids!
PenPals to Hurricane Survivors at Estelle Elementary School in
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; California |
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Some of the ornaments
created by Amazing Kids! PenPals at Action Day Primaries Plus Dance
Academy, including decorated dance shoes and copies of their letters
to
their Amazing Kids! PenPals at Estelle Elementary in Jefferson Parish,
LA
In December of last year, 2005, dance students at Action Day Primaries Plus Dance Academy from San Jose, California, registered with the Amazing Kids! PenPals for Hurricane Survivors program, hoping to become pen pals for students who were hurricane survivors. Amazing Kids! connected them with students at Estelle Elementary School in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, and who are very brave survivors of the hurricanes. The dance students at Action Day Primaries Plus immediately set to work on a very special Christmas project in honor of their new pen pals at Estelle. First, they sat down and wrote letters to their new pen pals at Estelle. Here are some of their thoughts they included in their letters: "I felt really good writing to the children of Katrina, because they must be lonely and they need our friendship." Inna S. "I thought that the kids felt bad about what happened. It made me feel good to write a letter. So, I hope you feel better.", Keshae H. "I hop you fill Better." By Keshae H. (1st grade) "Dear Friend, I am Inna. I want to be your Pen pal. I hope you're feeling great at this moment. I am sorry about Hurricane Katrina. I want to be your penpal to keep you company. What is your name? how old are you? I hope you are feeling loved. Remembet I am your friend and I'm here to give you love." Love, Inna S. (4th grade) Then, as part of the yearly "Christmas in the Park" festival in downtown San Jose, the kids decorated a tree in honor of their new pen pals. They laminated copies of the letters they sent to their pen pals and made Christmas ornaments out of them and put them on their tree. Calling their project "Sole Mates," they decorated 25 pairs of dance shoes to hang on the tree as well. Finally, to honor of their new pen pals from Estelle Elementary, they laminated their pen pals personal stories about their experiences in the hurricanes, called the "Hurricane Chronicles," and put them around the base of the tree. Here is a letter Amazing Kids! received from the director of the dance school, Suzette Alvarado, describing their "Soul Mates" project in more detail: Dear Alyse,
Thank you for helping our dance students find Estelle Elementary school students to foward their "Soul Mates" pen pal letters to...I am putting a booklet together to send them. I look foward to meeting you at the tree lighting ceremony. Our official tree is number 88....you won't have trouble finding it, as the 25 pairs of be-jeweled and glittered dance shoes along with the wonderful letters on gold and silver paper will radiate our location...We are inviting two of our students to attend the lighting ceremony...as I'd like to include pictures to send with the book of letters ...and pictures for you to post on your web site. Elaina and I will be decorating our tree on Friday morning and will be meeting with the two students and their families at 5:30p.m. at our tree...Under the tree we will place a decorated dance shoe for each of the students whose letters tell of their Katrina experience ....we would like to mail the shoes as a memento for them to keep as a reminder of their letters' place of honor at "Christmas in the Park".....I thank you again for facilitating our event and also for the "Amazing Kids!".....website....such a great service.... Best regards, Suzette Alvarado |
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| Amazing Kids! PenPals from Action Day/Primaries Plus Dance School in San Jose, California, posing in front of the Christmas tree they decorated with their fellow dance students. Pictured here with Amazing Kids! founder Alyse Rome | ||||||||
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| Some of the ornaments on the Action Day
dance school's tree in downtown San Jose, California's Christmas in the
Park display. |
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Here is the poem below:
Be sure to read the highly moving "Hurricane Chronicles" written by the students at Estelle Elementary School. The Estelle students are our December 2005 Amazing Kids! of the Month, in a story entitled: "Amazing Young Hurricane Survivors." |
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| Adam and Jason Huska, Amazing Kids! Youth Ambassadors and PenPals; Illinois
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| Adam and
Jason Huska, Youth
Ambassadors; Northbrook, Illinois
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| Adam and Jason Huska are two 13-year-old
brothers in Northbrook, Illinois. When they heard about the
destruction caused by the hurricanes, they searched for ways in which
they could help. They heard about Amazing Kids! and the Amazing Kids! PenPals for Hurricane Survivors program and immediately registered to become pen pals. In addition, they offered to help Amazing Kids! spread the word about the PenPals program in their area. As a result, they become Amazing Kids! Youth Ambassadors for Illinois. As they were in the middle of planning their Bar Mitzvah ceremonies, they made plans to include information about the Amazing Kids! PenPals program at their ceremonies. (A Bar Mitzvah is a Jewish religious ceremony that initiates a 13-year-old boy and recognizes a boy as a "bar mitzvah," someone considered an adult and responsible for his moral and religious duties.) The boys printed flyers about the PenPals program and sold bracelets to help raise money to help the hurricane survivors. They even donated part of their gift money to help survivors. Here is an excerpt from Adam's Bar Mitzvah speech: "One of my most important responsibilities is now performing Mitzvot [a worthy deed]. I am sure that you all know about the devastating hurricanes that swept through the south this year. Everybody that we knew, even our schools, were making contributions to any relief fund they could find. Jason and I decided that instead of just sending supplies, we wanted to make a personal connection with a hurricane survivor. We found an organization called Amazing Kids!, which offers educational programs and projects to kids across the country, through their website. Teenagers and pre-teens are provided with positive peer role models in a variety of ways. Jason and I signed up for the Amazing Kids! Pen Pals for Hurricane Survivors... This division of the program was developed to help kids who had been affected by the hurricane find new friends who would give them support during this time. There are currently an estimated 370,000 displaced students from Hurricane Katrina alone." Adam and Jason's mother Lori Zisook has been incredibly supportive and has spent countless hours working to help families affected by the hurricanes. She offered the following quote, taken from a Jewish Shabbat evening prayer service, as a way of offering inspiration and hope to those affected by the devastation in the wake of the hurricanes: "With love, You sustain the
living; with great compassion
give life to all. You send help to the falling and healing to the sick;
You bring freedom to the captive and keep faith with those who sleep in
the dust."
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| Julia Serao, age 10, Founder of a Teddy Bear Drive for Hurricane Katrina Kids |
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Julia asked families in her school to donate new or gently loved stuffed animals to her collection. She set up a box in the lobby of her middle school, and designed fliers which were sent home with every child at the school. Julia asked to book a Build-a-Bear party at the local mall. She asked their local Cooperative Extension if they would sponsor the bear party, and they agreed. Being sponsored by a 501(c)3 organization enabled Build-a-Bear to offer a tax-free, 20% discount to anyone building a bear at Julia's party. With the help of the 4-H at the Cooperative Extension, press releases were sent to the local media, and the party was opened to the public. Julia and her family distributed fliers at the mall inviting people to build a bear for the Katrina Kids. Julia was ultimately able to collect over 200 new and used stuffed animals. The toys were shipped to the Hebert family, friends living in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Breaux Bridge is an area which hosted thousands of evacuees and their children. Cindy Hebert, with the help of her husband Rocky, and their sons, James, 13, and Randall, 10, helped coordinate the distribution of the bears through Ms. Rebecca Clark, the 4-H leader at Parks Middle School, in Parks, Louisiana. With the enrollment of the evacuee children, the census of their school has doubled. Even more evacuee children are enrolled at the elementary and high schools, and many preschool children and infants are waiting with their families for help to relocate. These are the children who received the stuffed animals
donated to Julia’s Teddy Bear Drive. Julia's mother says: "Although there won’t be enough for every child, Julia knows that she, and her community, have made it possible to give 300 children something soft and secure to hold onto, and that makes Julia’s heart happy. Thank you again to all of you that made this project possible. "We are very proud of Julia's initiative and perseverance in getting this project done largely on her own." |
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Brendan Hennessy,
Founder "Big Hearts, Little Hands," Donor of Plush Toys to Hurricane
Survivors; New Jersey
Amazing 9 year old Brendan
Hennessy is not new to helping survivors of natural disasters. In
fact, Brendan was featured in April of 2005 as our Amazing Kids! of the
Month for the wonderful work he did in founding his organization "Big
Hearts Little Hands," which collected plush toys for the survivors of
last year's tsunami in Sri Lanka.
Due to civil war in that country, Brendan was forced to change his plans, as the war made it difficult for him to ship his over 5,500 plush toys to that country. But after Hurricane Katrina struck last September, amazing Brendan soon came up with an alternative plan: he and his family would travel to Texas to personally deliver the toys to children who were survivors of the hurricane. But as you'll read below in the touching personal account by his mother Dorianne, Hurricane Rita once again forced them to adjust their plans... Here is amazing Brendan's story, as told by his mother Dorianna Hennessy: ''I just wanted to touch base with you again and let you in on our adventures in Texas, All 20 pallets of our things [plush toys] arrived in Texas on September 20th. We were set to leave for Houston on September 24th...however Hurricane Rita had other plans. And because of that, the Astrodome, which was were we were going to go hand out Brendan's bears, was evacuated and all the people were sent to Arkansas!!!! Now we have 5500 bears in Texas and no evacuees..It was looking grim. After Rita hit. we were unable to find out about the bears and their survival for four days. However, we were set to leave for Houston on the 29th no matter what. And we did.
"We sat in shelters and campsites. We handed out hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of bears to kids and adults. We got to tell them our story of where we came from and how thousands of kids from across the country sent these bears to cheer them and let them know that there are so many who care about them. We got to see them smile and play and we knew that we had done the right thing. I have to say it was a life altering experience. Brendan was overwhelmed and told us time and time again about how good his heart felt as we did this.
"There is something to be said about raising money for those in need. Yes, that is good. But to actually go to the people and help them is humbling and inspiring. I am so proud that my 9 year old son lead us on this path. Sometimes when you start something you end up someplace you never expected. You can't always see the bigger picture till it's right in front of you. Little did we know that in the long run Brendan was meant to help the Rita victims. He was meant to experience that for some greater purpose that I am sure we will see in the future.He has amazed us all and done it with such grace and purity. He was so sad for so long thinking that he had let so many kids down. In the end he said, 'We did it. We made kids smile.' he didn't say much more...he didn't need to. "Please tell your amazing kids to keep working, but also to remember to go the extra mile; even when you think it's not possible, tell them to believe...because in believing, dreams come true." |
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D.J. Sconyers,
Founder, USA Backpack Friendship Project; Texas
After seeing the devastation caused by the hurricanes late last summer (2005), he was moved to start a new Friendship project, the USA Backpack Friendship Project. A former resident of Florida, and a survivor of Hurricane Ivan, D.J. is no stranger to hurricanes and the havoc they can wreak. He says: "I wanted to extend a hand of friendship to the people in the U.S. that were affected by the hurricanes. I decided instead of just sending books I would send all kinds of things for school."
backpacks and materials he collected to donate to hurricane survivors He rallied his family, friends and businesses and even friends and acquaintences overseas as far away as Switzerland to help him in his cause. As a result, D.J. was able to raise over $1,000 for school supplies, which he and his family used to fill 130 backpacks. They then donated the backpacks to children who were hurricane survivors through the help of the Salvation Army in Arlington, Texas near their home.
by D.J. to help kids who are hurricane survivors D.J. has continued his efforts, and has been raising additional money and collecting additional supplies for even more backpacks to be donated to the Salvation Army so they may distribute them. Not surprisingly, D.J. has received a lot of recognition for all of his amazing efforts, including being featured in a recent book entitled "Friendliness," about friendly kids, as well as in articles in local newspapers such as the Arlington, Texas Star-Telegram, and an appearance in the Disney Channel's "Check This Kid Out!" spot which aired last year. Amazing Kids! salutes D.J., and all the other amazing kids featured here, and their amazing efforts to help the hurricane survivors! Your hard work and compassion has helped brighten the lives of so many young survivors of the hurricanes. You are an inspiration! Never stop believing you can make a difference! |
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| <--Back to the Top | ||||||||
| <-- Back to the Amazing Kids! of the Month Index | ||||||||
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| A Special Message from Amazing Kids! for all you kids: | ||||||||
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It's no secret...every person has an "amazing-ness" inside of them, just waiting to be discovered. (Sometimes we just need a little help in finding out what that "amazing-ness" is!) If you are doing some amazing things too, we want to hear about it! Send us your stories about your amazing accomplishments, so we can tell the world just how amazing you are! We are always looking for new stories. And don't be shy! We'd love to hear from you! |
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| Here's an idea you might want to try: | ||||||||
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WHY NOT HELP OTHERS SEE THEIR OWN POTENTIAL? If you know someone who needs a little encouragement, why not tell them what you think is special about them? Maybe you can be the one to help them uncover their own special talents! Amazing Kids! is looking for teens to be Amazing Teen Volunteers and Ambassadors . If you'd like to join Amazing Kids! in helping to spread the word, please email us at: info@amazing-kids.org HELP US SPREAD THE WORD: It's cool to be an Amazing Kid! |
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