Note: This is part two of a two part series featuring the Ellwood City LEOs Club. Part one was published yesterday. Part two is a Q&A with the members. [VIEW PART 1]
The Ellwood City LEOs (Leadership Experience Opportunity) Club is a youth organization of the Ellwood City Lions Club and Lions International and promotes youth leadership and giving back to the community.
Since its December 2021 inception, the club has really taken off and is now 17 members strong and growing.
We wanted to take an opportunity to introduce the community to some of the youth making an impact on our community:
Current Club Officers:
Chase Ramsey
School: Lincoln Jr/Sr High School
Age: 15
Grade: 9
Why did you want to join the Leos: I wanted to do something to give back to the community that I love so I decided this was the best option for me.
Why do you feel volunteering is important: This community is so important to me, since it is such a tight knit town and the people around us are so kind and helpful.
What do you hope to accomplish in the community: To help those that are less fortunate than I am. Also, to show young people that together we can make a difference.
What would you say to those thinking about joining the club: This a great way to impact our community and meet new people.
Mara Ramsey
School: Lincoln Jr/Sr High School
Age: 17
Grade: 12
Why did you want to join the Leos: I wanted to join the Leo’s to give back to our community, gain some new skills and meet new people!
Why do you feel volunteering is important: I feel that volunteering is important because it gives me the opportunity to help the people around me and to make a difference in the community. It gives us a chance to take our eyes off of ourselves and onto other people and their needs.
What do you hope to accomplish in the community: I hope to show people that at any age they can impact others.
What would you say to those thinking about joining the club: Come to one of our meetings and take it all in! We are very welcoming and love meeting new people!
Ellie Kalantzis
School: Lincoln High school
Age: 16
Grade: 10th
Why did you want to join the Leos: I joined the leo club to volunteer, and help the community, as well as work in community service hours.
Why do you feel volunteering is important: I feel volunteering is important to help better our community and be more involved in the community.
What do you hope to accomplish in the community: I hope to accomplish bringing our community more together, and helping to overall improve our community.
What would you say to those thinking about joining the club: I would say that joining the leo club is a great way to get service hours in, a good way to meet new people, and to help become more involved in your community.
Gabriel Bungar
School: Lincoln Jr/Sr High School
Age: 18
Grade: 12
Why did you want to join the Leos: To get in some hours for community service and see this new thing students were trying to start up
Why do you feel volunteering is important: I believe there will always be people that need help in some way, shape, or form and it’s our duty to offer our able-bodied help. As a cool book I once read said, “the least will become the greatest,” and I think it’s important to humble ourselves to help others, and make them the focus.
What do you hope to accomplish in the community: Projects. Service. A good image. I think it would be a massive encouragement to not only know of an existing club in Ellwood City, but to witness an active club with the mindset we have as Leo’s in Ellwood City.
What would you say to those thinking about joining the Leos: Come to a meeting! No strings attached if you don’t want to join, but we welcome anyone who is interested to join a meeting and see how we do things. If you’re thinking about Leo’s I recommend it. It’s fun, it’s fulfilling, and it’s a place to help grow aspects of your character.
Morgan Hooker
School: Lincoln High School
Age: 17
Grade: Junior
Why did you want to join the Leos: I wanted to join the Leos to give back to my community!
Why do you feel volunteering is important: Volunteering is important because not everybody is able to do the things you can. Some people may be disabled or otherwise unable to do things, and volunteering helps those people!
What do you hope to accomplish in the community: I hope to bring the community together by hosting events that people will come to!
What would you say to those thinking about joining the club: Definitely join! Everyone in the club is super nice and it’s fun to help others!
Hunter Rock
School: Lincoln Jr./Sr. High School
Age: 17
Grade: 11th
Why did you want to join the Leos: I appreciate the base ideas that are the pillars to which this club stands on, and I wanted to be a part of the effect it has on our city.
Why is volunteering important to me: I believe volunteering implements an individual’s effectiveness as a member of the society he/she resides in, on any level: community, national, or worldwide. There are duties and obligations we all hold in this country, and doing service is just one part of the whole that makes us good citizens.
What do I hope to accomplish in the community: My wish for this club is for it to become an outlet for youth who wish to develop themselves into upstanding young adults, and eventually, the ideal specimens in our country. With pathways to grow as leaders, serve your community, organize events, and more, everything about this club will benefit the youth involved on a more personal level, and I hope that those who join this club do so for this beneficial effect. I also hope that we can impact our community by solving some problems in places that our city requires help, and I hope we can provide a cleaner, more organized, and overall healthier place to live for all residents.
What would you say to those thinking about joining Leos: If you’re on the fence about looking into this club, give it a try! As I said previously, everything this club stands for will benefit the individuals who are a part of it, so there is literally no way that it can hurt you. If you’re worried about a time commitment, or scheduling conflicts, brush that off your shoulder. We are very flexible with attendance, and while we do have relatively frequent meetings, we understand all necessary absences of members. Also, don’t think that you’re going in over your head with this club. Remember, we just became official about 3 months ago, so we are still figuring out the ropes. If anything, you could bring something new to the table that could provide us with a greater societal impact, which is precisely what we strive for. We welcome all, and we would love to include you in our club. It’s gonna be fun!
Beth Keener
School: Lincoln high school
Age: 15
Grade: 10th grade
Why did you want to join the Leos: I joined Leo’s because I love helping the community around me, and I thought the club was a great way to do it.
Why is volunteering important to me: I feel volunteering is important because there are a lot of places,like soup kitchens or women’s shelters , especially after covid , that are highly understaffed , and really need the extra volunteers to help people in need.
What do I hope to accomplish in the community: In my community, I hope to accomplish some all around hope that children of any age can make a difference in the community around them and help people in need
What would you say to those thinking about joining Leos: To those thinking about joining Leo’s, please do so if you enjoy hard work, and to help your community around you. Anyone can help no matter how big or small the project is, and everything done for the people and environment around you is important.
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