Huntington Beach teen volunteers recognized by Rep. Dave Min after Americorps awards paused by Trump
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Community service is an important part of the National Charity League’s Pacific Coast Chapter in Huntington Beach.
The mother-daughter organization focuses on volunteering at a number of local nonprofits. In return, the teenage girls receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award from AmeriCorps.
But that program was paused in May, after the Trump administration slashed funding for the federal agency for service and volunteerism.
While the girls weren’t volunteering for the award itself, the news was met with disappointment.
“All of these girls were working tirelessly for their volunteer hours, and we weren’t able to award them,” NCL Pacific Coast Chapter President Marianne Homer said. “All of the National Charity League chapters were like, ‘What do we do?’ One of the suggestions was to contact a local congressman.”
Rep. Dave Min (D-Irvine), who represents District 47, stepped in and 37 members of the organization were given a Congressional Certificate of Recognition on Sept. 12 at Teacher Created Materials in Huntington Beach.
The Pacific Coast Chapter volunteered 10,200 total hours last school year in and around the community, Homer said.
“All of you are showing an extraordinary commitment to serving our communities, to living the best example,” Min told the young women during a brief ceremony. “Loving thy neighbor, good works unto others, making our communities a better place, that is what you are really demonstrating at this very young age. Your service is making a real difference, and I hope this begins a tradition of service for you as you move forward in your life.”
Julia Finete, a Huntington Beach resident and senior at Mater Dei High School, was recognized as the chapter’s top volunteer after working more than 300 hours last school year. Many of those hours were spent at WisePlace in Santa Ana, which seeks to end homelessness for Orange County women who are often domestic violence survivors.
Finete, who also volunteered at the Huntington Beach Senior Center, said the pausing of the President’s Volunteer Service Award “was a bit disappointing. You don’t work toward recognition, you work toward helping people, but I feel like it was just disappointing. Honestly, I prefer this more. You’re one -on-one and you get to see Dave Min, instead of just [receiving the recognition in] the mail.”
Zovik Hovakimian, an eighth-grade student at Marine View Middle School in Huntington Beach who volunteered at several locations including Someone Cares soup kitchen and Bracken’s Kitchen, agreed.
“I very much enjoy this,” she said. “I saw [Min] on the TV, and now I can shake his hand. It’s something where I can still put it down [on my resume] and it’s still receiving something.”
About 60 members were in line to earn the President’s Volunteer Service Award, Homer said. Some of the recipients were unable to attend the ceremony as they’ve already graduated high school and are in college.
Before meeting Min, the girls assembled a special book donation for teachers at Oak View Elementary in the Teacher Created Materials warehouse.
