Donations

Why should you support the Rye Youth Council?

At the 2012 MVP Gala, our High School Youth Advocate Casey Carlucci DeCola gave a short speech that touches on some of the important reasons why people donate their time, talents and money to the RYC. The text of her speech is printed below. Please join us in our goal to "create compassionate and confident youth" in Rye and beyond!

I am honored to stand before you this evening to report to you what your generosity and commitment has made possible.

Because of You: Teens were able to leave abusive dating relationships and were prevented from becoming one of the growing fatality statistics.

Because of You: Some teens have decided to walk away from self-destructive behaviors and stopped drinking and doing drugs.

Because of You: Teens who were struggling with body image issues are getting help to turn their lives around.

Because of You: Rye High School students use their language skills to teach Spanish speaking immigrants at the Don Bosco Center in neighboring Port Chester how to speak English and these students give them the skills to help them function productively in American society.

Because of You: Students have learned the dangers that exist online and how to make decisions to protect themselves from online predators and cyberbullies.

Because of You: Teens learn to recognize the warning signs of depression, mental illness and suicide in themselves and others.

Because of You: Teens are learning how to handle bullying and other relationship issues.

Because of You: Teens now know that an abusive relationship is not simply characterized by physical abuse.  They now know that emotional, sexual, technological and financial abuse can be part of the vicious cycle.

Because of You: Rye teens now educate a group of Milton School 3^rd graders about exclusion and bullying and how to handle difficult social situations.

Because of You: Twenty Rye teens work with senior citizens of the Wartburg Nursing Home in Mount Vernon each month in mutually beneficial activities that promote intergenerational connections.

Because of You: Rye has the opportunity to host a full day workshop for students in both private and public schools to come together to discuss prejudice, tolerance and acceptance and what we need to do to create a welcoming community for all.

Because of You: Rye teens are exposed to poverty and deprivation of the less fortunate in other parts of the world which they work to combat by raising money and collecting school supplies and other necessities like toothbrushes and toothpaste for a Mayan community living in the jungles of Mexico.

This is just a small sampling of the many worthwhile programs and services that the Rye Youth Council makes available to the youth and families of Rye.  I thank you for all you do to help make a difference both locally and globally. 

You can download our Donation Form here.