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queen of peace student named top youth volunteer for 2009

Story and photo by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

An eighth-grader at Our Lady Queen of Peace School in Belleville was one of two young people in Illinois named as the top youth volunteer for 2009 by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

Madelyn McGlynn, 14 received recognition for her work with animals.

The award is part of a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism.
The awards program is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

As a state honoree, Madelyn will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion, and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C.

In Washington she will join other honorees from each state and the District of Columbia for several days of national recognition events. Ten of them will be named America’s top youth volunteers for 2009 at that time.
Madelyn co-founded an annual art contest for the Belleville Area Humane Society when she was in third grade, and has served as its co-chairman ever since.

As a long-time volunteer at the Humane Society, Madelyn has seen firsthand how many abused and homeless animals need help in her community.

“Raising awareness is one way to help homeless animals,” she said. “I wanted to make people understand how bad the animal overpopulation in our country is.”

Madelyn decided to concentrate on elementary-school students, and figured that an art contest would be a good way to teach them about the issue in a fun way.

Each year, she helps to create a theme for the contest, write rules, persuade schools to participate, solicit business sponsorships, and present prizes to the winners.

This year, she also headed the judging committee, which reviewed more than 1,100 pieces of art from students at 15 schools.

The contest has educated thousands of young people about homeless animals, and it also has prompted some participating classrooms to collect pet food and other supplies for the Humane Society.
It has motivated individual students to volunteer at the society’s shelter.

Many of these students have even adopted pets.