Andrea Nevins is MFi's youth volunter of the year

ANDREA NEVINS - MEDFIELD FOUNDATION'S YOUTH VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR 2014

The Medfield Foundation proudly recognizes Andrea Nevins as its 2014 Youth Volunteer of the Year for her initiation of the Miss Amazing Massachusetts event this past year.

Other organizations where Andrea volunteers:

• Medfield High School Student Council
• Governor Patrick's Project 351 Alumni Leadership Council
• Boston Cares Teen Advisory Council
• Best Buddies
• Special Olympics
• Nashoba Valley Adaptive skiing volunteer instructor

The Miss Amazing is a national celebration of girls and  young women with disabilities, conducted in twenty-five states, which provides an opportunity to demonstrate the participants’ confidence and self-esteem in a safe and supporting environment.  Participants spent the day in fun activities, conducted interviews with event moderators and spent the evening providing introductions of themselves, performing a special talent and crossing the stage with a volunteer escort.  Andrea initiated bringing the inaugural Miss Amazing Massachusetts event to the Blake Middle School.  Andrea recruited members to and also co-chaired each subcommittee of the event including:

• contestant sign-up, where she presented to numerous organizations (SEPAC's ARC's, Best Buddies) about the Miss Amazing pageant to encourage participation;
• fundraising, where she directly and successfully solicited support among the corporate, foundation, and Medfield community;
• publicity, where coverage was provided by Medfield Hometown Weekly, Medfield.TV, Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Fox-25 News, and participants’ local papers;
• facilities and operations, where she worked with individuals at the Town House and Blake Middle School to provide the venue and logistics for the event; and
• volunteers, where ultimately over 60 individuals participated in a meaningful way during the event.

Elements of the inaugural Massachusetts event are being used as models for other states that are launching a pageant and the Massachusetts event already inspired one in Connecticut.

Andrea's earliest volunteering started at age 12 with Boston Cares, where she cleaned public parks and schools, participated in youth programs at local Boy & Girls Clubs chapters, and assembled kits for the homeless.  Later, Andrea was instrumental in bringing the "Putting for Patients" fundraising program supporting Dana Farber to Medfield and spearheaded with another the "Spread the word to end the R Word" initiative to Blake Middle School.

Andrea Nevins and all the other extraordinary volunteers will be feted at the MFi's 2014 volunteer recognition reception from 3 -5 PM on Sunday, March 23 at The Center at Medfield, at which all are welcome.  The seventh annual MFi volunteer awards are again sponsored by the Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation, for the third year.

Medfield Foundation (www.MedfieldFoundation.org)

Medfield Foundation (www.MedfieldFoundation.org)