StandUp for Kids – Orange County
StandUp for Kids – Orange County would like to take a step back and spotlight the efforts of its volunteers, mentors, and donors who’ve helped make initiatives like grocery deliveries and online tutoring sessions possible even during these tumultuous times. The year 2020 hasn’t offered much in terms of stability or consistency. However, if there is a constant then it’s the persistence and tenacity of these individuals who continuously strive to better the lives of youth.
For this month, StandUp for Kids would like to highlight the work of Rich Vedas with the honor of Supporter of the Month for July 2020.
Rich is a relative newcomer to StandUp for Kids – Orange County having arrived with an extensive background in volunteering and community involvement.
For the past fifteen years, Rich was a volunteer with American Youth Soccer Organization where he coached and would later serve in an executive position where he oversaw around 1500 kids and 300 volunteers.
Satisfied with the work he had accomplished and seeking something different, Rich moved on ready for a new opportunity that allowed him to be more involved with helping youth.
“I knew that in my next volunteering stop I wanted to be a part of an organization that was trying to solve some of those big issues and was on the frontlines. “
Rich would find in StandUp for Kids an organization that shared his desire to help youths at a younger age.
“Every statistic that I’ve seen says that if you can get involved with kids early then it can really have a big impact on changing some of those negative outcomes down the road.”
Rich serves as volunteer coordinator for StandUp for Kids – Orange County where he manages both engagement and the facilitation of roles.
As the volunteer coordinator, Rich oversees all points of a volunteer’s journey with StandUp for Kids, from their first interactions at the training process to their transition into more role-specific activities. Rich helps ensure that their engagement is meaningful and purposeful.
“We’re working a lot on the processes of making that flow smoothly and figuring out ways that we can make that better with all of our volunteers,” said Rich.
As he grows into his role, Rich hopes that the volunteer program will evolve to allow for greater purposeful impact.
“My goal is that when we roll into Fall, we’ll have this volunteer force that’s trained up and ready to engage with different programs in meaningful ways.”
This month’s honor is just the latest example of Rich’s desire to better the world around him. It’s reflected in his values and is something that he is quick to remind his children whenever given the opportunity.
“It doesn’t matter the career you pick or who you end up marrying or where you live. It’s are you giving back to the world around you? Are you making the world a better place?”
StandUp for Kids – Orange County truly appreciates the work done by Rich and the many volunteers and mentors that give their time to shaping a better future for their youth. If you’re like Rich and you want to make a difference in the lives of youths, you can learn more about how you can make a difference by emailing [email protected] today.