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Overview

Lion’s Heart is a teen-based volunteer program headquartered in California. The organization has several chapters in other states, such as Colorado, Georgia, New York, Wisconsin, Texas, and Connecticut, but is growing all the time. It was founded in 2004 as a non-profit, non-fundraising group designed to “serve the community in meaningful and fun ways.”

Since it was founded by Terry Corwin, Lion’s Heart has enrolled approximately 3,500 Members as of 2014. The organization has grown steadily and offers teenagers the opportunity to do community service without fundraising or other lofty requirements. The organization has enrolled teens who are in 6th through 12th grades. As of July 2014, the Members volunteered over 250,000 hours of community service since the organization was founded ten year prior.

Lion’s Heart has become rather notable in California due to their presence among volunteer groups. Often, families move to a different area and desire to start a new chapter in their new location.

Organization Setup

Each geographical chapter of Lion’s Heart has a group for each gender and grade level in the chapter. Each group has 4-20 Members, along with one parent who is the Class Coordinator.

The Members elect their own officers, lead their own meetings, and decide together what sort of community service they want to perform, and who they want to help. Each class is required to meet eight times during a year. Every volunteer in Lion’s Heart is required to perform at least 30 hours community service every year, including five hours of “education” hours by tutoring other students or helping schools.

While the organization is mostly based around group activity, many Members choose to do their community service on their own. The main office of Lion’s Heart often receives volunteer requests and those opportunities are passed along to each chapter by the organization’s Volunteer Outreach Chairman.

Mission Statement and Aims

“Lion's Heart is a community service organization for teens dedicated to serving the community in meaningful and fun ways.”

Lion’s Heart’s goal is to not only allow students to be active in their community, but encourage a life of volunteerism long after leaving Lion’s Heart. Each member has to complete a minimum of 30 hours a year of community service, but members are encouraged to go beyond that.

National Presence

As of 2014, Lion’s Heart has grown across seven states in the U.S. Most of the states only have a single chapter, though it is growing after only 10 years of existence.

They have worked with several other volunteer and charity organizations, including the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, Education for the Children, Rotary Club, Bethany’s Gate, Boys Town, Orange County Food Bank, National Beach Clean Up - Surfrider Foundation, Capistrano Unified School District, Saddleback Valley School District, Bell Tower Regional Community Center, Pacific Marine Mammal Center Laguna Beach, Rose Parade, Adopt-A-Beach, Zero Trash, Second Harvest Food Bank, Habit for Humanity, and American Red Cross Blood Drives.

Awards

Lion’s Heart has its own reward system for their Members. Members who are active for the entire six years are presented what is called the Golden Lion Award. At the end of their senior year, they will be given a medallion, as well as being honored for their achievements within the organization (hours of community service, officer positions held, as well as any other awards they have received), along with their plans after high school, which for many is college.

Other awards include the Torchbearer Award and the President’s Volunteer Service Award.

The Torchbearer Award goes to a peer-selected Member within each group every year. Once the year is up, the Torchbearer gives their award to the next winner, on, and on. Once the class has reached their senior year, the last person to win it will keep it from then on. It is given to those who give exemplary service by going above and beyond what is required of them. The Torchbearer award was inspired by the founder’s late father-in-law Kenton Corwin, who was honored to run with the 1996 Olympic Torch because of his dedication to community service throughout his life.

The President’s Volunteer Service Award is a national campaign to recognize community service, and Lion’s Heart is an official certifying organization. There are three levels - gold, silver, and bronze depending upon how many hours of community service a Member performs in a year. Each year, hundreds of Lion’s Heart Members earn these annual awards of national appreciation.

Community Recognition

Lion’s Heart has garnered local appreciation from communities in which they’re based. Members have been honored in Ridgefield CT^[1], San Juan CA^[2], Mission Viejo CA^[3], as well as many others.

References

[1] ttp://www.theridgefieldpress.com/31974/young-lions-honored-for-service/

[2] ttp://www.ocregister.com/news/food-235951-elementary-tesoro.html?pic=8

[3] ttp://ocfamily.com/t-What-to-know-Lions-Heart-teen-volunteer-service-01-30-13.aspx

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