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Asvika Gobinathan – Youth Individual Honoree
Asvika, a student at the Charter School of Wilmington, has dedicated over 200 hours to volunteering, making a significant impact through collaborating with various organizations. She made a positive impact at our Learning Center, where she is deeply committed to assisting students who require additional academic support. As co-founder of the Safe & Sound Club, she played a pivotal role in organizing numerous events and fundraising initiatives at her school to benefit the YWCA. Under her leadership, the club has successfully raised funds and awareness for YWCA, which supports women and children in need. Being a national-level competitor for Envirothon, she developed a strong passion for addressing environmental issues and raising awareness. As Logistics team leader at the Youth Environmental Summit-(YES!), she has demonstrated exemplary leadership and has a proven track record of optimizing operations, ensuring timely deliveries, and maintaining smooth coordination across all logistics functions. She volunteered at the Sickle Cell Association, assisting with blood drives and ensuring smooth operations for donors. In addition, she helps organize science fair events, promoting awareness about sickle cell disease and providing educational resources to attendees. She dedicated her entire summer volunteering at Christiana Care Hospital and Veterans Hospital, consistently going above and beyond to offer comfort and assistance.
Anvi Kesavarapu – Youth Individual Honoree
Anvi, a sophomore at Appoquinimink High School, is a dedicated volunteer with Charity Crossing since 2023 and has served over 205 hours in the community. Anvi is consistent with her work and volunteered regularly at Glasgow Park Giveaways (11 times), unloading and sorting events (49 times) at the warehouse, and at the Latin American event. By participating at the warehouse events regularly, Anvi was able to gain a thorough knowledge of the lifecycle of the donations from unloading from a 53-ft truck, sorting the donations by different categories, and organizing the donation boxes for effective distribution at serve locations. Anvi is someone we can count on to get the job done in an optimal way that makes a difference in our community. Due to her dedicated services, she has earned the prestigious Presidential Volunteer Service Award – Gold medal for 2024 and Bronze medal for 2023. Anvi states, “My experiences with Charity Crossing have given me an opportunity to understand the importance of Teamwork, Compassion, and Giving back in meaningful ways.”
Fatima Amira Mohammed – Youth Individual Honoree
Fatima, an eighth grader at Odyssey Charter School, has demonstrated a profound commitment to community service, dedicating more than 580 hours of service through Charity Crossing since 2022. Volunteering since age 10, she has consistently shown empathy and a strong passion for supporting the underprivileged. Fatima volunteers regularly at serve locations including Rosehill Community Center, Glasgow Park, NCCPD, the Hispanic American Association, Chambers Memorial Hall, warehouse unloading and sorting, Autism Walks, Stocking for Soldiers, and CC Volunteer Appreciation events. At Rosehill, where weekly support is provided to 250 low-income families, Fatima assists those who are not tech-savvy with filling out their registration forms on the spot with a great big smile. At the IndiaFest, she passionately advocated for the power of giving back and the importance of volunteering to the attendees. At her school she conducted a CC Socks Drive where she gathered hundreds of pairs of socks, hats, and gloves for people experiencing homelessness. Fatima's outstanding commitment has earned her three Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Awards [2022, 2023, 2024] and the DE Senate Excellence in Volunteering Award in both 2022 and 2023. Her leadership extends to initiatives like the Delaware Coastal Cleanup, where she prevented 125 trash bags from ending up in our water streams. Fatima is a true Ambassador of Charity Crossing, encouraging others to engage in volunteer work to support the community.
Grace Murphy – Youth Individual Honoree
Grace is the current president of the LF FFA. Through this organization, Grace is tasked with developing a working relationship with the 100+ members to provide a meaningful agricultural experience outside of the school day through movie nights, showing animals, community farm-to-table dinners, and participation in local, state, regional and national competitions (ag issues, ag communication, ag business teams placed nationally). She also helps lead fundraising with local business support, attends meetings with the community, school board and alumni, and organizes several chicken barbecues for the school district several times a year. In addition to her responsibilities at the high school, she also attends the middle school FFA chapter meetings to run games and activities to build rapport and bond with younger members. Grace has been able to lead, encourage and support her officer team after four members of the team resigned. In addition to her FFA responsibilities, Grace was also a member of the conference-winning volleyball team. Outside of school, Grace is active in her local 4H making and delivering soup to shut-ins in the winter and fundraising to provide for families in need. Grace is also active in her church through teaching preschool-aged children, helping serve dinners and making and delivering fruit baskets over the holidays to shut-ins. Finally, Grace is an exceptional student and has maintained straight A’s in her high school and college dual enrollment classes.
Vaaris Patel – Youth Individual Honoree
Vaaris, a freshman at Newark Charter High School, has been a dedicated volunteer with Charity Crossing since January 2024 and has served over 115 hours. Vaaris regularly participates in the warehouse unloading and sorting events and served at Rosehill and Hicks Community Centers to support those in need. He also participated in the Autism Walk to raise awareness about families dealing with autism. Vaaris collaborated with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), where he helped plant several hundred trees in Pike Creek to raise awareness of global warming and contribute to a sustainable solution. Vaaris was one of the organizers of the 2024 IndiaFest at UD where he manned the CC information desk, explained what Charity Crossing does, and advocated for others to join hands. Vaaris was the first youth volunteer to do a birthday fundraiser for Charity Crossing and raised well over $1,000. Last summer, Vaaris contacted several nursing homes and shelters across Delaware and donated hundreds of pillows and supplies. Due to his dedicated service, he earned the PVSA Gold Medal for 2024. When he went to visit his family in India, he donated 300 chocolate bars to the poor and donated a portion of his Christmas gift money to Charity Crossing. He shares, “Charity Crossing has inspired me significantly as a person both mentally and physically to help many in Delaware and abroad!”
Saashwath H. Swamy – Youth Individual Honoree
Saashwath, an eighth grader at Alfred G. Waters, is an enthusiastic volunteer with Charity Crossing since he was 5 years old. His volunteering journey started in 2016 when Charity Crossing launched its first clothes drive in its basement for flood victims of India. Since then, he has been steadily volunteering with Charity Crossing with various initiatives and has served over 500 hours. Currently, he is a CC youth lead at Williams Hicks Center in Wilmington. At Hicks Center, he helps distribute donations such as food, clothing, and household items to the community with many underprivileged Delawareans. He is extremely committed to helping the people in that area. He also volunteers at the Glasgow Park community giveaways and sorts donations in the warehouse weekly. Despite all his school and extracurricular activities, Saashwath proves his commitment to serving his community by finding time to volunteer regularly. Recently, he made efforts to connect with many senior centers across the state and made phone calls, scheduled, and dropped off many pillows and boxes of gloves to multiple senior centers. Due to his dedicated service, he has earned the prestigious Presidential Volunteer Service Awards - Gold Medals in 2023 and 2024, and silver medals in 2019 and 2022.
Aubrey Townsend – Youth Individual Honoree
At just 15 years old, Aubrey Townsend has emerged as a remarkable force for good in her community, driven by her desire to turn personal challenges into meaningful action. After overcoming the difficulties of leaving an abusive household, Aubrey channeled her experiences into creating A New Chapter by Aubrey at the age of 14. This impactful initiative provides comfort to children in crisis by distributing teddy bears accompanied by heartfelt messages of encouragement, offering a sense of hope and support during their most trying times. Additionally, Aubrey has organized community events to equip others with coping strategies and build resilience. Since its inception last year, A New Chapter by Aubrey has delivered over 800 teddy bears to children in need across Delaware, reaching hospitals, mental health centers, fire stations, and other organizations. Beyond this, Aubrey works tirelessly to support families in crisis, offering vital resources and fostering a spirit of compassion within her community. In 2024 alone, Aubrey has dedicated over 400 hours to volunteering, underscoring her leadership, empathy, and unwavering commitment to serving others. Her ability to transform her personal adversity into a source of strength for countless others is truly inspiring.
Saasthra “Saasy” Bojja – Youth Leadership Honoree
Saasthra “Saasy” Bojja, a junior at Charter School of Wilmington, has demonstrated exceptional commitment to community service, accumulating over a total of more than 470 volunteer hours through her rigorous work ethic and problem-solving skills. Her commitment can be seen in her work with the Delaware EARNS program. She has revamped outreach significantly for state-sponsored auto-IRA plans, which serve people without access to traditional workplace retirement savings plans. At Charity Crossing's warehouse, Saasthra's keen eye for improvement led her to identify and resolve a critical gap in medication sorting. She successfully located registered drug disposal sites and facilitated safe disposal of 400 pounds of expired medications, which were to become environmental as well as health hazards. Beyond these impactful initiatives, Saasthra continues to serve her community through SAT tutoring with School House and active participation in the CSW-Eco-Alliance. Her multifaceted approach to volunteerism is a template of how young leaders can create meaningful change through focused, consistent effort with all their hearts in solving the challenges facing communities. Her work demonstrates that she takes note of essential matters and finds an effective way to address them. Her community commitment and problem-solving skills make her an outstanding young volunteer in Delaware, embodying the spirit of youth leadership and civic engagement.
Ashton Evans – Youth Leadership Honoree
Ashton Evans, a senior at Middletown High School, exemplifies leadership, dedication, and a passion for making a meaningful impact in Delaware. Through his volunteer efforts, Ashton has consistently addressed pressing community needs while inspiring others to take action. As the president of his school’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter, Ashton has worked tirelessly to promote agriculture education and awareness. He has engaged elementary school students in discussions about the importance of agriculture, instilling in them a sense of curiosity and appreciation for the field. His commitment to fostering a connection between youth and agriculture highlights his extraordinary leadership and vision for the future. Ashton has also devoted significant time to volunteering at a local nursery, where over a year of hands-on experience has deepened his knowledge of agriculture and horticulture. Additionally, he has participated in highway clean-up initiatives and organized drives to collect supplies for animal shelters, ensuring dogs and cats in need receive essential care and comfort. With a weighted GPA of 4.4, Ashton has balanced his rigorous academic achievements with a strong commitment to service. Ashton Evans represents the values of generosity, leadership, and service that the Governor’s Youth Volunteer Service Awards celebrate. His sustained efforts have left a lasting impact on his community.
Elisha Liu – Youth Leadership Honoree
Elisha Liu has impacted youth, the environment, veterans, seniors, and animals in her community. She co-founded a school chapter of STEM & Seniors, a youth-led initiative dedicated to improving senior well-being through STEM-based activities. She demonstrated leadership by applying for grants, establishing relationships with four senior centers, collaborating with groups like HerSTEMSpace and Free Education for Artistic Exploration to organize four workshops impacting 60 seniors so far. The group’s Instagram (@stemandseniors) has 1,600 followers. Youth from Indonesia and Tazewell, Virginia reached out for guidance, and Elisha helped mentor them so they could establish a chapter in their communities. She is also a regular volunteer at the Brandywine Valley SPCA completing maintenance activities, social enrichment for cats to improve their adoptability, and speaking about her volunteer experience to potential volunteers. With her school’s Youth to Eliminate Loss of Life club, she created posters for the Winter Clothing Drive and Red Ribbon Week activities. She educated classmates about the health risks of vaping and had them sign a “no vaping” pledge at the Ice Out Vaping event. With Girl Scout Troop 537, she participated in Coastal and Christiana Watershed cleanups, led youth education activities, and contributed to veteran and breast cancer services. At the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, she taught campers and museum visitors through Pop Up Science. Elisha is a passionate volunteer and a true youth leader.
Gianna Tambourelli – Youth Leadership Honoree
Gianna Tambourelli began her volunteer journey after losing her uncle to a heroin overdose in 2017. She channeled her grief into action by joining Face the Facts, a nonprofit focused on addiction support. Gianna has been a constant volunteer, assisting at nearly every event, including monthly meetings, clothing drives, and the organization’s largest community partnership with Phoenix Family Resources, inspiring others to get involved. She plays an active role in organizing clothing drives and inspiring others to donate. Gianna’s most significant contribution has been her involvement in Overdose Awareness Day DE, where she has volunteered since its inception. Her ability to speak about addiction and its impact on families, while offering a young perspective, has made a lasting impression. Through her volunteerism, Gianna has made a measurable impact in raising awareness and distributing life-saving resources. Gianna exemplifies extraordinary kindness, maturity, and determination to make a difference. Her selflessness and commitment to improving her community make her a truly inspiring young leader.
Jace Walker – Youth Leadership Honoree
Jace Walker is outstanding both academically and artistically. She is the current president of the Archmere Academy National Art Honor Society and helped to lead a collaborative mural project with the residents of the Mary Campbell Center, a project spanning five months (April 2024–August 2024) and involving over 100 people including the residents of the Center. She planned and led a painting workshop involving Archmere students and MCC residents on site so that they could be full participants in the large 70-foot mural that now is permanently installed in the Mary Campbell Center. She is a collaborator, connector, and community-builder who leverages her passion for arts in service to our immediate school community and in the larger community. In addition, she was selected to lead a national Zoom webinar with 3B Collective (a design firm whose clients include Disney, Netflix, and others) last year for the National Art Education Association. She has also been recognized with a rare National Scholastic Art Medal, among many other awards for her artistic accomplishments. She is the embodiment of a strong, balanced liberal arts education—academics & arts—and she also embodies the values and mission of Archmere in her selfless giving of her time and unique talents to benefit others.
Caesar Rodney High School Baseball Team – Youth Group Honoree
The Caesar Rodney High School Baseball Team has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to serving a wide range of groups across Delaware, contributing over 600 hours of volunteer work to more than 20 different community events. The team’s efforts have directly supported organizations such as Special Olympics Delaware, where they have volunteered at various events like the Polar Bear Plunge, providing much-needed assistance and encouragement to athletes with disabilities. Additionally, the team has also worked closely with local Little League programs, mentoring young players and fostering a love of the game within the community. The team has made an impact in senior communities, bringing joy and companionship to local residents when visiting in shirts and ties during Valentine’s Day. Their involvement in local parks and recreation programs has also been invaluable, assisting with events that promote healthy living and community engagement. Through their collective service, the Caesar Rodney High School Baseball Team has not only demonstrated a deep commitment to the betterment of our community, but they have also set a powerful example of teamwork, compassion, and leadership for our school. Their efforts have rubbed off on numerous other teams and organizations within the school to get involved.
Charity Crossing Glasgow Park Youth Team – Youth Group Honoree
This group of Charity Crossing’s Youth Volunteers has consistently rendered top-quality community service at the Glasgow Park Giveaways. On Saturday mornings, whether we had rain, shine, or snow, these youth volunteers reported sharply at 7:45 a.m., unloaded the donations, set up the donation tables, served the community, and cleaned the Barn before leaving. They work for about 7 hours each time.
Here are the mind-blowing facts for you to look at:
• Number of Charity Crossing events held at Glasgow Park in 2024: 15
• Number of individuals benefitted through Charity Crossing 2024 Glasgow Park events: 11,250
• Approximate value of the donations given during the 2024 CC Glasgow Park events: $300,000
• Number of service hours completed by this group of CC youth volunteers: 1,260 hours
They not only served the community but also learned life skills of punctuality, commitment, teamwork, empathy, compassion, and discipline. The young population are our county’s future, and we are happy to give them the opportunity to shine and meet their life goals. We at Charity Crossing are excited to see all that they will accomplish in the future!
YES! Delaware Youth Environmental Summit Student Leadership Team – Youth Group Honoree
The YES! Delaware Youth Environmental Summit Student Leadership Team inspires high school students through an educational and engaging annual conference featuring keynote speakers, workshops, and exhibitors that equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to implement eco-friendly initiatives in their schools, communities, and beyond. Each year, the conference is planned by a diverse team of student leaders that meet from August to March, with guidance from an adult advisory team. In 2024, the student leadership team reached out to environmental engineers, politicians, best-selling authors, healthcare professionals, and more to present 24+ educational workshops and plenary sessions at the 6th annual summit in February. These sessions covered a wide range of topics, including plastic pollution, climate change, renewable energy, air quality, and more.
Past keynote speakers have included Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester and former Governor of Delaware John Carney. Beyond workshop planning, the students post promotional content on social media, contact schools to encourage registration, plan venue logistics such as catering, technology, and transportation, and fundraise through grants and GoFundMe. In 2024, the student leadership team planned a successful summit at UD's Clayton Hall with an attendance of 500+ students from 34 high schools and inspired several school campuses to initiate green action plans focusing on reducing food waste and increasing sustainability within their student bodies.
Positive Outcomes Charter School JDG – Youth Group Honoree
The Positive Outcomes Charter School JDG has made a commitment to spreading kindness in the community and has worked together to have a huge impact. Over the past year, they have collected more than 600 items for local shelters, including toys, socks, coats, canned and nonperishable foods, and other requested items. They also created and distributed more than 1,500 Valentine's cards and goodie bags for active-duty service members and veterans through a partnership with HeartArt. These were delivered to the Home of the Brave, the Milford Veterans Home, Dover Air Force Base, and local American Legion locations.
Students also collected and then repurposed hundreds of items destined for landfills by turning them into more than 300 toys and cuddle objects for shelter animals housed at the Brandywine Valley SPCA. In addition to these very tangible examples of the way they share their time and talents, members of the team have been working with Students for Educational Equity to provide training and information that supports students with disabilities in schools across the country. This group of students is always looking for new ways to impact their community. When they see a need, they rush to find ways to help. What is most impressive—and inspiring—is how this team ensures that every student has an opportunity to lead and shine.
Ben Parsons – Young Environmentalist Award Recipient
Ben Parsons has demonstrated exceptional volunteer service and unwavering dedication to environmental awareness, education, and conservation. Ben was instrumental in designating 60 acres for the Black Forest Wildlife Coexist Program, a project that protects the local ecosystem and serves as an educational resource for the community. By advocating for the preservation of these acres, Ben has addressed the need for sustainable land management and ensured that future generations can enjoy and learn from these natural spaces. For his advocacy, Ben has been nominated to be a junior board member of the Black Forest Wildlife Coexist Foundation.
Ben is a founding member of Sussex Teens Are Responsible Stewards (STARS), an initiative that empowers young people to engage with environmental issues through hands-on experiences. Under Ben’s guidance, the program has inspired teens to participate in community cleanup events, native planting projects, and wildlife education workshops, fostering a culture of conservation among youth. He has volunteered with Contractors for a Cause, where he has demonstrated commitment to environmental preservation and his collaborative spirit. Ben has helped mobilize resources for various projects, and his ability to connect with local contractors showcases his dedication to building a sustainable future. Ben Parsons exemplifies the qualities of a dedicated volunteer and environmental advocate.