Inspiration

How did you come up with the idea for your activity? Who or what inspired you to get involved? How did your volunteer activity begin? 
Why did you feel it was important?

My neighbor is a severely autistic boy.  Before I entered ninth grade, I learned that he rode horses at a special place for physically and mentally disabled children called Pony Power of New Jersey.  They were doing wonders for him but for me what I remember is that he was happiest when he was riding horses.  So I had to see it for myself.  I did and was hooked.  I began to volunteer (leading the horses and riders around the ring) and saw first hand the thrill that riding and feeding the horses (and goats) gave the children.  It dawned on me that there must be a lot of disabled children who don’t have the opportunity to ride horses at Pony Power.  That sad thought inspired me to create my own program, to reach (and bring the same Pony Power joy and happiness) to as many mentally and physically disabled children as I could.  But it was more than just that.  When I was working with these children, I realized how fortunate I was, how special they were, and how volunteering with these children made me feel good about myself.  One way or another, I was motivated to bring the same Pony Power joy and happiness to many more children who would never have the benefit of going to Pony Power.  At the same time I decided to think really big to expand my reach beyond just mentally and physically disabled children, to as many underprivileged children as I could as well.   I realized that, not far away from where I live, were poor children living in nearby Paterson who must be in need of some fun entertainment too, which they could not afford.  So it dawned on me….I would create an organization to bring free carnivals to all of these children and that is what motivated me to create ‘Carnivals For Children On Wheels’ (CFCOW.org)   I already knew how to run carnivals since I had been helping my father run carnivals on his spare time at my temple since I was ten years old.  Since he had given me added responsibilities each year, by the time I was twelve I had felt fairly confident that I could run carnivals by myself.  I had already been building the games and booths from scratch, been ordering prizes, assigning booth operators, etc. So, for me it was a natural and easy way to bring joy and happiness to all these children.  Who doesn’t like a carnival, and a free one at that?!  That is the story about how I was inspired and motivated to bring CFCOW into being and so far, I truly think, that after having run about a dozen free carnivals for all kinds of needy children, that we have touched them and made them happy, at least for a few hours.     

Effort

What exactly did you do, and how did you do it? What steps did you have to take to accomplish your goal? Did you recruit others to help, or with any local or national organizations? What was the most difficult part of your project?

Getting Carnivals For Children On Wheels (CFCOW.org) off the ground required a lot of effort.  First, I wrote a business plan.  Then I got permission from my High School Principal to hang up flyers while I personally recruited volunteers.   After that I contacted organizations within a 25-mile radius to ask if they wanted a free carnival.  Frankly, many weren’t willing to take a chance on a 9^th grader.  But one was--The Boys and Girls Club of Paterson and it has been great to work with them.  I’ve been back a half dozen times running carnivals for 300+ kids, each time, who range in ages from 5-15 and each event requires my getting 25 volunteers to run the booths.  
After the first carnival was a success, a friend helped me create my organization’s website.  He also performed magic at my carnivals.  By the second carnival I had “hired” a professional clown and face painter who has worked many of my carnivals for free.  The children just love the face painting. 
Since each carnival costs hundreds of dollars, I’m always running fundraisers and looking for discounts. So, for example I contacted Rhode Island Novelty which now only charges my organization a wholesale rate.  Also, I buy plush directly from the factory in Pennsylvania at a huge savings.  I also found a company that recruits sponsors for who donate free items, like Frisbees and footballs (with their logos imprinted). Since CFCOW can’t afford professional carnival games, I have designed and built them from scratch using scrap wood from a lumber yard. To get more “bang for my buck” instead of renting inflatables, I purchased used inflatables.  Each carnival requires advance trips to deliver and set up the game booths and prizes.  Each carnival requires soliciting volunteers, arranging for their round-trip transportation, assigning booths, etc.  Fundraising is an ongoing process as is soliciting new venues for my carnival (I’m now running 10-12 per year) and finding new volunteers.  I also try to build at least one new booth for each carnival.   
I have started taking sign language class at a local college. So within a few months I will be able to expand my carnivals, to children who are hard of hearing or deaf.
So as you can see there are many parts to running this organization.  But the most difficult part of my volunteer project was taking the idea from paper to actuality.  I never really realized how many steps and obstacles I would have to face including having to deal with people who did not take me or my organization seriously.   But I proved them all wrong.  I have taken my vision and made it a reality today.

Impact

 Who benefited, and how? How many people were involved or directly affected? Will your project continue in the future?

When I started my volunteer program, CFCOW, I had no money, but through persistent fundraising we raised enough money to now have over 20 games (most built from scratch), an a 42-foot inflatable obstacle course, a 20 x 20 inflatable moonwalk, Clifford The Big Red Dog mascot, and a popcorn machine on an old fashioned cart.
It has accomplished making all different children (homeless, abused, autistic, poor, physically and mentally challenged) happy.   When we run carnivals at the Boys & Girls Club literally hundreds of kids give Clifford a big hug.  My volunteers are so wonderful because they try hard to make all the children feel special and have fun winning prizes and going on the inflatables.  Many of the children have never been to a carnival before mine but when they leave two hours later, they have big smiles on their faces, prizes in their arms, and all say thank you and really mean it.  It was a truly amazing experience.
Over 1500 people have benefited so far since I have run a dozen carnivals (1/2 at the Boys & Girls Club with 300+ children attending each one) and other children, including the abused, homeless, autistic or physically challenged.
When running carnivals for the disabled or autistic, we modify the games so they will succeed and some just like the touch or the repetition---whatever it takes to make them happy my volunteers will do.  The volunteers have been affected too. Many of them changing their views about the underprivileged or mentally and physically disabled and it is not uncommon to be thanked for having asked them to volunteer.  In school, on a daily basis, someone is asking me when CFCOW will be running its next carnival so they can volunteer again. 
Last year CFCOW ran a toy drive collecting 450 toys for The Boys and Girls Club. Personally, the joy I felt watching the children receive their toys from Santa (which my organization made possible) was a feeling I will never forget.  I was proud that my town, Glen Rock, donated so many gifts (and good ones) and in so doing taught a great lesson to their own privileged kids about helping the less fortunate.
My project will grow and I hope to run carnivals this year for even more organizations.  I am also starting Club 60 which is a free hang out place for middle school students which will be a safe haven from drugs and alcohol.  High school volunteers working the event will also be taught indirectly how to have drug/alcohol free fun.   This is my idea about how I can help my town fix its drug and alcohol problem and I already have volunteers, the town police, council and mayor backing me up on this much needed, and I hope great program. 

Personal Growth

What did you learn from your experience? Did you acquire any new skills? What was the most memorable part of this activity? Can you recall a specific incident that made you feel particularly good about volunteering? What would you tell other young people about your experience?

I have learned a great deal from running Carnivals For Children On Wheels.  For starters, I have learned about, all different types of people, with all kinds of lives, handicaps, disabilities and challenges.  I was always taught not to ‘judge a book by its cover’ but now know what that really means.   I’ve learned how to make all kinds of children, from all backgrounds and experiences, happy and have learned how great it feels to make other people have fun.  It is a great feeling to see kids walk out of the carnival with giant smiles on their faces and an armful of toys, they wouldn’t otherwise have to play with.  
I have acquired new inter-personal skills myself, including how to be professional in a business meeting with adults.   When meeting with prospective sponsors, superintendents, and organizations, I have learned how to act and how to get my point across without being too pushy.  I’ve learned that if you believe in your program that you can sell it and that once you get a chance you can prove what you can do.  Then when you get the chance be prepared and work hard to make your vision a success.
I’ve learned how to be a leader especially by recruiting volunteers.  I’ve learned that I can take an idea and make it a reality.
I have been amazed by some of my volunteers/friends and how they interact with the kids and I’m continually surprised at just how grateful my friends are to volunteer and often see sides of my friends at the carnivals which I didn’t know exist.  
The most memorable part of my program is when I see all of the kids, especially at the Paterson Boys and Girls Club leave with arms full of prizes and massive smiles on their faces. The incident that made me feel particularly good about volunteering was after one of my carnivals at the Boys and Girls Club.  As I was loading the games and prizes back into my car, I looked down the street and on the front stoop of a person’s house were some kids from the carnival enjoying the toys that they had just won and sharing them with their brothers and sisters. It was most memorable because I was touched to see how they were sharing and enjoying the experience which my program had just brought to them.
I would tell other young people that: to have fun you do not have to do drugs and alcohol; you should pursue your dreams; you should always try to help other people because even if you  think that you don’t have a good life or you aren’t rich, that there is someone out there that is poorer and probably has a rougher life.  I would tell them that those who volunteer get just as much out of the carnivals as do the children who attend.