By Cheryl Kortemeier, Executive Director, Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta (CVC)
The Corporate Volunteer Council (CVC) of Atlanta recently announced 2024 recipients of the Carol D. Reiser Youth Service Award, recognizing and celebrating extraordinary youth volunteerism and community engagement. The award is named in honor and memory of Carol Reiser, CVC co-founder and past president, who enjoyed a long career with Rich’s/Macy’s and established the company’s innovative “Partners in Time” volunteer program. Carol was passionate about encouraging the next generation of social impact leaders, and this program is designed to celebrate her legacy.
Award recipients were selected from 30 applications received from across the 13-county Metro Atlanta area. CVC judges selected one Elementary School/Middle School winner and two High School winners. Each awardee received a $500 personal stipend as well as $1,500 for their selected nonprofit partner. The winners are:
- Aria McCants – Aria is a 3rd grade student at Ola Elementary. She served her community in many different ways by distributing food to families, donating clothing and toys to a local foster home, supporting the Special Olympics Summer Games, volunteering for a local Juneteenth festival, and participating in STEM cooking demos at Science ATL’s Atlanta Science Festival. Aria chose Ola Elementary as her honorarium award partner.
- Arabella Isaacs – Arabella is a 12th grade student at The Atlanta International School. She founded Teen Health Awareness, an organization dedicated to adolescent health and wellness. Arabella developed a dual language, Spanish and English, website https://www.teenhealthawareness.org along with creating a free Teen Health Habit Tracker app. She highlighted health issues for which there is limited awareness and has brought much needed attention to a liver disorder called MASLD that affects 1 in 6 teenagers. Arabella’s app supports teens in identifying, creating, and tracking new healthy habits for both physical and mental health. Her website and app have been recommended to patients by physicians throughout North America. Arabella chose Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power and Prevention (GCAPP) as her nonprofit award partner.
- Payton Sobon – Payton is an 11th grade student at Decatur High school and serves as a project manager and youth representative for Decatur Prevention Initiative (DPI), an organization that aims to promote positive social norms and eliminate the stigma of addiction and mental illness. Her role involves developing and managing monthly projects aimed at educating youth and families about substance misuse in our community. In August 2024, Payton organized an event at Decatur High School (DHS) for International Overdose Awareness Day. The event focused on educating students about how to respond to overdose situations, understanding relevant laws regarding overdoses and drug misuse, and the proper use of Narcan in emergencies. Payton selected DPI as her nonprofit award partner.
The committee also highlighted award finalist, Robert Kochensparger, a 12th grader at The Westminster Schools for his ongoing support of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity.
“After reviewing all of the applications, the Reiser Award Committee was so inspired by the community work and accomplishments of many students across Atlanta,” said Toccara Arnold Alam, President of the CVC of Atlanta Board of Directors. “We are definitely in good hands with the next generation of service-oriented leaders. They truly exemplify the spirit of community that Carol’s legacy represents.” Arnold Alam also thanked Reiser Award chair, Lauren Abbott of King & Spalding, and the entire award committee for guiding the selection process.
Applications for the 2025 Reiser Youth Service Awards will be available in the summer of 2025. You may read more about the CVC’s 2024 and prior Reiser Award winners at www.cvcofatlanta.org/reiseraward.
About Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta
The Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta (CVC) supports member companies to deliver business results through their strategic commitment to civic engagement and social impact. Since 1992, the CVC of Atlanta has been bringing together business professionals who are passionate about volunteerism so that they may share best practices, strengthen community investment strategies, and make a difference through service. For more information, visit www.cvcofatlanta.org.
Contact:
Cheryl Kortemeier, Executive Director, CVC of Atlanta, (404) 889-5112
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