Grants Awarded to Outstanding Young People in U.S.

Do Something, the national not-for-profit that makes it possible for teens to change the world, and Hopeless/Sub City Records’ Take Action! Tour awarded $500 grants recently to nine young people who want to make change in their communities.

Do Something is a place where young people are given the opportunity to help change the world. Instead of telling young people what cause they should get involved with, Do Something asks them “What’s your something?” and then gives them the information, resources, and grant money to make change around the causes they are passionate about.

The Take Action Grants, empowered by MySpace Impact, the Hot Topic Foundation and Hopeless/Sub City Records, focus on everything from music and art education to suicide prevention and poverty.

Do Something Take Action Grant Winners Include:

• James Bearden, 18, of Milan, NM for his suicide prevention project I Love Life that includes a suicide prevention month at his high school, a kick-off assembly, a concert, a fund-raising dance, and speakers from a teen suicide awareness organization.
• Naima Green, 21 of Stanford, CA for her project The eXchange (Cape Town-East Palo Alto Music Program). The eXchange project aims to connect two groups of students living in less than ideal conditions in Cape Town, South Africa and Palo Alto, California.
• Chester Eastman, 22, of Center Conway, NH for his project The Alpaca Paper Service which is run and operated by developmentally disabled adults who want to work jobs that let them meet and interact with people in their community.
• Arielle Barrientos, 17, of Biloxi, MS for her project Strings with Wings. For Strings with Wings, Arielle has organized a group of fellow musicians who will travel to Mexico this June to run a Violin workshop for the children of Saltillo, Mexico.
• Jourdan Urbach, 17, of Roslyn Heights, NY for his project Children Helping Children–Saving Lives Through Music which raises funds for national medical organizations, hospitals and cutting edge research targeting neurological disease.
• Linda Salinas, 23, of San Pablo, CA for her project Arts as a Vision for Change which brings together community and student organizations together to talk about their vision for Richmond High School and ultimately beautify a school that students can feel proud of, and bring color onto a campus that has no windows.
• Stevie Peacock, 14, of Venice, FL for her project, Project KINDNESS which stands for Kids In Need Deserve New Elementary School Supplies. Stevie organizes supply collections and then donates the supplies to impoverished schools in and around Arcadia, Florida.
• Andrew Chow, 22, of New York, NY for his project, East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership (EHHOP), which is a student-run free clinic serving the uninsured residents of East Harlem.
• Elliot Goldstein, 16, of Los Angeles, CA for his project, Carts for the Homeless. CFTH will provide homeless people with a functioning, durable cart with features such as a pull out tarp for rain, a water basin, and a lockable mechanism so their belongings are not stolen, all designed with their lifestyle in mind.

In 2007 alone, Do Something issued over $240,000 to young people who are making change in communities across the globe. Last year, Do Something reached over 10 million young people, age 25 and under, and helped them take action. To apply for a grant or find out more information, check DoSomething.org. For more information on the Do Something Take Action Grant Winners and their projects, visit www.DoSomething.org/TakeActionWinners.