Kids Choose to Donate to RedRover!

RedRover recently interviewed a member of SVP Teen group named Valerie Brown about their choice to donate $1,100 to our organization.

RedRover: Thank you so much for the recent donation! Tell us more about SVP Kids and SVP Teens and how you got involved.

Valerie: Last year I started my first year as an SVP leader. SVP kids and SVP teens is part of Social Venture Partners of Sacramento. The SVP kids and SVP teens group goes around to a number of local nonprofits in the greater Sacramento area. While there we conduct a service activity. At the end of the meeting, the SVP leaders — and this year the SVP teens — will lead the SVP kids in asking questions of the nonprofit about how we could help with our time, money or donations. At the end, the SVP leaders and teens send out a RFP to all the nonprofits we have visited. Then we have a meeting with the SVP kids, leaders and teens where we decide who we shall give the money we have raised to based on how the nonprofit makes us feel in our heart and two other criterion which usually involves the impact of the money and the benefit for the community.

RedRover: Why did you get involved with SVP Kids/Teens?
Valerie:  I got involved with SVP because my mom was a partner; she encouraged me to join the newly founded SVP. I am very excited because I love doing service projects.

RedRover: How did your group decide RedRover would receive the generous $1,100?
Valerie: We decided to give $1,100 to Red Rover because at the end of the year meeting it was the nonprofit that stood out most to us in our hearts and the in the benefit for the community. The fact that RedRover grants money for pets in need of veterinary care really touched the hearts of a lot of our younger kids. Another thing that encouraged us to give $1,100 to RedRover was that their programs help teach children empathy and reading literacy. Teaching children about empathy was important to us because it helps prevent bullying and neglect [toward] children and animals. Since we thought your program was so great we wanted to help make it easier to deliver throughout Sacramento. In your RFP you said that more money would help buy more books and support new programs, and it would also spread the program throughout more local schools and reading programs.

RedRover: Would you encourage others to support RedRover? If so, why?

Valerie: I would definitely encourage others to support RedRover because… it teaches kids empathy and reading literacy and also grants money for pets in need of veterinary care. This touches my heart, and both are important reasons to support RedRover.

RedRover: Do you have animals in your home?
Valerie:  Two cats named Kendall and Miley. When I was young we had two dogs named Sugarugar and Hank . I hope one day I will be able to own another dog.

RedRover: What grade are you in?

Valerie: This year I will be going into seventh grade. I’ll be turning 13 in September.

RedRover: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Valerie:  There are a lot of things I would like to be when I grow up. I love helping people and animals, and I love the ocean. When I grow up the top three things that I would want to be would be a marine biologist, a teacher, or a leader of a camp that teaches children about science and animals.

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For more service learning ideas from RedRover visit: www.RedRover.org/Youth