Community Service as an Effective Youth Development Strategy
FYI's mission is primarily accomplished through its central program, Community Youth in Action. The overall purpose of Community Youth in Action is to develop a generation of concerned, committed community leaders that will contribute to the betterment of Washington Heights.
Community Youth in Action supports young people as they create, develop and implement their own community service activities, recruit peers to join their service teams, immerse themselves in the concept of community service and hold public events to present their work and its results.

The use of community service work as an organizing focus for FYI activity stems from the success demonstrated by service learning programs based in school settings. FYI endeavors to show that service learning can be even more effective in a community-based setting, whereby youth participants decide on the content and scope of service projects. Young people working in such a model must grapple with leadership and self-governance issues, which are usually not found within a school-based setting.

General Community Service:The majority of Fresh Youth Initiatives participants start out their career at Fresh Youth Initiatives by joining one of the many general service groups that the organization runs. These groups are generally run by an Fresh Youth Initiatives staff person.

What Does FYI Service Work Look Like?
 Participants in FYI clean parks, paint murals, volunteer in community gardens, make and distribute homemade sleeping bags for the homeless, volunteer in our own youth-run, adult facilitated food pantry, The Helping Hands Food Pantry, etc.

There are also opportunities for teenagers to develop and run their own community service group through a program called Neighborhood Service Leaders. Most of our participants start their FYI career off by first participating in our every day service projects with the goal of then moving on to membership in a youth led project and eventually running their own service project.

All service efforts include a reflection component where participants discuss their efforts and experiences with each other and with FYI group leaders. We always end with a Respect Circle.

Generally, our offices are open Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Youth in FYI come to our office after school and on most days stay until 6 p.m. (community service groups go out at 4:00 p.m.). There is no fee to be a participant in our organization and it is up to the participant and their parent/guardian to decide when and how much time they want to spend doing community service with us. However, there is an intake form that must be filled out by each participant and a consent form (for youth ages 10-17) that requires a parent or guardian signature.

We encourage anyone who is interested in joining FYI to visit our office, speak to staff and other participants before filling out an intake form.


What We Are Learning: About Effective Youth Work

  • A Frank Self Assessment
  • Adopting Programs Elsewhere
  • Center for Community Service Education


    • Helping Hands Food Pantry
    The Helping Hands Food Pantry is the only youth-run, adult-facilitated food relief program in NYC.
    Housed in the Holy Trinity Church (20 Cummings Street, New York, NY), HHFB is open every second and fourth Friday of the month, from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

    FYI participants have helped more than 5,000 families stock their cupboards with at least 3-4 meals every two weeks.

    On average the food pantry serves between 150 - 200 families a month. FYI staff had trained two teams of Food Pantry Managers. These 5 member youth teams ran all aspects of the pantry operations - unloading deliveries, maintaining the shelves, supervising younger volunteers, and deciding on the menu. On the days where we give out the bags the Food Pantry Managers print out the database, supervise the check-in process and make sure each bag has the right items. The first team helped convince New York Presbyterian Medical Center (our neighborhood's largest employer) to organize a work-based place food drive in November and December.

    (Sept 2007-April 2008) Food Pantry Statistics:

  • Total number of children served - 3,922

  • Total number of adults served - 1,291

  • Total number of seniors served - 1,968

  • Total number of clients visits - 7,181

  • Total number of pounds of food distributed - Over 35,000 lbs

  • Total value of the canned goods distributed - $37,831.09

  • Total number of bags of canned food distributed - 5,916


    • "I am proud of myself because I am almost done with the Food Pantry Manager process. If you're planning on becoming a Manager, I should warn you that the steps to finishing the whole process aren't easy. The only way that you will succeed is if you are very responsible. Remember, 'Knowledge is Power.'" Carlos R. Penzo, age 16

    If you are a family in need that can benefit from our services, please feel free to call Fresh Youth Initiatives (212) 781-1113 Ext. 231 to set up a meeting or even give a donation (non perishable and/or can goods).


    General Community Service
    General Community Service

  • Gardening View Gardening Pictures
  • Painting Mailboxes
  • Operation PB&J
  • Park Clean Up
  • Sleeping Bags Project
    View Sleeping Bag Manual
  • Traveling Clothing Bank
    • Read article in U.S. News & World Report: April 17, 2000
    Special Projects & Groups
  • Helping Hands Food Pantry

  • Neighborhood Service Leaders
  • Summer of Service at FYI
  • Arts and Mural Team

    • Mentoring Program
  • Download 2006 Mentoring Application

  • Mentoring Program Goals

  • Program Structure and Activities

  • Recruitment and Eligibility Screening

  • Orientation and Training
  • Mentor/Mentee Activities

  • Program Monitoring and Evaluation