Mimi Phan '20 has been a member of Leaders Institute (LI) in Bethesda, MD since she was in seventh grade. LI is a non-profit organization that provides project based, leadership training and development to inspire students to become agents of change, who impact the community with excellence and integrity. She and two of her classmates, Rose Milano '20 and Catherine Sarca '20, recently developed and coordinated "Christmas in Silver Spring Vendor Village Market" to provide dream toys for children of families in need as a service project through the Leaders Institute. On Saturday, December 2 the event took place at the Silver Spring Civic Center. Children visited with Santa and were kept busy with craft stations while their parents shopped for unique gifts. Proceeds were "generated on a voluntary basis to include anyone who had a heart for the cause," stated the LI release.
Mimi says she has wanted to organize this type of event for a long time and worked with the LI Executive Director Stephanie Clark to bring the dream to a reality. The girls began work in earnest in September and partnered with the YMCA's Youth and Family Services Linkages to Learning, Angel Tree project. The goal was to provide the children with the gifts they want versus the gifts they need. The event was a huge success with generous response from the market goers.
The three girls will conduct a leadership workshop with LI to help the gift recipients give back to others to "pay it forward."
See press release about the event here.
Mimi Phan '20, Rose Milano '20, President Katy Prebble, Catherine Sarca '20