Before the June 13th Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting, Mayor Stan Joyner hosted a group of young community members at Collierville Town Hall to present them with Presidential Volunteer Service Awards. The honorees are members of the Alliance of Youth Leaders in the United States (ALYUS), a non-profit, student-run organization dedicated to build leadership, integrity, and innovation through the planning and execution of volunteer projects to benefit their communities.

Harris Chen, President of the Great Memphis Branch, opened the awards presentation sharing the history and accomplishments of the local chapter he founded in July of 2020.

“That was when COVID really hit, and I wanted to help out,” said Chen. “Over the past two years, we have grown to 60 members ranging from elementary to high school students. We have organized litter pickup events, tree planting, written cards for hospitalized children, held online concerts for nursing homes, and fundraising events for libraries.” In total, the group has hosted 170 activities, projects, and events.

In 2003, President Bush created the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation to find ways to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making in the United States. The President’s Council created the President’s Volunteer Service Award program to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service.

Mayor Joyner presented 12 members of the local ALYUS branch with the Presidential Volunteer Service Awards. There were gold, silver, and bronze level recipients depending on the amount of volunteer hours the students completed in one year. 

There were four gold medal recipients, each volunteering for over 100 hours: Harris Chen, Eric Chen, Alan Cheng, and Lucas Zhang. Three silver medalists each logged over 70 hours: Joshua Dong, Alex Shi, and Evan Shi. Five earned a bronze with hours ranging from 27 up to 62 hours: Tim Zhu, Harrison Xiao, Elliot Chen, Yuqi Chen, and Annie Li. (The students are pictured with Mayor Joyner below.)