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Washington D.C. – Gino Binkert, an AmeriCorps member from Pittsburgh, Penn., met with President Bush yesterday in an Oval Office event honoring the 2007 Boys and Girls Clubs of America Youth of the Year and Regional Finalists.
Binkert, who serves at the Sarah Heinz House in Pittsburgh, was named the Northeast Region Youth of the Year. Being named Youth of the Year is the highest honor a Boys & Girls Club member can receive. The title recognizes outstanding contributions to a member’s family, school, community and Boys & Girls Club, as well as personal challenges and obstacles overcome.
At a very young age, Binkert’s family moved into one of the roughest neighborhoods in Pittsburgh. He found himself making risky choices and dealing with many issues affecting his family. Through his mother’s guidance and the Boys and Girls Club, he has excelled in school and his community. He was chosen as both a member of the National Honor Society and the Pittsburgh Public School Scholar Program, and was ranked 13 out of 196 students. He plans to attend Slippery Rock University this fall in pursuit of an education degree.
He also has a concern and passion for his community, which has led him to serve as president of the Keystone Club, a teen group that focuses on and performs service in its local community. Outside of his community involvement in the Club, Binkert also does service personally and through his church. Gino has organized activities such as “Pennies for Pakistan,” as well as other fundraisers teaching young children to bowl. He also volunteers his time by serving the elderly in his neighborhood. Binkert is an AmeriCorps member in the CLUBService, a national program operated by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America funded by the Corporation for National Service. CLUBService engages Club members ages 17 and 18 and Club alumni ages 19-24 who serve their Clubs and communities. The program, which recognizes young people's service, helps them access higher education opportunities and encourages them to pursue future careers as Club professionals. Last spring, the Corporation awarded Boys & Girls Clubs of America a $240,000 grant and has made available up to $1,890,000 in Segal AmeriCorps Education Award funds to support 750 CLUBService members serving in the 2007-2008 program year.
The Corporation for National and Community Service improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. Each year, the Corporation provides opportunities for more than two million Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America. For more information, visit http://www.nationalservice.gov.
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