Rite Aid Foundation honors first recipients of inaugural KidChamp award
CAMP HILL, Pa. — The Rite Aid Foundation's KidCents program on Tuesday announced that Bervin Harris of the Renaissance Youth Center in New York and Kirk Hallett of the Joshua Group in Harrisburg, Pa.,have been selected as the first recipients of its first-ever KidChamp award.
"The Rite Aid Foundation created the KidChamp award to recognize individuals from KidCents charities who selflessly give their time and talent to improve lives of the children and teens they serve," stated Tracy Henderson, director of The Rite Aid Foundation and charitable giving initiatives. "With Bervin and Kirk, helping kids is more than a career, it's their true calling. They go above and beyond to help the youth they serve reach their full potential, often changing lives in the process and inspiring others to join them in their efforts to create strong and vibrant communities."
As part of their KidChamp recognition, both Harris and Hallett received a $10,000 donation to their respective organizations to continue their work to improve the lives of the children in their communities, giving them a chance at better lives and brighter futures.
Designed to honor thought leaders in childhood development, each year, the KidChamp award will recognize individuals in communities served by Rite Aid that have made a meaningful difference in the lives of youth by advocating for their health and well-being, championing education and academic growth and creating a safe environment for children and teens to live and grow.
Harris, who has more than 30 years of social development experience in the areas of youth services and community development, founded the Renaissance Youth Center to empower at-risk, inner-city youth in the Bronx, New York, to fully maximize their potential as productive and responsible members of society.
Above is a video that Rite Aid’s Creative Media Services Team put together to honor the Renaissance Youth Center.
RYC brings performance-based music programs, including vocal classes, musical instruments and dancing to more than 3,000 students in 26 public schools and community-based organizations. In addition, the RYC provides youth STEAM education, tutoring and an all-ages sports program. Harris has created many partnerships for RYC, including the NYPD, Carnegie Hall, Department of Probation, NYC Parks Department, Berklee College of Music and many more.
Hallett, who founded the Joshua Group nearly 20 years ago to help at-risk youth in the Allision Hill neighborhood of Harrisburg succeed through education and mentoring, believes that education is the anti-poverty program that truly works. The Joshua Group provides educational support and mentoring resources free of charge to students in the community as a way to overcome the challenges of the pervasive and endless cycle of poverty. Since its inception, the Joshua Group has positively impacted the lives of nearly 1,000 youth and boasts a high school graduation rate of more than 97%. The Joshua Group offers an array of programs including after-school and pre-school programs, summer learning programs and a resource center for GED/Adult Learning.
Since its inception in 2001, The Rite Aid Foundation has awarded more than $32 million to non-profit organizations. Additionally, Rite Aid, through the efforts of its customers, supplier partners and associates, has also raised more than $81 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals across the country since 1994.