Patrick Mahomes inspires massive youth volunteer program
By Scott Loring
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes‘ foundation, 15 and the Mahomies, is partnering with the Youth Volunteer Corps for their “Volunteer for 15” campaign, a program that encourages youth to volunteer in-service programs.
Volunteer for 15 initially launched in 2022 and was a huge success, according to Betsy Calmer, Director of Marketing and Communications for YVC. “We had 539 youth, ages 11-18, sign the pledge last year, and those youth served over 12,000 hours,” said Calmer. “Patrick and his crew loved it, and we agreed to set higher goals after last year’s success.” Calmer said they are targeting 800 youth and 15,000 hours for this year’s effort.
The program invites youth to sign an online pledge to commit to 15+ hours of volunteer service in cooperation with Youth Volunteer Corps affiliates.
YVC is based out of Kansas City but currently has locations in 14 different states, as well as two Canadian provinces, and another in Uganda. After a successful pilot year in 2022 with volunteer cooperations in 19 different cities, YVC and 15 and the Mahomies are enthusiastically looking ahead to 2023’s effort. “I’m so impressed by these kids and all they did for their communities,” Mahomes said after the 2022 program concluded. Volunteer for 15 is now one of the signature programs on the 15 and the Mahomies website.
The Volunteer for 15 campaign works hard to build character within its youth, according to Tracy Hale, YVC’s Chief Executive Officer. “They don’t just show up and leave. They meet in their teams before and after the day to discuss purpose and to reflect.”
The program also strives to focus on empathy and education while its volunteers are working. “We work in teams, so there’s a strong sense of belonging. We see change in youth, and that’s my favorite part of it,” Hale said. “It’s really cool to see kids thinking about other people and not being self-focused.”
Volunteer youth can also earn prizes with additional hours of volunteering. “The first 800 youth to sign the pledge online earn a one-of-a-kind Volunteer for 15 drawstring bag, and there are other prizes for the youth who volunteers the most hours within the program,” Calmer explained. “The youth who volunteers the most hours can choose between a Chiefs item autographed by Mahomes, or two tickets to a regular-season game of their choice. If they live out-of-state, they also get airline and hotel for two, as well.” The youth with the second-most hours gets the prize that the first-place youth didn’t pick.
Every youth aged 11-18 who signs the pledge and completes 15 hours of volunteer service with YVC affiliates will receive a certificate autographed by Mahomes.
You can sign the pledge today! The volunteer window is from May 1 through August 31, but the pledge can be signed now on the Volunteer for 15 site. Each city has an array of different projects from which youths can choose, and after signing the pledge, they can choose the projects which they would like to help. As Calmer explained, “Most of the projects have a cap, so some of the slots will reach capacity soon.”