There is a small group of local teens who are doing big things for their community. Introducing the link teen club. The club was established in October 2023 under the leadership of Jeff Tawney, director of operations at the link.
At the first meetup, Tawney asked the teens what they want out of this club. The teens had an overwhelming response, which was “giving back to the community.” So, the club embarked on a mission to work with at least one charity each month.
Since the club’s inception, they have volunteered with the Tony Robbins initiative, “Thanksgiving Basket,” raised money and purchased new bikes for kids at Christmas, performed random acts of kindness in the local community and more.
In February, Arthur Hairston III spoke with the teens. He and his wife are the founders of Strive Youth & Family Services (SYFS), which is a licensed agency under the supervision of the Department of Children and Families (DCF). They partner with Community Based Centers (CBC) for placing foster children in a group home.
After listening to Hairston, the teens asked how they could help. They came up with an idea to have a Sensory Toy Drive for kids with autism.
Throughout the month of February, the teens collected 400-plus sensory toys for the SYFS.
If you have a teen who is interested in being a part of the link teen club, contact Tawney at jeff@thelink.zone.
