LEWISTON — Students from the Jobs for Maine’s Graduates programs at Lewiston High School and Lewiston Middle School gave away $6,000 to several charitable organizations through the Jumpstart Our Youth program. The donations were made on May 19, in the multipurpose room at the high school.

The JOY program is a philanthropic education program that teaches students the importance of charitable giving and the impact it can have on their community. JOY is funded by the Unity Foundation, UniTel Inc. and the Maine Community Foundation. The students researched several charities, reviewed proposals and studied budgets before deciding to give the money to the Lewiston Public Library, the Abused Women’s Advocacy Project, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Lewiston Root Cellar and Tri-County Mental Health Services.

Tina Clark, director of development and community relations for Tri-County Mental Health said, “I think it’s fantastic. It’s wonderful that they thought of us. It was great going into the classroom and talking about what we do. This is an honor. It shows these young people really value the services we provide to the community.”

This is the second year all 60 JMG programs throughout Maine have been given $1,000 each to award to the charities of their choice. While JMG students provide more than 20,000 hours of community service every year, JOY allows them to see another side of philanthropy. As the different charities come into the classrooms to make their case for funding, the students are getting a deeper understanding of the needs of their communities.

Sam Timmermeyer, a senior in the JMG program at Lewiston High School, said, “It opens your eyes to what’s happening with other kids and what their needs are. If you have a good life, you might not see what’s going on or what’s happening to the people around you. The JOY program really shows you there are a lot of people struggling out there. It can be sad, but it’s a really positive program.”

Chris Pope, the director of the Lewiston Root Cellar, said, “JOY gives these students a chance to have ownership in their community. It’s a chance to give back when often kids don’t know how. It’s clear this program really stirs their passion.”

JMG is a statewide, private nonprofit that works with more than 4,000 students a year to prepare them to succeed in high school, post-secondary education and careers.