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February 14, 2003/Adar 12 5763, Vol. 55, No. 25
Young woman sets sights on helping teen moms
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
Despite her age, Liora Sitelman has had a significant impact on the community. In addition to founding four organizations on her high school campus, the 17-year-old junior from North High School in Phoenix has also initiated several volunteer projects in the community.
Her most recent project, "Baby Oh Baby," will work in conjunction with Jewish Family and Children's Service to assist teen mothers and their children. Currently, Sitelman is working on "phase one" of the project - creating public awareness about the problems teen mothers face, increasing awareness of JFCS and its resources, collecting baby care items and finding teen mentors in the community.
Sitelman says she was inspired to begin the program after talking with pregnant teens at her high school.
"A lot of times they come from low socio-economic backgrounds," she says. "A lot of them get no parental support (and) the boyfriends are out of the picture. It's really sad, not just for them, but for their babies."
Currently, Sitelman is most interested in collecting baby care items - diapers, hygiene items, formula, baby food, blankets, crib sheets and blankets, baby furniture and car seats - and finding funding sources for her program. Once that has been established, she says she'll continue on to the second phase, a mentoring program.
"Every baby, regardless of how old their mother is, deserves a loving environment," she says. "I think this is something I can do to make life for these girls and their babies a little bit better."
This is not Sitelman's first experience with volunteer work. She also started the "Seasons of Success" program at the Thomas J. Pappas Homeless School.
"Each season I give them a gift that sets them up for success. For instance, in August, I had school boxes with school supplies, markers, crayons, pencils and a folder," she says. "The next season I did a hygiene packet with brushes, combs, soap, shampoo and conditioner."
She says many donations come from organizations - Ritz Carlton, Arizona Biltmore and Camelback Inn all donated hygiene items - and money has been donated by friends and neighbors.
Recently, she made a donation of journals, with a cover that reads "Study hard, learn much and write your own life story" to the fifth graders at the Pappas school, for a project in which they will write their autobiographies.
"I love giving the kids a feeling that they can succeed," she says. "I think it's important because a lot times these kids aren't told they can succeed."
In addition to her work with youth, Sitelman started a volunteer project in conjunction with JFCS, where she makes holiday boxes, usually full of food items, for Purim, Rosh Hashana and Hanukkah and delivers them to elderly Jews.
Sitelman has also been active at her high school. She founded the school's Speech and Debate Team, the Creative Writing Club, the Jewish Student Union and a peer mediation program.
The past three summers, Sitelman has traveled to academic enrichment programs at Cambridge, Oxford and Columbia universities where she has studied subjects such as literature, psychology and creative writing.
As if she wasn't busy enough, Sitelman also plays the piano, is a member of National Honor Society, serves as a peer tutor and is a member of Valley Teen Leadership.
Despite her schedule, Sitelman says she still finds time on occasion to "kick back with friends and hang out."
For information or to donate to JFCS' "Baby Oh Baby" program, call 602-820-8862.
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