Nationally Recognized Queens Teen Chelsy Ovilla Leads Day of Service Reaching Over 100 Families

Projekt NYC youth leader, one of just 45 young people nationwide awarded a Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation grant mobilizes 30+ volunteers from ten NYC high schools to combat food insecurity in Elmhurst, Queens

ELMHURST, QUEENS, NY — On Saturday, May 2, over 30 volunteers from ten New York City high schools gathered at 83-22 Baxter Avenue in Elmhurst Queens for a Day of Service organized entirely by Chelsy Ovilla, a youth leader with Projekt NYC. The event, held in partnership with Familia Food Pantry, provided food and essential supplies to more than 100 local families facing food insecurity.

Ovilla, 17, is one of just 45 young leaders across the country awarded a Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Youth Grant through Youth Service America (YSA) to organize projects addressing childhood hunger. Her initiative, The Corona Bridge Project, was selected from a national pool of applicants for its youth-designed, youth-led approach to combating food insecurity in one of Queens’ most underserved communities.

The Day of Service was the culmination of months of planning. Ovilla recruited school partners, coordinated food drives, built community partnerships, and managed all event logistics including serving as a translator between English and Spanish to ensure clear communication with pantry staff and the families served. Thirty volunteers, including 25 youth volunteers, were organized across three shifts throughout the day.

Students came from across the city, representing ten high schools: Benjamin N. Cardozo High School (Red Cross Club), John Bowne High School, Middle College High School at LaGuardia, Millennium High School, Professional Performing Arts School, The High School of Fashion Industries, Thomas A. Edison CTE High School, Townsend Harris High School, William Cullen Bryant High School, and St. John’s Preparatory School.

Projekt NYC Teen Advisory Council Chair Elsa Lucas was among the volunteers who stood out during the Day of Service, demonstrating exceptional dedication, teamwork, and a strong commitment to serving the community throughout the event.

“What Chelsy accomplished is extraordinary by any standard but especially for a teenager,” said Ted Psahos, Executive Director of Projekt NYC. “She didn’t just volunteer at a food pantry. She secured national grant funding, recruited volunteers from ten different high schools, coordinated food drives, managed three shifts, and personally translated for families in need. And to see our TAC Chair Elsa Lucas right alongside her, leading with the same commitment that’s the culture of service our students build for

each other.”

“I am proud to announce that we made impactful contributions to over 100 local families and for Familia Food Pantry staff,” Ovilla said following the event. “Each volunteer demonstrated immense dedication and commitment to serving the community.”

The event reflects Projekt NYC’s model of youth-led community action, in which teens design, plan, and execute real projects that address real needs in their neighborhoods. Rather than adults organizing events for young people to attend, Projekt NYC empowers students to identify community challenges and lead the response themselves.

“Chelsy represents the next generation of civic leaders in Queens,” Psahos added. “She saw families in her community going hungry, and instead of waiting for someone else to act, she built a coalition of ten schools, won a national grant, and served 100 families in a

single day. She’s 17 years old. Imagine what she’ll do at 25.”

The Day of Service took place as part of Global Youth Service Day, the longest-running annual youth participation event in the world, now celebrating 38 years of young people working together for the common good.

About Projekt NYC

Projekt NYC is a Queens-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering middle and high school students through creativity, community service, and civic engagement. Serving over 2,500 students annually across all five NYC boroughs, Projekt NYC’s programs include the Teen Voices from the 5 Boros poetry anthology, peer-led financial literacy workshops, a youth-produced Teen Magazine, community service initiatives, and a youth run club. The organization operates entirely on volunteer leadership, with no member drawing a salary, and directs 93% of its budget to direct youth programming. For more information, visit www.projektnyc.org.

About Youth Service America

Youth Service America (YSA) is a leading global nonprofit that activates young people ages 5–25 to find their voice, take action, and acquire powerful civic and 21st Century skills as they solve problems facing their communities. For more information, visit www.YSA.org.

About The Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation

The Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation works with and through partners to help end childhood hunger in the United States because no child should be hungry today or risk being hungry again tomorrow. For more information, visit www.SodexoFoundation.org and www.SodexoUSA.com.