Gregory School junior Lily Messing started 100+ Teens Who Care right before the pandemic. The group had its first meeting in November 2021 and has since donated nearly $25,000 to local nonprofits.
Caitlin Schmidt The first Sunday in February was the kind of weather Tucsonans dream about: 78 degrees and sunny, with barely a cloud.
The group has given nearly $25,000 to local nonprofits since Messing, inspired by local nonprofit 100+ Women Who Care about Tucson, started it in 2020. The group's most recent recipient, Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse, will receive $6,000 from 100+ Teens, thanks to a donation match that boosted the group's $4,000 donation.
More than a year later, she was finally able to gather the group for the chapter's first meeting."By our first meeting, we had already over 100 members," she said."And in less than a year, we have over 200.""I thought if I could get 10 people to all sign up 10 people, that would hopefully be 100. So I met with 10 different kids in different grades who go to different high schools throughout Tucson," she said.
"Our success was noted and these two charitable giving companies reached out to me to join this coaching network of adults across the country," Messing said. She said the experience of being the only teen in that network helped when it came time to launch 100+ Teens' other chapters last spring. The efforts involved countless emails to various organizations, but paid off.
'One person can do that'The group she modeled hers after, 100+ Women Who Care About Tucson, was started in 2015 by Desha Bymers-Davis. That organization has given nearly $750,000 to local charities since its start. Messing's speech at the 100+ Who Care Alliance Conference opened with the idea that her generation has been coined as lazy or as thinking they should get everything handed to them. She told the audience her hope was that after the speech, people would think differently. She received a standing ovation.
A handful of members of 100+ Women Who Care are sponsoring teens in Messing's chapter. Most of 100+ Teen's members come from five schools around the same parts of town, but Messing hopes to expand the reach. "We're having a strong, meaningful impact on the Tucson community," Messing told the crowd."Contributing all of the money we raised to deserving charities empowers local organizations and as a result, raises the quality of life for our entire community."
Bella Yurkanin kicked off her presentation about the children's association by asking the group to talk about their favorite childhood toy. Afterwards, the teens socialize, with Messing saying the goal is to put the"fun" back in fundraising. Thanks to a sponsorship by Westward Look resort, the costs of the rooftop event space for the group's quarterly meetings are covered, and other sponsors cover the cost of food and drinks.
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