Two high school seniors from Plantation are getting high recognition from the President of the United States and their city’s mayor for their outstanding record of community service.
Twin brothers, Luke and Jake Salman received the “Gold President’s Volunteer Service Award” through Joshua’s Heart Foundation, which is the highest level awarded nationwide for extraordinary community service of 250 hours or more in a year’s time.
Plantation Mayor Nick Sortal was so impressed by these young role models, that he proclaimed “Luke and Jake Salman Day”.
“These are the kind of young adults that make everyone feel good about the future,” Sortal said. “There are all kinds of things to be learned in a classroom, but the spirit of volunteerism is something that young people have to pull from their own heart.”
The Salman twins attend NSU University School, where they are school ambassadors, commended scholars on the Head of School Honor Roll, members of 4 national honor societies, presidents of multiple clubs, Key Club officers, and Co-Captains of the Boys Varsity Tennis team.
Their boundless community service directly impacts the lives of residents in Plantation, Broward County, and all across South Florida by delivering food to shut-in seniors through “Craig’s Pantry”; picking up litter and plastic through “Sunny Isles Beach Cleanups”; coaching autistic children in adaptive tennis through “Love Serving Autism”; and making food rescues to deliver perishable groceries to local food pantries and homeless shelters through “Food Rescue U.S. South Florida” – all while serving as Chief Executives of “FoodEASE.org“.
The boys’ love for serving the community started very young. Their mother is longtime South Florida news personality, Laurie Jennings, who remembers taking her twin toddlers with her to March of Dimes walks, United Way family days, and NICU reunions at Baptist Hospital where they were born 4 ½ months early as micro preemies.
“As my boys grew, I would keep introducing them to various charities around town, and they kept wanting to go help”, Laurie says. “It was never pulling teeth, it just came naturally. Even as teenagers, they don’t mind getting up early on a Saturday or Sunday morning to deliver food. Especially when they get to meet the people they’re helping, that makes them want to get involved even more.”
Now 17 years old and standing 6 feet tall, Luke and Jake know how blessed they are to be in a position to help others. “There’s nothing more rewarding than coaching autistic children on the tennis court and sharing my love for the game”, says Luke. “It’s really challenging to keep their attention, but when you get that sweaty hug or smile at the end of the clinic, you know you’ve reached them and made a connection.”
Jake sees environmental studies in his future, so being chosen as the first summer intern for Food Rescue U.S. SFL was impactful. “We got to see how the whole charity works from South Florida to the headquarters in Connecticut,” Jake says, “and all the intricacies and complexities that arise when you have thousands of volunteers in each community rescuing thousands of pounds of food that would otherwise be thrown away. We were able to meet our goal and onboard new food donors in Costco Davie and Sprouts Dania Pointe and secure new receiving agencies like St. Vincent de Paul in Weston. Now we make sure that the rescues go smoothly and the new relationship with Food Rescue U.S. South Florida is sound.”
Here’s to Luke and Jake Salman – two Plantation residents truly making a difference and making our community proud.
If you’d like to support Luke and Jake’s fundraising efforts and learn more about Love Serving Autism’s Match Point Gala in November, click here: https:// loveservingautism.org/legacy- luke-jake-salman/
If you’d like to learn more about food rescues, register at www.foodrescue.us and claim a rescue near you.
To learn more about Joshua’s Heart Foundation, click here www.joshuasheart.org
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