Surviving a cold winter was a bit easier this year for Lawrence’s homeless and other needy families, thanks to the work of a teenage volunteer group.

Last year, the Youth Volunteer Council of Douglas County spent several hours soliciting and collecting winter clothing for local social service agencies.

“It was a lot of work and a lot of fun,” said Jacqueline Samp, 16, a Lawrence High School sophomore who has been a youth volunteer for about a year.

Because of its efforts, the group of more than a dozen Douglas County youths received recognition in the latest issue of USA Weekend magazine. The teens conducted their winter clothing drive in conjunction with the magazine’s annual Make A Difference Day.

USA Weekend gave 10 National Awards and one encore award to volunteer groups. The Douglas County Youth Volunteer group was among 529 nationally to receive awards.

On a Saturday last October, Samp and three other council members spent much of the day standing outside the Community Drop-In Center, 214 W. 10th St., where they collected more than 150 coats, 50 stocking caps, 33 scarves and 32 pairs of gloves.

Other youths spread out into the community on earlier days handing out fliers and putting up signs notifying the public about the collection effort.

“We got an amazing amount of donations,” Samp said. “Some people went out and bought gloves and brought them to us.”

The clothes were divided among the Drop-In Center, Ballard Community Center, Social Service League and Penn House.

“They have really made a difference to a lot of people in this community,” said Chip Blaser, director of the Ballard Center. “The youth volunteer group is a great way to get involved with the community.”

¢ Make a Difference Day – about the program¢ List of Kansas honorees and their projects

The group meets at the Roger Hill Volunteer Center to choose projects. Saturday, in conjunction with the start of National Volunteer Week, they turned out at Clinton Lake to help an annual cleanup project.

USA Weekend also examined several other group projects in the Journal-World’s readership area conducted for Make A Difference Day. One of them was a group of 16 people who, during two days, helped raise money for the Lawrence Humane Society to promote spaying and neutering of pets. They raised more than $500.

“I think we’ll probably do it again,” said Kathy Johnson, Lawrence, one of the organizers of the effort.

Other area groups studied by USA Weekend:

l The Ottawa ECKAN Volunteer Center involved more than 100 people to conduct a winter clothing drive, provide stationery packets to the elderly, plant flowers downtown, and conduct a youth art exhibit.

l Modern Woodmen in America in Ottawa prepared 200 packets containing pens, stationery, envelopes and other writing materials for senior citizens.

l Cub Scouts Pack No. 86 in Winchester worked with adult leaders and five Army officers to collect canned foods throughout the town. The 286 food items were distributed to three local families.