By Shannon Cavanagh
The National League of Young Men, Inc. (NLYM) a non-profit organization for young men in grades 9-12, has expanded to Palos Verdes. Founded in 2007 in Newport Beach California, NLYM is a structured program for mothers and their sons which promotes the development of young men into community leaders through leadership involvement, charitable and community service, cultural experiences, and protocol education. The Palos Verdes chapter is open to mothers with sons who reside or attend school in zip codes 90274 or 90275.
In the chapter’s first few months, mothers and young men have volunteered a total of 400 hours as of January 2021 and are making a direct impact on our Los Angeles County community in a variety of ways. Amid the pandemic, the Palos Verdes chapter members engaged with several local philanthropies who worked very hard to provide ways to welcome our young men and inspire them to help the underserved. “We see our members motivated and willing to volunteer with a variety of in-person and virtual experiences.” Kristen Leone, Vice President (VP) of Philanthropy. From local food drives to writing letters to “Special Olympics” athletes, writing thank you cards to give first responders, making homemade face shields for “Martin Luther King Jr Hospital,“ delivering candy to support cancer patients with “Walk with Sally,” putting together goody bags for “Cancer Support Community Redondo Beach” Tour de Pier, and even providing interview questions with videotaped answers for teens for “Freedom 4 U,” and a coat, hoodie, sock drive for LA’s homeless, cleanup efforts with Heal the Bay, volunteering during the South Coast Botanical Gardens GLOW event among other great ways to benefit nonprofit organizations. Leone continues, “This group has been amazing, and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of making such a positive impact with these outstanding young men.
In addition to providing opportunities to serve others, the young men are introduced to a comprehensive educational program with guest speakers, such as Dr. Lee Douglas, who spoke to them about time management and study skills. Presented over Zoom, the lesson was timely and critical as the young men are faced with COVID-era learning obstacles. The organization provides practical training and direct involvement in the NLYM pillars of leadership, service, culture, and protocol.
More information about these young men and their philanthropicefforts can be found at www.nationalleagueofyoungmen.org/chapter/palos-verdes/
