Student Heroes
High School students have the opportunity to impact the community while developing leadership and project management skills for the workforce.
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Upcoming Sessions:
– Spring 2025: January 20th – May 26th
– Summer 1 Session: June 1st – June 30th
– Summer 2 Session: July 1st – July 31st
– Fall 2025: August 25th – December 28th
Mission:
The Student Heroes Mission is to combat food insecurity by empowering high school students to lead and organize volunteer efforts at the Houston Food Bank. Through in-person and virtual service, students will develop leadership skills while helping food-insecure communities. The program fosters compassionate leaders who understand the challenges of hunger and are dedicated to creating sustainable solutions.
Expectations:
– Commit One Year of Service to experience the full project management training.
– Pass Side Job and Project Leader Certification Quizzes to assist Experience Team with community needs
– Develop lifelong professional skills to enhance job and college applications
Student Heroes are the support leaders for our traditional volunteer production area. Students are given a specific time frame, known as a session, to complete 50 volunteer hours on their own schedule. Most students volunteer a full Saturday twice a month but students are allowed to volunteer for any shift that Volunteer Services has available that does not contradict their school schedule. Student Heroes are broken up into 3 groups to offer detailed training for students depending on their knowledge and skill level and help to the Volunteer Services Department Experience Team according to community needs.
1. Welcome Crew
– Introductory crew for all Student Heroes
– Volunteer alongside regular volunteers and support project leaders by being a friendly and knowledgeable resource for new volunteers
– Attend workshops targeted towards personal development
2. Support Crew
– Students who pass the Side Job Certification Quizzes and other completion metrics may advance to this crew
– Lead Side Jobs in all projects and maintain safety standards in the project areas
– Shadow and assist project leaders in preparation to lead projects in the future
– Attend workshops targeted towards leadership development
3. Leader Crew
– Students who pass the project leader evaluations and other completion metrics may advance to the Leader Crew
– Lead and facilitate projects with supervision from experience leaders
– Train new students and work on specialized leadership tracks
– Access special volunteer opportunities within different departments
Student Hero Requirements:
– Must be at least 14 years of Age and attend a High School in the 18 service county area of the Houston Food Bank.
– Must be able to commit 50 volunteer hours per session with 25 hours being completed by the middle of each session.
– Must have a personal email account and cell phone number.
– Must have a desire to grow their leadership skills and willing to take steps to improve.
– Must represent the Houston Food Bank and Student Hero program in a positive manner.
Student Hero Summer Session Exceptions:
– Rising 9th Graders are eligible to apply as long as they meet all the above criteria.
– Summer is broken into 2 sessions. Each session has a 30 hour volunteer requirement. If a student chooses to participate in a full summer session, they must have 30 hours by July 1st to maintain their membership.
Student Hero Benefits Include:
– Develop skills and gain real life experience
– Leadership and professional development workshops
– Student Hero t-shirt and name tag
– School Credit and hours verification letters
– Student Hero Certificate (at the end of each completed session)
– Letter of Recommendation (after 100 hours of service)
– Special events and recognition awards
– Rewarding feeling from fighting hunger
– Building long lasting friendships
– Being a vital member of the Houston Food Bank family!
The Student Heroes Program has transitioned to an invite only program. Students who have 12 hours of service as a traditional volunteer before each application period will be automatically invited to apply. If you would like to request an application for the program, please email studentheroes@houstonfoodbank.org by April 11th, 2025 to be considered for either one of our Summer sessions.
Application Process:
– Invited applicants will need to use the link provided via email to apply for Summer 1, Summer 2 or both sessions.
– If accepted, students will need to register for one of our mandatory orientation sessions. There will be no accommodations for students who cannot attend in person.
Application Periods for 2025
– March 24th 2025 – April 21st 2025 for Summer Session 2025
– June 30th, 2025 – July 21st, 2025 for Fall Session 2025
Students have 3 options for Orientation for Summer 2025:
SUMMER 1 or 2 ORIENTATION
May 24th – 9am to 3pm and May 25th 12pm – 3pm
May 31st – 9am to 3pm and June 1st 12pm – 3pm
SUMMER 2 ORIENTATION ONLY
June 28th – 9am to 3pm and June 29th – 12pm – 3pm
In order to reserve your spot, you must register to attend any 1 of the 3 options by May 20th, 2025
A Letter to the Applicant
Dear Student Applicant, Thank you for your interest in serving as a Student Hero and helping us grow closer to our goal of a world that does not need food banks. It is important to me that each student of this program learns the important fundamental skills of leadership and professionalism to set them apart from other applicants in the collegiate scene and the competitive workforce. My commitment to this group is to be a compassionate leader that offers opportunities for students who are committed to this program. My hope is that you will partner with me in understanding that leadership development is not easy and sometimes involves self-evaluation to improve. I look forward to your applications and working to shape the hardest working leaders in the city. Thank you for your time and consideration in joining our team.
– Christine Mompoint, Program Manager (Volunteer Liaison)
Important Dates
Applications for Summer 2025 Session – March 24th to April 21st
End of Spring 2025 Session – May 18th
Required Student Hero Orientation Options – May 24-25, May 31st – June 1st, or June 28th – June 29th
Start of Summer 1 Session – June 1st
Applications for Fall 2025 – June 30th to July 21st
End of Summer 1 Session – June 30th
Start of Summer 2 Session – July 1st
End of Summer 2 Session – July 31st
Required Student Hero Orientation Options – August 16 – August 17th or August 23rd – August 24th
Start of Fall 2025 Session – August 25th
End of Fall Session – December 28th
Student Heroes Leadership Team
Program Manager: Christine Mompoint, Volunteer Liaison
Program Success Coach: Alia Soto, ACL
President: Sarina Wani, Senior
Vice president: Tristan Faillace, Senior
Secretary: Alia Hassan, Junior
Project Expert: Rayan Khan, Senior
Program Expert: Ayla Patel, Junior
Membership Chair: Dishita Storewala, Senior
Communications Chair: Sophia Nguyen, Senior
Student Hero Email: studentheroes@houstonfoodbank.org
For questions regarding Student Heroes, please contact:
Alia Soto
Program Success Coach