b"Driven to ServeHigh school senior earns award for volunteeringBY ELLEN DONKERLeft: Gardiner started volunteering when he was 11. Center and right: His service trip to Los Angeles F indleyGardinerhasvolunteeredBush,itencouragescivicengagementandpropelled him to volunteer even more. Sheactually the operation to work smoothly, making sure vol-atfoodpantriesandsoupkitch- unteers know what to do, taking attendance and ens since he was 11. So when hereporting problems.went on a service trip to Los An- Gardiners parents have been the backbone of geles in June 2024 with other boyshis efforts, driving him to many of the volunteer-at his high school, St. Peters Prep,ing locations before he had his license. I credit a he thought he knew the drill. Helot of my volunteering success, I guess you could didntexpecttheexperiencetochangehowhefounded 35 years ago by President George H.W.say,tomymom,saysGardiner. viewed his ability to help others. cele- found out about [the Daily Point of Light Award], I was just excited that we get to go to L.A. andbrates the actions of individuals making a positiveso I just applied and they interviewed me. just be together and have fun with all my friendschange through exceptional volunteer efforts.St. Peters Prep deserves some credit, too, as the from school, he says. But I didnt really knowGardinerfoundmostofhisopportunitiesschool is guided by its Jesuit roots and teaches the what I was getting into when I went. throughJerseyCares,anorganizationthathasimportanceofservice.Studentsarerequiredto He and his classmates worked at a food pan- resources to help engage youth in volunteer andcomplete 60 hours to graduate. Gardiner nailed tryintheSkidRowneighborhoodwheretheyservice-learning programs. Its volunteer opportu- that with his service trip to Los Angeles.witnessed widespread poverty. Many people werenity calendar makes it easy to scan and sign upGardiner was the 8,184 thperson to receive the homeless and hungry. He found it eye-opening.for projects. During his junior year, Gardiner vol- Daily Point of Light Award. He says, Ive been When you go somewhere and youre interact- unteered at least twice a week, plus both week- telling myself theres over 330 million people [in ing with that every day, like, the whole day, for aend days. Over the summer, he served four to fivethe U.S.] and only 8,000 awards, so Ill take it.week, youre like, Wow, this is actually somebodystimes a week. Gardiner continues to volunteer through Jersey life.Theyreexperiencingthisrightnow.IwasHe concentrated most of his efforts working atCares but had to take a break to finish up college shocked a little bit, but I was also like, man,Imfood pantries. He says his two favorite places forapplications. Although his main essay was about feeding these people, and Im helping these people. volunteering are the Helping Hands Food Pan- his pursuit of drumming and basketball, his sup-Thatexperienceduringhissophomoreyeartry at the Greater New Point Missionary Baptistplemental essay centered on his service trip to Los propelled him to volunteer as often as he couldChurch in Irvington and the Aldersgate OutreachAngeles. When Gardiner gets to college, he says to just help as many people as possible, he says.Community Center in East Brunswick. he will volunteer with whatever local programs areOn Oct. 23, Gardiner, now a senior, wasBy this spring, just weeks before his 17th birth- nearby. He says, Theres obviously plenty of work honored with the Daily Point of Light Award inday, Gardiner became a project coordinator withto be done. recognition of his many hours of effective volun- Jersey Cares, one of the youngest to date. The jobEllen Donker was inspired by Findley's dedication to teerism. Given by Points of Light, an organizationinvolves overseeing volunteers at a site by helpinghelp others alongside his busy schedule.42/ matters magazine / holiday 2025"