Valley United Way's Youth Leadership Program enjoyed a very successful year in 2004 with twenty students drawn from each of the Valley communities and eight public and private high schools that serve the area.

The program kicked off with a new member and parent reception on April 15, 2004 with a speech by a graduate of the program, Amanda Balog Sanders, Business Enterprise Attorney for Pullman & Comley of Stamford. On April 23^rd - 25^th, new members attended a teambuilding retreat at Camp Jewell in Colebrook, CT.

Helping to feed the needy is always a priority for the Youth Leadership Program, and on May 8, 2004, the members assisted the U.S. Postal Service letter carriers annual food collection by handling the collection and warehousing of thousands of pounds of donated food at the Spooner House, a local homeless shelter.

James Tickey, President of the Youth Leadership Program was a featured speaker at Valley United Way's CEO Summit, addressing a group of over 40 business executives and gave a riveting speech about the impact this program has had on his life as well as the other members.

In May several of the students participated as members of Valley United Way's Allocation Committee putting to work the skills that they had learned during their allocations process in 2003.

During the summer and fall, they conducted a couple of successful car washes setting the stage for their biggest annual event - The Rock the Valley Concert described above. As a result of their fund raising efforts, they presented a check for over $3,375 to the Leukemia Foundation.

They finished the year by conducting their own needs assessment leading to the allocation of $3,000 in funding to local organizations with programs meeting the needs identified.