Nominate a Youth Today!

Bainbridge Youth Services invites you to nominate a youth under the age of 21 for recognition through the 21st annual BYS Compassionate Action Celebration. Please help us honor a young person who has made a difference through an act of kindness, compassion, service, or environmental stewardship.

The Compassionate Action Celebration focuses on individuals and the impact they have made in their community. BYS wants to recognize and celebrate youth who go above and beyond what is required or expected in school, jobs, activities, and relationships with others in the community. Our aim is for the nominees to fully understand the positive impact they have had on another person or group of people. To that end, we ask that you personalize each nomination by telling us what the young person did that made them stand out and how that impacted others. Describing the impact is important. We ask that you do not nominate a family member. Thank you!

Congratulations to our 2022 Compassionate Action Honorees: 

Adam Broga
MinWoo Cho
Mimi Claps
Nick Heinzelman
Maxx Kavanagh
Callie Martin
Milo Quirindongo
Lucy Rector
Maxwell Richards
Connor Verharen
Isabella Wallin
Lena Wood

For questions, please email BYS: [email protected]

As we honor youth this month, we asked BYS counselors to reflect upon the importance of compassion, both toward others and to yourself.

 — former BYS Counselor Christy Henderson: In a world that subtly, but constantly, whispers two options — perfection or failure — an awareness of compassion is key. Think of the peace we would all feel if, even if only for one day, we truly allowed ourselves the freedom to NOT be perfect. And think of the freedom and joy you could inspire in another when you show them they can feel the same.

You are worthy of love, appreciation and kindness not because of what you’ve done, but just because you are. 

— BYS Counselor Sarah Allbee: Self-compassion is the ability to direct compassion toward ourselves. It allows us to think of ourselves as worthy of words of affirmation, positive thoughts, and acts of kindness. Some of us do a better job of offering these things to others. If we have the self-awareness to recognize this, we can then remember to direct these gifts towards ourselves, as well as to others.

Self-compassion is especially important during this time of uncertainty and fear. We need to give ourselves a break when we cannot do everything we used to do and accept that we are only human.

BYS honors students through the compassionate action celebration to remind everyone of the importance of giving back and being kind. This celebration will be a welcome bright spot in this dark time.