Exchange program encourages youth to participate in community

Helen Fitzpatrick of Newry, Northern Ireland, has been in this country since July 17. She said she isn't homesick, except for one thing.

"I miss the potatoes," she said. "They're different here."

Just 18, the college student is one of 19 teenagers and four adults in Northern Nevada from Ireland to participate in Global Voice, a local effort dedicated to encouraging cultural exchanges and community involvement among youth.

Sponsored by the Storey County Community Chest, the program includes 15 Northern Nevadans aged 14 to 18.

Project coordinator Deborah Loesch-Griffin said children are one of our biggest assets, and we need to get them involved in their communities and let them know they can make a difference.

"We need to make this a very personal experience for them," she said.

Fitzpatrick joined her Irish and American counterparts Monday to work with local artists Ray Valdez and Deborah Glovac. The group is creating a mural representing both cultures, to be displayed at Virginia City Middle School.

They also worked with ceramicists at South Lake Tahoe to create "hunger bowls," which will be sold to the first customers at a dinner at 6 p.m. tonight at the senior center in Virginia City. Proceeds will to go to local food programs.

The groups are addressing several topics, including the environment and sexual health, as part of the project. The groups will research the topics then create community programs to help resolve those challenges.

The Irish delegation will fly home Wednesday, and the Northern Nevada youths will travel to Ireland next summer to complete the project.

"This is a two-year commitment," said Paula Scott, Community Chest youth coordinator. "Our kids have been meeting since January, listening to speakers from Ireland and addressing major issues here."

It sounds like a lot of work, but there's been plenty of time for fun, said Fitzpatrick.

"I liked Lake Tahoe best," she said. "We got loads of beach time there, but I also liked the tranquility of Lake Pyramid."

"These kids have enjoyed the cultural experience," said Eugene Donnelly of the Irish delegation.