Diane Young

Benton Harbor

Hero Story

Diane Young has been serving the community through volunteerism since she was 6 years old. She came from a very large family, all of whom are active in the community. She learned early in life the satisfaction of giving without asking for anything in return. A few years ago she helped to start Sisters From Another Mother, a non-profit organization of local women whose aim it is to serve the community of Benton Harbor. She serves as the President of the group of incredibly active and inspiring women.

Because of her many years of giving, the actual number of organizations she has volunteered for, partnered with, and spearheaded is impossible to recount. And even more impossible to calculate exactly is the number of volunteer hours she has given for the betterment of the community and its residents. We have provided our best estimates for each of these.
The below list is a very small sample of Diane’s volunteer impact in the community.

Annual Events:

Harbor Point Senior Living Center: We have seen it before…. Senior citizens cooped up in a nursing home or other care facility, not able to get out and interact with other people. It can be lonely and sad because these citizens at one time were vibrant, active contributors in their communities. Diane recognizes their predicament and takes it upon herself to make sure that they know they are still thought about, cared for and loved. One way she demonstrates this is by creating and distributing Valentines Day care packages for residents. She spends quality time with the residents, plays BINGO and other games, does manicures and pedicures, and joins them for lunch. This is coordinated with the complex manager.
Duration: 3 years and ongoing
Total Volunteer Hours: 72

Additionally, Diane has more than 30 years of volunteer support of seniors in several local senior centers throughout the community. She plays games, brings treats and gifts, and spends time with residents who at one time gave so much to the community. As is her way, she also inspires others to do the same.
Duration: 30+ years
Total Volunteer Hours: 1200

Father’s Day at the Salvation Army Men’s Shelter: Father’s Day is a day many cherish, when dads are recognized by their families for their love and hard work. For fathers that live in a shelter that day can stir up some unintended feelings. Diane collects donations from the community and create Father’s Day hygiene and personal need care packages for fathers at the shelter to help make the day a bit more joyful.
Duration: 5 years and ongoing
Total Volunteer Hours: 25

In addition, Diane has spent more than 10 years working with the shelter to secure donations and other support for shelter residents. Diane recruits volunteers and works with countless others to collect and bring donations to the shelter for the men who reside there, including clothes, hygiene care packages, food and more. Additionally, she spends time talking with them, connecting with them, and helping them rebuild their self-esteem.
Duration: 10+ years
Total Volunteer Hours: 360

Maytag Ironman 70.3 Steelhead Triathlon: Serving as the lead volunteer for a runner’s aid station, Diane and her group of volunteers distributed water, snacks, Gatorade, and other needs for the runners. Volunteers at this station also provide a much-needed morale boost as they cheer on the runners, providing support and encouragement to go on during a difficult and grueling 70.3 mile race. Her passion for this started in 2013 when her son was a triathlon participant. She had so much fun and was tremendously inspired by the racers that she decided she wanted to oversee a station moving forward, helping to recruit volunteers and manage the station.
Duration: 7 years and ongoing
Total Volunteer Hours: 56

National Night Out Event: Serves as a co-organizer for this annual event which aims to bring communities and their local police departments closer together. Additional activities include games, equipment demonstrations from other local responders, free food, and giveaways. Diane helped collect donations from the community, fill backpacks with school supplies, and distribute books to children in need. Hundreds of backpacks are distributed each year.
Duration: 5 years and ongoing
Total Volunteer Hours: 50

School Readiness Events: Many of us how excited we were to get brand new school supplies before the new school year started. Mom or Dad would take us to the store, and we’d pick out a new backpack, lunch box, folders and more. The most exciting part was often the crayons… new sharpened tips, the vibrant colors… and they weren’t broken (yet)! For many children in Benton Harbor and other communities this annual shopping ritual is usually very different as purchasing brand new supplies each year isn’t a feasible option. Before National Night Out started in Benton Harbor, Diane worked with multiple organizations to secure donations of brand-new school supplies, assemble them into backpacks, and distribute them to local children so they could be prepared for the new school year. Hundreds of students were served each year.
Duration: 20+ years
Total Volunteer Hours: 200

Mom’s Club of St. Joseph: During the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, Diane works to ensure families feel the love and camaraderie that the holidays inspire. She is part of a team that encourages local families to adopt a family in need, providing food, clothing, gifts, and other family needs for the holidays. She shops for gifts, secures donations, organizes wrapping events and helps distribute gifts.
Duration: 7 years and ongoing
Total Volunteer Hours: 84

Additionally, Diane has personally adopted multiple families for 25+ years
Duration; 25 years
Total Volunteer Hours: 75

King Darius Masonic Temple: Diane works in partnership with this organization to provide food and household needs to area families who need them. She helps find donations, communicates with families, and helps assemble donations to distribute to community members.
Duration: 10 years and ongoing
Total Volunteer Hours: 50

Operation Thanksgiving: The warmth and love that so many of us feel during the holidays can be much different for families in need due to the expense of these celebrations. Sharing a feast of seasonally-favorite foods with our nearest and dearest family and friends is something that many of us take for granted. In Benton Harbor families can have their own Thanksgiving Feast due in large part to Diane’s hard work. Diane partners with Meijer and United Way of Southwest Michigan to provide a full Thanksgiving meal for local families in need. Meijer supplies the items, and Diane brings a team of volunteers to assemble and distribute them to local families. On average, 150 families are served each year through this event.
Duration: 7 years and ongoing
Total Volunteer Hours: 84

Thanksgiving Meal Baskets: Prior to the United Way and Meijer partnership, Diane helped organize Thanksgiving Meal Baskets in conjunction with multiple churches and other organizations. Diane was part of the entire process including requesting and gathering donations, seeking and communicating with families, assembling and distributing the finished baskets. On average, 75 baskets were distributed each year.
Duration: 25 years
Total Volunteer Hours: 300

Deliver Holiday Care Packages to Homebound Seniors: There are many seniors in Benton Harbor and beyond that are unable to get out of their homes regularly. They often express feelings of isolation and loneliness. They also state that they feel like they’ve been forgotten. As one of Region IV Area Agency on Aging’s group of volunteer “elves”, Diane travels to area assisted living homes to provide holiday gift boxes to community seniors. Hundreds of care packages are distributed each year, with Diane personally distributing approximately 10-12 annually.
Duration: 4 years and ongoing
Total Volunteer Hours: 20

Digs Entertainment Cancer Awareness: Diane was one of several local leaders who sponsor entertainment shows and events as fundraisers for cancer research. Her volunteer efforts include recruiting volunteers, setting and cleaning up the venue, decorating, serving as an usher, welcoming guests and taking tickets, coordinating and managing the operation of the concession stands, and seeking donations for and conducting gift drawings.
Duration: 3 years and ongoing
Total Volunteer Hours: 36

Halloween Extravaganza with the Blue Roof Church and the City of Benton Harbor/Benton Harbor Boys and Girls Club: Dressing up in costume, getting load of candy from neighbors, and having fun with your friends is what makes Halloween such a favorite time for kids. Not all communities are conducive for this though, so Diane volunteers with local organizations to provide the opportunity for Benton Harbor children. She helps to recruit volunteers, organize, set-up, and hand out candy for this annual event. Hundreds of local children participate each year.
Duration – City of Benton Harbor/Boys and Girls Club: 10 years and ongoing
Duration – Blue Roof Church: 4 years
Total Volunteer Hours: 168

Finish the Mission Outreach with Blue Roof Church: The aim of Blue Roof Church’s Finish the Mission Outreach is “Bringing hope into the lives of the lost, hurting and broken, as we share the love of Jesus Christ.” Connecting people to each other, to resources and to God is what they strive to do. They host a fun annual event in Benton Harbor during which they play games with kids, have some food, and pray with them. Participants also receive some necessities when they leave. Diane recruits volunteers from her Sisters From Another Mother group and together they provide food and hygiene kits to families in need who attend.
Duration: 4 years and ongoing
Total Volunteer Hours: 30

Blue Roof Church community resource fair/picnic: Two of the core values of Blue Roof Church are to serve the suffering and connect as a community. One of the ways they do this is by hosting a community resource fair and picnic during which community members can learn about a variety of local resources available, meet some new friends, and get some nourishment. Diane volunteers for this event in many ways including recruiting community vendors, recruiting volunteers, helping to set-up the event, manning the food tables, overseeing the registration table, and attending to the needs of a variety of vendors.
Duration: 4 years ongoing
Total Volunteer Hours: 20

Neighbors Organizing Against Racism (N.O.A.R.) Easter Egg Extravaganza: Since the pandemic, a group of local organizations works together to create this annual Easter event for Benton Harbor children. Many Benton Harbor families are unable to afford Easter baskets and other holiday-themed gifts and decorations, so this collaborative group helps do that for them. Diane sits on the committee, and she and her Sisters From Another Mother group volunteer in a variety of ways including planning the event, soliciting donations, cleaning up the park, setting up and executing the event. Prizes were given away to children including eggs, candy, bikes, and scooters.
Duration: 3 years and ongoing
Total Volunteer Hours: 36

Wonderland Toy Store: The Wonderland Toy Store is an annual event that offers an affordable and dignified way for low-income families to provide holiday presents for their children. Hosted by 1st Church of God and Blue Roof Church, the event helps families provide gifts for the holidays. Diane volunteers and brings her Sisters From Another Mother team, friends or family along to join in the fun. They fundraise for the event, solicit donations of toys and gift cards, help set up and decorate the store, greet parents, and help them purchase their gifts. On average, 125 families are blessed each year through this event.
Duration: 10 years and ongoing
Total Volunteer Hours: 120

Rake a Difference: This annual event brings more than 1200 volunteers together to serve 300+ seniors in Berrien, Cass and Van Buren Counties by raking their yards and cleaning their gutters. For many seniors, these annual Fall maintenance tasks pose a safety hazard, yet they are necessary to help the seniors maintain and stay in their homes. Diane leads up a team and recruits other teams of volunteers to help in the effort.
Duration: 5 years
Total Hours: 30
Impact: 15 seniors served

Operation Good Cheer: In partnership with the local Department of Health & Human Services, Diane coordinates this annual holiday gift event. Local foster children receive brand new donated toys, bikes, and other gift items through this project. The donated gifts, toys and bikes arrive via semi-truck and volunteers help unload, organize and set them up. When the children arrive, they help check them in, serve food, distribute gifts and clean up.
Duration: 3 years
Total hours: 21

Monthly:

Harbor Point Senior Living Center and individual senior citizens in need: Picked up fruits and vegetables from a Region IV Area Agency on Aging partner and delivered the fruits and vegetables to the seniors in need.
Duration: Monthly for 1 year in response to a 12-month grant
Total Volunteer Hours: 48

Salvation Army Men’s Shelter: Diane and her friends & family host monthly dinners at the shelter. They plan, shop for, cook and serve the meals to men at the shelter. Additionally they eat dinner with residents and spend quality time talking to the residents. Often the men here feel like they have been forgotten about, but Diane and her team make sure that each one feels connected to and cared for. Diane goes above and beyond to provide information about other community resources, employment & training opportunities, assist with everyday clothing needs, professional attire for interviewing and Sisters From Another Mother will purchase winter coats, boots when there is a need.
Duration: 4 years and ongoing
Total Volunteer Hours: 192

Feeding America Food Trucks: Serving as the lead organizer for this monthly food distribution, Diane works with the Feeding America team to ensure residents have access to food, including fresh produce and dairy. Diane recruits volunteers, oversees the set up, assigns volunteers to tasks, helps pack the food, and distributes the food. Additionally, while they wait in line Diane makes sure each one feels seen and loved. Diane also collaborates with community partners so they can join and pass out information about services and resources available in the community. Impact: 150 families per month (a total of 18,000 household impressions!)
Duration: 10 years and ongoing
Total Volunteer Hours: 480

Other Events, past and present:

Berrien County Community Foundation COVID Vaccines Awareness Clinics: When the pandemic hit, Diane was one of the first people the local health department turned to in order to communicate to the Benton Harbor community the urgency of getting vaccinated. She quickly said yes and became a pillar of information for residents. She oversaw the distribution of information at many local events, worked with health professionals to organize and speak at events, coordinated the mobile vaccine clinic for events, and helped shared important information about the positives of the vaccine while helping to eliminate misconceptions.
Duration: 12 months
Total Volunteer Hours: 120

United Through Motherhood: Diane assisted with hosting a diaper drive for selected months for local mothers in need. Sisters From Another Mother assisted with soliciting donations, helped pick them up from designated locations and delivered them to the place they’d organize them. Together they sorted and organized all diapers donated, transported them then to the Berrien County Health Dept and other organizations that help to meet the needs of the community.
Duration: 2 years
Total Volunteer Hours: 144

Salvation Army Bell Ringer: Ever present during the holidays, the Salvation Army Bell Ringers help community members find a sense of hope, fill hungry bellies, and provide shelter. Through her efforts serving as a bell ringer, Diane along with members of Sisters From Another Mother were part of many local volunteers who helped raise money for the local Salvation Army during the holiday season. The local Salvation Army Men’s Shelter uses the funds raised to provide food, rent assistance, and utility assistance for community members.
Duration: 2 years
Total Volunteer Hours: 20

Christmas Luncheon for Salvation Army Children: Along with members of Sisters From Another Mother, Diane helped collect holiday gifts for children served by the Salvation Army. The children were invited to attend a very special holiday luncheon at one of our area’s most prestigious restaurants during which they received gifts. Diane and Sisters From Another Mother members organized and attended the luncheon as chaperones and servers, and assisted with distributing gifts to each child in attendance.
Duration: 1 year
Total Volunteer Hours: 6

YMCA St. Joseph Community Soup Night: Set up and served various types of soup to all YMCA guests. This event is a way for community members to come together for fellowship and friendship during the cold, dark months of winter.
Total Volunteer Hours: 4

Benton Harbor High School: Diane volunteers at all home football, basketball, and track & field events in the concession stand which serves as a fundraiser for the school. Proud Benton Harbor High School Alumni and supports the Alumni Association Board.
Duration: 10 years
Total Volunteer Hours: 1600

Operation Safe Space: Like many other cities in Michigan, Benton Harbor experiences tragedy and violence all too often. Children and families deserve a safe place to gather and play with their friends. It is a basic need of children everywhere. To help address the problem, this year Diane, along with her Sisters From Another Mother team, partnered with Harbor of Hope Church for their initiative “Operation Safe Space” which is a neighborhood event to help children and families feel safe in their neighborhood. Games are played, food is served, and laughter and love are plentiful as the community gathers together. The event is held in 4 different Housing complexes throughout the city. Diane conveniently chose the Benton Township Housing Complex because she lived there as a child.
Duration: 2 months
Total Volunteer Hours: 20

Additionally, she serves the following committees, boards and organizations:
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, United Way of Southwest Michigan
Benton Harbor Community Development Corporation Board
Caring Circle Board, Corewell Health
Community Health & Wellness Advocate, Corewell Health
Neighborhoods Organizing Against Racism
Sisters From Another Mother
Berrien Community Foundation
King Darius Grand Lodge Masons
Benton Harbor High School Class of 1983