Youth Advisory Council

"Being a part of the YAC is like being a piece in the puzzle. All the YAC members are different, but we all bring ideas and opinions to the table."

What is the Youth Advisory Council?

The YAC is a structured opportunity for high school students to serve in a leadership capacity within KHK, lending youth voice and perspective to our organization.

What do members of the YAC do?

The YAC meets on a regular basis (at least twice a month) to plan upcoming projects and quarterly ambassador meetings. Members of the YAC represent KHK at public relations events and demonstrate initiative, responsibility, and commitment to the core values of KHK.

Meet the 2024-2025 YAC

Emilia Coppola

YAC President
Senior, Lauralton Hall

Hi! My name is Emilia Coppola and I am a Senior at Lauralton Hall. I enjoy playing tennis and basketball. I am an officer for the LH Engineering team and I participate in various clubs like Key club and Italian club. I’m very excited to be a part of the YAC to share my ideas and I’m hoping to spark a new project! I’ve been a volunteer with Kids Helping Kids for a couple years now, and really enjoyed helping with the pumpkin bread sales. More recently, cheering runners on at the “Walk/Run for Good.” I enjoy serving others in my community and I’m happy to show leadership in this amazing organization.

Isabel Loeffler-Kaplan

Vice President
Senior, St. Luke's School

Hi! My name is Isabel Loeffler-Kaplan, and I am a senior at St. Luke’s School in New Canaan. I have a passion for songwriting, singing, and playing the piano. I became actively involved with Kids Helping Kids last summer when I led a Spark a Project workshop focused on songwriting. That experience immediately drew me in, the sense of unity and warmth within the KHK community was truly inspiring. Since then, I’ve continued to deepen my engagement and am honored to now serve on the Youth Advisory Council. I’m excited to keep promoting KHK’s mission and to help it grow by contributing fresh ideas and new initiatives.

Frances Onorio

Secretary
Senior, The Ursuline School

Hi! My name is Frances and I am a Senior at The Ursuline School. I enjoy being on the cheerleading team and a part of the art club. I was first introduced to Kids Helping Kids through my sister’s volunteering. Seeing how much fun they had, I immediately wanted to do it myself. I instantly enjoyed the atmosphere of the organization and what it had to offer. KHK is such a great way to give back to my community, and I am looking forward to bringing my own ideas and taking my involvement to the next level by joining the YAC!

Sivan Niv

Senior, A.I.T.E

Hi I’m Sivan, a senior at A.I.T.E. and I love kids helping kids so much. The community is very welcoming and this is my 9th year working with them, it has been and still is an amazing experience.

Chiara Andrade

Senior, Greenwich County Day School

Hi, my name is Chiara Andrade and I am a senior at Greenwich Country Day School. I love working with kids, and that is what sparked my interest to be a part of Kids Helping Kids! My job as a camp counselor taught me leadership skills that I am excited to incorporate in my future with KHK. I am looking forward to helping the community in whatever ways I can.

Matthew Schenck

Member
Freshman, The King School

Hi! I’m Matthew Schenck and I’m in 9th grade. I go to The King School and I have been with Kids Helping Kids since 2017. I’m super excited to contribute to the Youth Advisory Council! I enjoy playing sports and video games. I love the fact KHK is hands on in the community and gives you the feeling you’re helping your community.

Izzy Hartman

Senior, Greenwich Academy

Hi! My name is Izzy and I’m a senior at Greenwich Academy. I enjoy rowing and art. I have been a KHK volunteer since 6th grade and I am motivated by their mission. One of my favorite KHK projects is Gift of Giving because you can directly see the impact on the community and the joy on kids’ faces! I have promoted projects throughout my school, but I plan to work with our community service board to bring even more volunteers and attention to KHK. I’m very excited to work with people who share my passion for our community and truly make a difference.

Gwen Harte

Junior, Greenwich High School

Hi, My name is Gwen Harte and I am an 11th grader at Greenwich High School. I enjoy playing soccer and lacrosse. I joined KHK two years ago and I instantly loved how KHK empowers kids to directly impact the lives of other kids. My favorite project is the Handled with Care Boutique because I love how one concept can create so much joy. I was inspired by my team’s work on the Community Impact Project last spring and hope to continue KHK’s work towards reducing food insecurity. I feel excited and grateful for the opportunity to work with other KHK members to create new opportunities to help others.

Anika Vaidheeswaran

Junior, Greens Farm Academy

Hi! My name is Anika Vaidheeswaran and I am a junior at Greens Farms Academy. I enjoy playing field hockey and running track. I joined KHK three years ago and I am so excited for my second year on the YAC! My first project at KHK was the Handled With Care Boutique and it was incredibly rewarding to see the joy it brought to our community. I am proud to be a part of such a great organization and can’t wait to work with other KHK volunteers this year!

Henry Wise

Senior, Brunswick School

Hi! My name is Henry Wise. I am a senior at Brunswick School. I play varsity and club soccer as well as golf for fun. I started volunteering at KHK as a sophomore, helping with a winter hat knitting project. I became more involved later that year creating my own spark-a-project program to teach guitar to students at the Boys and Girls Club, and I joined the YAC the following fall as a junior. What I love most about KHK is that the work we do as a team and organization is done on a diverse scale. I find it amazing that KHK’s work is able to both speak to the individuals we help on a micro level and push real community change on a macro level.

Ruby Jimenez

Senior, West Hill High School

Hi! I’m Ruby Jimenez. I’m a rising senior at Westhill High School. I have been a part of KHK since 2022, and it has provided me with the chance to directly give back to the community. I created my own service project with a friend where we taught science through hands-on activities at Boys & Girls Club. I had a great time inspiring a passion for science in youth. Still, as much as I loved sparking a project, our large-scale annual events hold a special place in my heart. The Gift of Giving event is my favorite memory with KHK as I saw it through from preparing the night before to cleaning up the evening after. Bringing a smile to people’s faces was beyond fulfilling, and it only strengthened my desire to work with KHK.

YAC in Training

Conor Urban

Sophomore, St. Luke's School
Hi! My name is Conor Urban, and I am a Sophomore at St. Luke’s School. I have been volunteering with Kids Helping Kids since 2018, and since then, I have met amazing new people and grown as a person. I am excited to continue being a part of Kids Helping Kids by becoming a member of the YAC and making a difference in my community.

Matt Coppola

Sophomore, Fairfield Prep

My name is Matt Coppola and I am currently a sophomore at Fairfield Prep and I’m an avid baseball player. I am excited about the opportunity to join the Youth Advisory Council in training at Kids Helping Kids because I am passionate about giving back to my community and making a positive impact. I would love to spark a project that involves teaching kids about baseball. I believe this experience will allow me to grow as a leader, and help inspire younger peers to get involved in meaningful service.

Sean Harte

Freshman, Greenwich High School

Hi, my name is Sean Harte and I am a 9th grader at Greenwich High School. I like to play golf and football. I joined KHK because it is a great way to give back to the community and benefit people’s lives. My favorite project is the Pumpkin Bread Bake Sale because I like the selling part and the reaching out to people. I hope to gain experience in communication and team skills. I am thrilled to work in the YAC this year.

Elsa Reisman

Junior, Rye Country Day School

Hi! My name is Elsa Reisman, and I am a Junior at Rye Country Day School. I enjoy art and playing tennis. I joined Kids Helping Kids because I wanted to help fellow kids in my community, and I love how the work KHK does has a direct impact on these kids’ lives. Ever since I first volunteered with KHK, I was drawn in by how motivated everyone was to contribute and by the KHK mission. One of my favorite KHK projects is Handled with Care Boutique because I loved watching the people’s excitement as they picked out their prom outfits. I am so excited to work with the YAC this year and continue serving my community through this organization!

Annabelle Falencki

Freshman, Greenwich Academy

Hi! I’m Annabelle Falencki and I’m a freshman at Greenwich Academy. I play volleyball for my school and club team. I had always been volunteering around holidays, but what sparked my interest and passion for community service was KHK’s annual Hope Day. It was an event to relate to and I am so grateful for the experience. The joy that the event made me and others feel is what drives me to pursue my growing interest in community service. I cannot wait to continue community service through such an amazing program!

YAC in Action