Observer Tribune
Teen's nonprofit encourages youngsters to make a difference
“It really doesn’t matter who you are and what your background is,’’ Portland said. “There is a difference in this world that you can make. I think I learned a lot about having a network of people around you that can help you is really important.
“You can’t just start something by yourself. You need to have people there to support you. You need to have people that can help you in different aspects of the non profit world.’’
My Paper Online
Mendham Township Teen Creates Nonprofit to Help Kids Like Her Make a Difference
“I really wanted to find a way to make a difference and it was in the midst of COVID,” explains Portland. “I felt very young for the volunteer opportunities that I could find. It really didn’t feel like there was anything that was going on still during COVID without a lot of precautions and masks and social distancing, so I decided that maybe there was something I could do. I tried to create a hub for other teens like me who wanted to make some sort of difference in the world.”
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“People are often really excited to find out that it was started by me because I’m a kid. I think it’s just a little bit more special to be started by a kid for kids,” says Portland.