Students learn hands-on philanthropy through Schnitzer Cares

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- For Izzy Garcia, a junior at St. Mary's Academy in Portland, immigration is personal. She sees it everyday.

"I feel very passionately about it because I know that my ancestors and people, and generations before me, were in the same position and I feel like if they got assistance, we should give others assistance."

Garcia and other high school students -- including Misha Russo-Yanowitz from Ida B. Wells, Sofia Downes from Central Catholic -- are part of the Schnitzer Cares clubs, a statewide program backed by the Schnitzer family. This year, 1800 high school students from 41 schools took on big issues such as addiction, mental health and housing -- three of the 33 categories they could donate to.

Beginning this past September, these students took on real issues and determined how to best give away $1 million to nonprofits across Oregon. They decide where the money goes to help people in need, but they put in a year of hard work to figure out where their philanthropic efforts will do the most good.

The hard work includes a variety of efforts, from hot chocolate fundraisers to grant writing to making the big display checks they presented to the nonprofits they chose. Each Schnitzer Cares team needs to raise $1500 and when they do, the Schnitzer Cares program gives them $15,000.

These students proved philanthropy is not about money. It's about compassion.

"You can just see a need for support in our community. We felt like that would bring a lot of impact," Russo-Yanowitz said. "I've been able to just connect with my community a lot more and I think that's such a great experience for anyone."

"This has been such a new experience," Downes said, "and from a different side of it."

Tuesday night, the local Schnitzer Cares teams gathered at the Irving Street Studio to hand out the money to the nonprofits they chose.

Garcia's dad, Frank, is the executive director of Immigration Counseling Service, which helps immigrants and refugees in Oregon and Southwest Washington. She wanted to show her group the impact of his work.

This year, ICS received $27,000 from five schools -- including $7000 from St. Mary's.

"It really is a full circle moment," Frank Garcia said. "I feel really proud."

But he said this program and these students speak to a much larger issue.

"We're building leaders that are understanding, inclusive, have empathy, and are really trying to build a better country and better Oregon that includes everyone."