Most college students use their summer vacations for themselves. A break away from books. Less structure, more sunshine—and definitely not acts of service.
But Alex Quian and Brady Boyd aren’t most college students. A senior and junior at Cornell University and North Lake college, these remarkable men are using their time away from school for the benefit of their community, developing an idea called, 30 Days of Service.
In 30 days, Alex and Brady plan to perform 30 service projects in an effort to inspire youth to commit to lifelong giving.
Their incredible idea, passion, and plans for the future are hope for all generations to come. Follow their live blog or their daily Facebook posts to watch their service in action, and read our interview with Alex and Brady:
Lifestyle Frisco: Where did the idea for 30 Days of Service originate from?
Alex Quian and Brady Boyd: The idea for 30 Days of Service really originated from Brady and I’s mentor, Greg Weatherford. He knew that we were both very passionate about service and that we really wanted to do something unique and impactful this summer. With that in mind, he suggested that we challenge ourselves to complete 30 different service projects in 30 days.
Our mentor has an extensive background in community service and non-profit work. He founded a non-profit when he was 12 and grew it into a national organization.
Through his experiences, he really saw the value that service and servant leadership can have, and so he really encouraged us to fully immerse ourselves in the spirit of service and to learn what it means to give back to our community.
LsF: What Frisco-based projects do you have planned or have you completed already?
AQ and BB: So far, we’ve completed the following projects in Frisco, with a few more coming up:
- July 1: we launched a reading program at the Boys and Girls Club of Collin County.
- July 8: we hosted a voter registration drive at Collin College’s Frisco campus.
- July 9: we brought and served breakfast to 40 seniors at the Frisco Senior Center.
- July 12: we hosted a youth movie day at the Boys and Girls Club of Collin County.
- July 16: we’ll host an appreciation dinner for veterans at the American Legion post in Frisco.
- July 18: we’ll teach a life skills class for youth at the Boys and Girls Club of Collin County.
- July 27: we’ll host an appreciation day for firefighters at the Frisco Central Fire Station.
LsF: How do you determine which service projects will be chosen and do any have personal meaning for you?
AQ and BB: One of the main reasons we’re doing 30 different projects in 30 days is to provide a diverse set of example projects that youth anywhere—not just in Dallas—can replicate in their own communities across the country. Because of this, we wanted to choose service projects related to a broad range of issues such as homelessness, food insecurity, youth education and development, veteran appreciation, and more.
We also chose service projects based on needs we noticed in our community and the needs of some of our partner organizations based on exploratory conversations we had for them.
(Alex) Personally, I really love the reading program we are doing with the Boys and Girls Club of Collin County. I think that encouraging and providing an engaging opportunity for kids to read is extremely important.
(Brady) My dad is an Army veteran, and so I really appreciate every opportunity to give back to the veteran community. I’m very excited about the veteran appreciation meal we’re hosting in Frisco with the American Legion.
LsF: What’s the best way community members and local businesses can support you?
AQ and BB: The best way community members and companies can support us is by making a financial donation, which helps fund our remaining service projects in July. Individuals can make a donation by visiting www.30daysofservice.com/give.
We also accept product and in-kind donations from companies and individuals, based on the needs of various projects. To see a list of requested items, people may visit www.30daysofservice.com/needs.
LsF: What future endeavors do you have planned once the 30 Days of Service is complete?
AQ and BB: Our ultimate goal is to really inspire youth across the country to get out in their communities and just serve. To work towards that goal, after 30 Days of Service, we’ll take the insights and lessons we learn to publish a how-to book that teaches young people how to start their own projects (big or small) in their own communities and create other resources that will help encourage youth to give back.
We also plan to speak at schools, churches, corporations, and everywhere else in between to advocate for the importance of youth getting involved.
Serving the community. Inspiring others to serve.
Alex and Brody’s ambitious service initiative to complete 30 service projects in 30 days aims to inspire young people to embrace the spirit of community service and create their own service projects.
Understanding that it’s a huge undertaking, they’ve assembled an advisory board that has provided important feedback to help them successfully execute the project. Some of these board members include Dolf Berle (CEO, Topgolf), Nakia Douglas (Executive Director, UNT Dallas), Zoya Jackson (Administrator, Minnie’s Food Pantry), and more.
If you would like to support them on this journey, you can learn more about how to get involved here.
