By Diana Henry - bio | email | Twitter | Facebook | Blog
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WKOW) A teenager from Reedsburg received national recognition for her community service. 15-year-old Jordyn Schara was named to Parade Magazine's first ever All-America High School service team.
She and 14 others were honored this week at a ceremony at the White House.
Schara was honored for her work on a prescription pill and drug disposal program in Reedsburg. She collected 370 pounds of drugs at her last collection on Earth Day.
Schara was WKOW's May Jefferson Award Recipient.
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REEDSBURG (WKOW)-- A 15-year-old in Reedsburg which is about an hour northwest of Madison is trying to save the planet one pill at a time.
Jordyn Schara has volunteered countless hours. It makes her this month's Jefferson Award recipient and 'Someone You Should Know.'
Jordyn Schara is a freshman at Reedsburg High School. She loves English class and wants to be a journalist when she grows up.
"We have to do community service hours at school," said Jordyn. "7 hours is mandatory and I turn my sheets in with hundreds of hours."
Jordyn says she's hooked on giving back to her community.
"And, I always had my birthday parties where we'd collect food for the animal shelter and different things like that. But, my first big community service project was Project READ with my older brother," said Jordyn.
Project READ stands for Reading, Equipment for America's Defenders.
"We contacted the National Guard to see what it is they need the most," said Jordyn. "They said reading materials are one of the things they need the most. Something to remind them of home. Something that can comfort them and make them feel that they're not that far away"
2 years ago, Jordyn designed and set up camouflage collection boxes all around town. She helped collect and ship 2-thousand pounds of supplies to the troops.
When her brother graduated she wanted to take on a project on her own. She researched and found a problem that affects ground water and teens.
"People disposing their medications down the toilet or down the drain was a huge one and it also tied into the problem of teen prescription drug abuse," said Jordyn Schara. "Teens abuse medications more than meth, heroin, and cocaine combined. And it wasn't a problem being addressed locally."
So, Jordyn brought a drug disposal program called P2D2 to Wisconsin. She collected 370 pounds at her last prescription pill collection on Earth Day.
"I'm proud that I can influence my peers to the point that they want to start their own projects," said Jordyn.
Jordyn had her classmates help her by painting this mailbox.
The mailbox will now sit permanently at the Reedsburg Police Station where the community can drop off unwanted prescriptions any time.
"Right off the bat she motivated a lot of us in the Sauk County Sheriff's Department," said Chip Meister, Chief Deputy with the Sauk County Sheriff's Department. "This is a great program so we jumped on board with it too. So, the motivation is definitely there."
Why do you care so much about your community? I asked Jordyn.
"Why wouldn't you?," replied Jordyn. "Your community is where you live. They help you out a lot and you have to return the favor."
