Good News - September 2021

39 SEPTEMBER 2021 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition OUT AND ABOUT Music Buddies, a free- standing Speak Up for Kids program, began as a STU- DENTS Speak Up for Kids pro- ject. Through STUDENTS Speak Up for Kids students are given the freedom to engage their imaginations, incorporate their talents, and create proj- ects which excite them that support awareness and advo- cacy for foster children. Music Buddies was born as a direct result of co-founders Anden Toale and Jocelyn Spellman embracing those freedoms. Di- rector of Student Engagement for Students Speak Up for Kids, Trish Zenczak, says, "Student- led advocacy is where youthful exuberance and innovation col- lide and result in the most cre- ative and dynamic projects." Music Buddies offers mu- sical instruments and virtual lessons to foster children, with teen volunteers serving as in- structors. Toale and Spellman, project co-founders and cur- rent Wellington High School Band students, have been close friends since sixth grade; their bond sealed through a shared love of music. Both play the piano while Toale also plays the flute and is learning how to play the guitar, and Spellman plays the French horn but found her passion in percussion. Additionally, they share a deep sense of altru- ism, each expressing an adult- like awareness of the plight of those less fortunate coupled with a heart to do something to help. "My mom has been a Guardian ad Litem for years, so I know the importance of giving back, and so does Jo- celyn," says Toale. Both give credit to his mother, Sandra Wells-Toale, for introducing them to STUDENTS Speak Up for Kids during early 2020 when COVID-19 protocols made teens' volunteer oppor- tunities scarce. Finding funds The teens recognized the financial stress the program would have and decided to tackle that as well! Averaging $100 per youth served to cover the costs of instruments and books, Toale and Spellman have become adept at sourcing previously used instruments and, when none are available, raising funds to provide neces- sary materials. The teens se- cured approximately $1,700 in donations from friends and family, and Jocelyn's mother, Allison Spellman, helped them set up an awareness booth at the Twilight Green Market at Wellington, where they re- ceived $100 in donations. Music Buddies currently has 15 active students and ten instructors. Due to this dynamic duo's diligence and commit- ment, Music Buddies has been adopted as an official Students Speak Up for Kids program. Universities, including Harvard and Berkeley, have performed studies substantiat- ing benefits for both the giver and receiver from acts of kind- ness, charity and paying-it-for- ward. "I had an opportunity to sit in on a session with Anden while he was teaching piano to a young girl. Between her lighting up and enjoying her- self and watchingAnden come alive and become so animated while he was teaching, I left the room in tears," says Wells- Toale. "Music Buddies is a gift for both of them." Future plans As the teens enter their Junior year at Wellington High School, they and their parents have begun Music Buddies succession planning. Toale, the recipient of the Erin Fernan- dez Heart of the Band Award for his efforts to make an im- pact, envisions that he and Spellman will identify and men- tor incoming first-year students then turn over the reins once they graduate. "They have to have the same drive and enthu- siasm," Toale stipulates. "Students Speak Up for Kids was created for young leaders like Anden and Joce- lyn. We equipped them and supported their vision," com- ments Zenczak. As a result, Music Buddies is on a trajec- tory of success and, parent organization, Speak Up for Kids of Palm Beach County is determined to help ensure that this youth-led advocacy program remains funded and available for the many vulner- able children for whom Music Buddies will serve as both an outlet and a potentially life- changing opportunity. To find out how you can support Music Buddies, visit stu- dentsspeakupforkidspbc.org . Music Buddies Matches Teen Volunteers And Instruments with Foster Children Jocelyn Spellman and Anden Toale . Photo Credit, Alexis Rivera - Two Rivers Photos