Patrick Phillips, 22, a youth/community advocate from Radix Village in Mayaro, has been nominated in two categories for the National Youth Awards, hosted by the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service.
They are the Youth Leadership: Community Groups Award and the Youth Activism/Service Award (18-35).
He received confirmation on Thursday that he was one of the nominees shortlisted for the latter.
Speaking to the Sunday Guardian, Phillips said "I was nominated by one of my fellow youth space members and leaders Chrisette Benjamin, president of the I Believe in Success (IBIS) Foundation.
"I would have initiated a number of activities and projects within my community of Nariva/Mayaro and through some of the national organisations that I am currently part of.
"I feel humbled to be recognised for the work I've been doing together with members of the community and stakeholders with young people as part of multiple organisations.
The ambitious youth founded the MaGuaya Youth Foundation (MYF) in 2017, and relaunched the organisation with a brand new executive in December 2019.
He said they undertook multiple projects and partnered with other organisations aimed at young people and provided care packages for them.
Phillips said they also initiated several community-based hamper drives to help those in need.
The MYF did a School Rehabilitation Programme in 2019, in which a group of Mayaro youth repainted and refurbished five classrooms of the Mayaro Secondary School.
According to Phillips, this impacted over 150 students as it provided a more appealing learning environment to them.
He disclosed that the MYF led by him collaborated with bpTT in its food drive to initiate smiles to the South East communities providing over 1,000 people with hot meals for two months.
In a stakeholder hamper drive, the foundation collaborated with various energy companies within the area to provide hamper relief to over 810 families.
Phillips said the organisation also played key roles in a hamper drive in commemoration of the foundation’s two-year anniversary for needy students between the ages of three to18 years and a COVID-19 relief fund last year.
Patrick Phillips in his community.
The MYF established the relief fund based solely on contributions made by its members and supporters to provide material support for those that could not afford COVID-19 protection items such as face masks, sanitizers, and precaution cards.
Phillips said the items were distributed to members of the maxi and taxi services, bank employees and residents that could not afford them and were made available through the offices of the councillors for the various districts. In their senior citizen assistance initiative, for over six months, the MYF assisted the elderly with receiving their monthly pensions by teaching them to social distance while at the banks.
The foundation also provided over 2,000 face masks for those in attendance and provided physical assistance and transportation support for the at-risk elderly.
For the Girl Get Up: the Empowerment Event in collaboration with Youth Empowering Today for Tomorrow, Network of Rural Women Producers and the MYF, nine young girls were educated on the power of volunteerism, leadership, making the right choice, overcoming fear and insecurities, safety and personal hygiene. The participants packaged 30 care hampers which were distributed to young women in need. In the ERHA Pfizer Vaccination Rollout Programme, Phillips mobilised 21 youths to aid in the delivery of the vaccination programme at the Mayaro Indoor Facility.
The foundation was also a partner in Project Hope, an initiative launched by S&S Persad Supermarket. Phillips revealed that foundation members had been volunteering their time by packaging 2,000 hope boxes filled with stationery, food, clothing, personal care items and baby items. He served as project resource and mobilisation officer and played an instrumental role in the daily distribution process.
In 2021, Phillips was appointed Youth Governor of Local Government in which he and his team were set to launch a monthly series to educate people of the roles of Local Government and its responsibilities.
About Phillips
Some of Phillips' portfolios include:
Vice President-Prance Nation
Project Marketing Officer-Project Elevation
Project Resource and Mobilisation Officer-Project Hope Children's Foundation.
Shortlisted nominees
Youth Activism Service Award
(10-17)
Zahra Gaskin
Ronia Swan
Priyanka Lalla
Youth Activism Service Award
(18-35)
Chrisette Benjamin
Ancilla Ashley Kirby
Patrick Phillips
Communication and Media
(18-35)
Stephon Felmine
Ronia Swan
Ancilla Ashley Kirby
Health and Wellness
(18-35)
Gabriella Mollineau
Roland Hamilton
Lea-Ann Stoute