Hi! My name is Karsyn Elmore. I am vice president of the Addis Jemari Teen Board. I have absolutely loved being on the teen board and having the opportunity to meet new people and work together on projects. Even though our year and projects were interrupted early due to Covid-19, I am very excited about the projects we have planned for next year.
I found out about Addis Jemari through my mom. She loves and has been wearing the jewelry for years, but I never knew much about the purpose of the jewelry or what AJ was all about. Over a year ago, I helped her volunteer at the Shopping Spree and that’s when I found out that it was more than just pretty jewelry, there was a story behind it. While volunteering that day, I read information and stories about Addis Jemari and that is when I knew that I wanted to volunteer. Soon after, I learned that there was going to be a Teen Board and I was ecstatic to be more involved!
Volunteering for Addis Jemari is very important to me. When I found out about the lives of the young girls in Ethiopia, I knew right away that I wanted to help in any way I can. Seeing what life is like for some of the people we serve at Addis Jemari makes me appreciate what I have and has helped me not take anything in my life for granted. I love knowing that, in some small way, I am helping better the lives of teenage girls and families who are so deserving.
Now that I am volunteering and participating on the Teen Board, I have met so many great people and I have heard so many awesome stories about the success of Addis Jemari. I always look forward to the Teen Board meetings and seeing all of the new products we sell in our AJ Marketplace, and exploring ideas about fundraising and other opportunities to help fund the AJ programs. I hope to one day visit the AJ House in Ethiopia and meet some of the amazing people who I have admired for so long. Until then, I will continue to do what I can do to help and contribute to the efforts of Addis Jemari here in NC. I can’t wait to see what we can do in the next year!