Members of OHS Al Exito!, Luis Lozano and Juvenino Leyva, received a $2,500 check from Legacy Youth Alliance member Kaitlyn Baeza. The "Reconnecting after Covid" grant will pair high school students with middle school students to promote physical activity and mental health.
The Legacy Youth Alliance members really liked the application because it not only checks the mental, physical, social health boxes but also the leadership skill building for the high school Al Exito members, said Amy Nossaman, grants program manager for the Ottumwa Regional Legacy Foundation.
High school members will be paired with and mentor middle school members. This will include organized activities to encourage socialization and increase physical activity after months of sitting, isolated, in front of a computer. They will also assist with homework and anything else that the middle schooler seems to need.
"With this grant we can focus on improving the mental health and increase the physical well-being of those that were impacted due to Covid-19," said Lozano.
