Congratulations to 8th grader Colton Petrosky for his efforts to coordinate outstanding community service projects, which earned him the first-place award from the Larry Klu Foundation!

The foundation’s Kindness Contest encouraged children to share their efforts to make their communities a better place for everyone.

Colton launched Operation Help Your Neighbor, an initiative that helps people in our community who may be going through a tough time or just need a small item they forgot at the store.

He currently has a box at the Russelton Free Store that he continues to stock with travel-sized, non-perishable hygiene items like laundry, soap, body soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, feminine products, and more,

With the help of Team Upstanders, he recently ran a campaign at Deer Lakes Middle School to ensure the hygiene box continues to be stocked.

Anyone in need can visit the box and take what they need -- no questions asked.

Colton hopes that when a community member takes an item, they will replace it with another item when they are able to do so. He also hopes that this will be a community effort, in which community members who are able to donate an item do so even when they don’t need to take an item.

Thank you for helping Colton make our community a better place!