Gwyneth Bao - Gold Award

School: Lincoln High School
Category: Teens (11-15)
Hours: 179

Gwyneth is a senior at Lincoln High School dedicated to addressing the fundamental challenges of poverty, food insecurity, and mental health crises. Leading FlockFeast, an initiative she began co-reestablishing during the pandemic, she has involved over 200 students in service to bag sack lunches for the homeless community and pantry groceries for low-income families. This year, FlockFeast has also hosted educational sessions for volunteers taught by Oregon Food Bank’s Network Equity & Racial Justice Team on trauma-informed care and sensitivity to mental health issues. Gwyneth works closely with Clay Street Table, organizing and directing teams of volunteers for the meals program and food pantry that now shares over 250,000 meals of prepared food and groceries annually with people living on the margins, experiencing hunger and homelessness in Portland. Over the years, volunteering at Clay Street Table, she has engaged with people dealing with mental illness, developmental disabilities, addictions, post-traumatic stress, and medical complications from poverty that make them chronically dependent upon social services for survival. Believing that education is a powerful pathway to future success, Gwyneth invests her spare time in tutoring, fostering a solid mathematical foundation and igniting a genuine passion for the subject in other students. Beyond her individual efforts, she aims to inspire fellow students to actively engage in service and cultivate a strong sense of community among all volunteers.

Oregon Chinese Coalition is proud to join the President of the United States in recognizing the volunteers who consistently take the time to make a difference in the lives of others. Therefore, it is a great honor to present the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) to Gwyneth Bao.