By Christine Yiu, FCSN Voices Youth Reporter

On August 29, local student organization Global Leadership Initiatives For Youth (GLIFY) donated $1000 to nonprofit organization Friends of Children with Special Needs (FCSN) in Fremont, CA, as GLIFY’s annual contribution to FCSN. Although the GLIFY team did not state a specific cause about the donation, they hope that it will benefit special needs students and families of FCSN by providing them the necessary support.

GLIFY is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization made up of high school and middle school students in the East Bay of Northern California. The organization was founded in 2010 by high school students and has since expanded to more than 200 members. They offer many volunteering opportunities to inspire local youth to use their knowledge, skills, creativity, and imagination to promote change in the world.  

In addition to sponsoring FCSN , GLIFY has provided multiple forms of support to help expand FCSN’s benefits for special needs children and families. For instance, GLIFY members have been teaching FCSN Lego Robotics and Art classes, tutoring math online, participating in FCSN’s Gala, and inviting FCSN’s talented members to perform in GLIFY’s annual Talent Show.

In an interview on October 2 with GLIFY’s officers, Daphne Yan, Samuel Wu, Brianna Zhang, and Christina Dai, they stated that the special needs community is “inseparable” from the rest of society. They believe that by working with FCSN, they can help create opportunities for the special needs students to express themselves, learn new skills, and feel confident about their identity. GLIFY has collaborated with FCSN to host performances showcasing special needs students’ talents, skills and interests. Their excellent performances have often impressed the audience, demonstrating that they are no less capable than their non-special needs counterparts.