Leah Terry, a fifteen year-old from St. Joseph, has been awarded a Disney Summer of Service grant through YSA (Youth Service America). The grant will support Terry in leading a benefit concert of our community’s youth that will raise to moneys to fund water wells in Africa to help fight the water crisis.

Terry’s program, Art for Africa, will be hosting a benefit concert on July 14th at the St. Joseph High School Auditorium at 7pm. The benefit concert will be a variety style show featuring many youth performers from throughout Southwest Michigan. Additionally, there will be an art show at intermission featuring art work from local students. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. All proceeds from admissions and art sales will support Art for Africa’s purpose of funding wells in communities in Zambia.

Art for Africa is a program that was created by Terry in the summer of 2013 dedicated to providing to clean water wells in communities in Africa through performing and creative arts. In the past, Art for Africa received a grant from YSA to hold an art show during Global Youth Service Day. That show raised over $5000 and funded a well in a community in Zambia. Art for Africa hopes to continue to reach more communities throughout Africa and hold more events to raise funds and awareness for the Water Crisis.

Terry is one of 340 young leaders across the country awarded a $500 Disney Summer of Service grant to organize projects to help make their communities healthier, greener and stronger. Grantees will educate and mobilize their peers around the issue of the water crisis, creating solutions to help solve the water crisis through awareness, service, advocacy, and philanthropic activities.