Jeanne Busby was amazed Thursday by the eight teenagers in her Gardendale home stuffing envelopes.

“I was totally blown away,” said Busby. “They were so full of energy and so eager to help others. It’s just unusual to see young people who are taking AP classes and honors classes, who have a ton of homework, still making it a priority to help others.”

It took only two and a half hours for the group to prepare 750 newsletters to mail for the Just Keep Smiling Foundation, a Gardendale-based organization that helps families with critically ill children.

Busby said it usually takes her two days to prepare the newsletters.

The teens were members of the Gardendale Youth City Council, organized in August by Amy Kallman.

Kallman, of Gardendale, is a senior at the Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School.

She got the idea for such a group in order to expand her own horizons as well as that of other youth.

Read the full article in Wednesday’s edition of the NJN