52 Ways to Help Your Neighbor

Philadelphia — There might be 50 ways to leave your lover, but Julie Zauzmer has 52 ways to help your neighbor.

The 17-year-old manages a website and podcast that tell people about ways they can volunteer, contribute, and help people in need. The information directs viewers and readers to a wide range of opportunities, including ways to generate charitable contributions simply by using a particular email account, places to contribute used shoes, and organizations that will link you up with a pen pal in a nursing home. She has even found a place that organizes volunteers who record themselves reading books out loud; the recordings are then sent to people who are blind or dyslexic.

Zauzmer came up with the idea for her website and podcast when she ran across Goodsearch.com on the Web. Goodsearch is a search engine that contributes money to the charity of your choice every time you conduct a search. Zauzmer was inspired by that concept and wanted to develop a way to make more people aware of such opportunities.

Zauzmer, who also performs as a volunteer clown named Zippy, hopes to be a professional writer someday. In the meantime, she’s working hard to help people in a lot of creative ways. Her website can be found at www.52ways.org. This year alone, more than 2,500 people have listened to her podcasts.

For her enterprising spirit and hard work, Zauzmer is the recipient of this week’s TeenUp Award. For an announcement about her award, see below.

The TeenUp Awards are directed by Michael Robert Evans, the author of the young-adult novel 68 Knots.

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