Through Chestnut Hill org, teens learn service here and abroad

THREE YEARS AGO, Brennan O'Donnell, now 17, wanted to see the world and make a difference.

So O'Donnell, who lives in Flourtown but has family roots in the city's Chestnut Hill neighborhood, joined Teenagers Inc., an organization based there that allows teens to get involved with community service - both in the city's Northwest neighborhoods and abroad, with an annual 10-day service trip to Guatemala.

O'Donnell, a senior at LaSalle High School, is now gearing up for his fourth service trip to Guatemala. On the trips, teens build houses, work with children and do other community-service projects, said organization director Arianna Neromiliotis.

"I was amazed at how nice the people are," O'Donnell said of Guatemala as he sat on a couch at Teenagers Inc.'s headquarters on Bethlehem Pike near Chestnut Hill Avenue. "They don't even have houses and they're happy, and I go to private school and complain about not having Internet at my house."

O'Donnell and other teens involved with the organization met with Neromiliotis Tuesday night to start planning their Taste of Chestnut Hill fundraiser, which will take place Nov. 17 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, on Chestnut Hill Avenue near Norwood.

Money raised at the event will benefit Teenagers Inc.'s numerous programs and partially fund this year's Guatemala trip in July.

Neromiliotis said the Taste of Chestnut Hill fundraiser, which will be emceed by the charismatic O'Donnell and Chandler Dixon, 14, a Girls' High sophomore also involved with the organization, will feature a silent auction of items from local restaurants and shops and live music by Mount Airy's Andy Maher.

Other Teenagers Inc. participants, which Neromiliotis said currently include about 100 members and is open to any teen in the city or suburbs, will also be volunteering at Taste of Chestnut Hill.

Dixon and O'Donnell said being involved with Teenagers Inc. has changed their lives and provided them with experiences they wouldn't have had otherwise. Both teens plan to go back to Guatemala this summer.

"It was a great experience just to be there and see how much we have," said Dixon, who lives in Mount Airy. "I can't wait to go back."

As director of Teenagers Inc., Neromiliotis said she's seen positive changes in all of the teens who have come through the program.

"[They are] a part of this big action tank where the change is real," she said. "These kids have definitely taken the challenge, and they have tons of opportunity to do so."

For more information about Teenagers Inc., visit www.teensincphilly.org.