Pebble Tossers

Since its founding, Pebble Tossers has grown into Atlanta's premier youth development nonprofit, enabling youth to lead through service. By partnering with 65 vetted nonprofit partners across Metro Atlanta, Pebble Tossers creates pathways for youth to engage in volunteerism to effect real change in their communities and develop lifelong leadership skills. Over the past 14 years, Pebble Tossers has engaged 20,700 youth, ages four to 24, in volunteer service throughout Metro Atlanta. Pebble Tossers unites youth from all socio-economic backgrounds to serve those most vulnerable in our community. Pebble Tossers projects focus on 12 major cause areas: the Arts, Animals, Citizenship, Education and Literacy, the Elderly, Environment, Families in Crisis, Fragile Children, Global Awareness, Homeless, Hunger, and U.S. Troops and Veterans. At its founding, Pebble Tossers recognized a community-wide need and provided service-related youth development programming, including character-building and leadership development workshops and enrichment opportunities. These programs utilize a unique service-learning curriculum incorporated with social-emotional learning, principles of Positive Psychology, Positive Youth Development, and social justice awareness to help youth serve, lead, and succeed. The three pillars of our programming culminate in three outcomes: Pebble Tossers' volunteers possess relevant, applicable tactical, and soft skills to succeed in school and careers; Pebble Tossers are active, unbiased, and engaged citizens; and Pebble Tossers make socially responsible and healthy life choices. Our ultimate achievement is developing youth into life-long volunteers and engaged citizens. Pebble Tossers provides all the materials and supplies needed for projects, including snacks and refreshments for our volunteers and those we serve. Additionally, Pebble Tossers provides trained staff resources and timely and relevant information and logistics for each project so volunteers know what to expect before they arrive (parking instructions, clothing attire, and more). Beyond the day-of-volunteer experience, Pebble Tossers offers members a personalized dashboard to track volunteer hours and favorite service projects and provides printed transcripts of volunteer service. Pebble Tossers also offers youth leadership and character development workshops, as well as "Toolbox Resources" for youth and families, including Table Talk and How-To sheets for families to discuss and process together issues such as serving the homeless or working with the elderly.