FedEx Rewards Outstanding Community Service

Adan Torres has always wanted to help people.  That’s why it was a natural fit for the Chicago native to get involved with the AmeriCorps program, a national service organization that offers financial education awards in exchange for community service work.  During his time with AmeriCorps, Adan participated in numerous volunteer projects at Chicago-area food banks, and also went above and beyond to help other AmeriCorps participants write and edit their resumes, practice mock job interviews and even referred them to employers.  Adan was recognized for his outstanding community service work by winning the “Spirit of Service” award at this summer’s National Council of La Raza (NCLR) Conference in Orlando. 

The NCLR is the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, and FedEx has sponsored the organization’s national conference for 10 years.

The “Spirit of Service” award comes with a plaque and a $5,000 check.  “That money is really going to help me with my student loans,” says Adan, who graduated from Northeastern Illinois University in 2015.  He has managed to plot out a future path that combines his dual interest in justice and medicine. He wants to join the Chicago Police Department, become a detective and eventually become a forensics specialist.  Then he wants to go to medical school and become a physician. All of this stemming from his desire to help people any way he can.  Why start with becoming a police officer?  “The way things are today with the public’s attitudes about police, they need a few more good guys.”