Rylee Howerton goes above and beyond for her community. Caring for those in need and spending her free time aiding those who are less fortunate, she aims high, achieves much, and generously bestows kindness and love for others. Recently, she assembled and donated Easter baskets for children residing at Cumberland Family Shelter and the Family Support Organization of Burlington County.

Rylee prioritizes her schedule and always sets aside time for causes near and dear to her. This includes serving meals and personal hygiene kits to the homeless through Cumberland Family Shelter, Southern Regional Food Distribution Center, Bridgeton Code Blue Warming Centers, Vineland Code Blue Warming Centers, the Bridgeton and Vineland soup kitchen,s and to individuals throughout the county! She will even deliver meals to the homeless located in a local park.

In the winter, she cooked and donated breakfast several times per week for the Vineland Code Blue residents and meals at the Vineland soup kitchen. Rylee has worked alongside the Vineland Salvation Army before becoming a junior committee member. During the shutdown, she volunteered four days a week to sort, pack, and distribute food to over 150 families per day at the drive-through food distribution held by the Vineland Salvation Army.

Rylee handles her day-to-day tasks with ease, maintaining a 4.0 GPA, being a three-season varsity track and field athlete, and serving as the freshman class vice president at Vineland High School.

Rylee has been recognized for her volunteer efforts by the President’s Volunteer Service Award program. She has logged over 4,000 community service hours, earning her 10 Gold Awards and the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award. She spreads her message of kindness through her children’s book, Choose Wise Words. Rylee speaks to young students and reads her self-published work as a means to connect with and guide the younger generations.