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2010 Graduate Kyra Millbrook Wins Kohl's Scholarship.

Kyra Millbrook knows what it's like to be away from family.

For three years, her father drove every other weekend from his Mississippi Navy base to visit Kyra and her mother so Kyra could continue attending private school here.

This inspired her to work with her youth group at Hope Chapel Ministries to help members of the military. She and her youth group coordinated the distribution of more than 200 care packages for soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"They don't necessarily have access to things that we have access to, like deodorant and soap," she said. "... The best part was knowing that someone would be blessed by this and someone is going to be happy."

Like many philanthropists, Kyra, 17, didn't expect anything in return except the good feeling she earned from lending a helping hand.

But she and Micah Bandy, 10, of Orange Park, each won a $1,000 scholarship from the Kohl's Kids Who Care Scholarship Program, out of 27,000 nationwide nominees. Micah won for raising money for hundreds of Boy Scout uniforms.

Kohl's awarded the scholarship to more than 200 young volunteers, 11 from Florida. Judges specifically looked for initiative, creativity, leadership, generosity and project outreach.

"You treat people kindly just because that is the way you should treat people, despite the fact that you don't hear 'thank you,'" Kyra said.

She and members from her youth group worked on collecting and packaging goods, making announcements and requesting donations about eight hours each week.

"I blame my mother because she is a very giving person," Kyra said.

She has also completed three additional community service projects during high school, through school and her youth group, including refurbishing furniture, cleanups and creating care packages for children.

read Times Union article