As a seventh-grader, Michael Guarrine of Mount Prospect, Illinois, spent up to 20 hours a week on environmental work—leading the ecology club he started at his school, writing weekly newspaper articles, and teaching students, teachers, and community groups about environmental issues.
During Lent, Guarrine and two of his classmates at St. Raymond’s School publicly gave up individually wrapped cheese slices and aerosol deodorants in order to bring awareness to environmental concerns. The students began speaking at area churches and conferences on how plastics harm the environment and the ozone layer and what everyone can do to prevent the damage.
“We used a few props like a paper bag, a plastic bag, the toilet paper that comes wrapped in paper instead of plastic, and so forth,” Gaurrine said. “We explain the difference between the terms ‘degradable’ and ‘biodegradable’.”
Through their student council, the boys formed a committee called “Save A Valuable Environment” (S.A.V.E.). It was Guarrine’s idea.
“I came up with it during grammar class one day,” said Guarrine at the time. “One day I would like to take it worldwide.”
(Guarrine was chosen as one of the young US Giraffe Heroes to meet with young Russian heroes in 1990. He decided when he got to the group's rallying point for departure on the journey across the world that he wasn't ready for traveling that far from home and headed back to Illinois.)
UPDATE: As an adult, Guarrine served as the Supervisor of Community Outreach at Illinois Action for Children, managing a team of 40 outreach volunteers. He promoted the organization’s programs, developed relationships with children’s welfare agencies, and presented at dozens of conferences.
Guarrine is currently the Director of Health and Leadership at the Erie Neighborhood House in Chicago, Illinois. The nonprofit organization aims to promote a just and inclusive society by strengthening low-income—primarily Latino—families through skill-building, access to critical resources, advocacy, and collaborative action.