This week, we are hearing from some of the most inspiring teenagers from around Ireland in our "Quaran-teen" series of reports. They share their experiences, views on life and hopes for the future.
For 19-year-old Jack Clifford, his community is everything. In March last year, Jack set up a voluntary Covid-19 response group in his home town of Kilmallock, Co Limerick.
Over a year on, the group is still going strong and helping dozens of elderly and vulnerable people in his community.
Jack had been studying security and criminology at Mallow College of Further Education when the pandemic began, but when his first year was cut short due to the pandemic, he returned home.
He said he was initially disappointed not to be able to go to college, but he is proud of the work he has got to do in his community over the past year.
Jack and his team of volunteers regularly check-in with elderly and vulnerable people in the town and will do their shopping, pick up their medication, and do any other jobs they might need help with.
He said: "I love to make a difference and I feel really happy about that, of what I can do to help people, even that small difference in people's lives, I love it.
"I wouldn’t have people every day who would need something, but I would check in with people to make sure they're ok even if they don’t require anything, and they really enjoy that and I've made quite a few friends and I've got a bond with these people."
One of the first people Jack began helping, Anna May, said she would have been lost without him.
She said: "He’s so young and so kind and so confident and so loyal to the community, he’s a good boy.
"I would’ve been so lost. He phones me every day checking in and he’s been invaluable to me."
Jack hopes to join An Garda Síochána as he feels this is the best way he can serve his community.
"That's what I love to do, serving my community, if there’s anything I can do to help my community I will do it without a doubt," he said.
