Two Rapid City youths are being honored for their service to others.

Jared Phipps and Annika Stephens have been awarded Kohl's Kids Who Care Scholarships. Jared won at the store level. Annika was named a regional winner last week and was awarded a $1,000 scholarship. She is still in the running for the national Kohl's Kids Who Care Scholarship.

"This is a program that was created to reward youth and teens for selflessness and encourages them to volunteer to help transform their communities," said Julie Gardner, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Kohl's.

Stephens, 12, has made a difference since she was 3 years old. Her family started a tradition of putting boxes together for the underprivileged. Some of the boxes go to children locally and others to children around the world. The boxes are full of things geared for individual age groups and genders.

For example, a boy may receive a wrapped shoebox with crayons, a coloring book, candy and a toy car. This is a project they do all year round, and they make up the boxes to help children that wouldn't have received something at Christmas time. One such who child received a box from them was at an adoption agency, and years later came to them after being adopted and thanked them for the box.

This year, Annika and her family put together 256 boxes, and Annika said that she would like to make it her personal goal to put 300 boxes together by this Christmas.

Annika believes that it feels better to give than receive.

"It gives me a warm feeling inside," she said.

When not putting together boxes, Annika also enjoys dance, playing outside, playing the cello and clarinet and volunteering at Westhills Village.

Annika says she will use some of the $1,000 she won to help make the dance studio she attends a better place.

Phipps also a winner

Jared Phipps has a positive outlook for helping others that isn't self-centered but centered on others, his dad, Randy says.

And for that attitude, Jared, too, has been awarded a Kohl's Kids Who Care Scholarship.

The program recognizes and rewards youths whose volunteer efforts are making a difference in their communities.

Jared helps with youth church activities by teaching on the weekends, playing the drums at services and asking to help wherever he can at church.

Jared is not only busy with church activities, but enjoys playing baseball, watching Post 22 games, and helping with the Post 22 concession stand with his parents, Randy and Susan Phipps.

Jared's advice to others about volunteering - "find something that you like to do," he said.

Jared has been home schooled, attended Dakota Middle School, and will be attending Open Bible School Academy this fall as a freshman.

He won a $50 Kohl's gift card as a store-level winner.