Maya Gold committed suicide back in 2015 and she never got to make that dream a reality. Her parents created the Maya Gold Foundation to empower local youth to make a difference in the world.

Every spring the organization takes a two week volunteer trip to Nepal. Mathew Swerdloff says his daughter Maya was able to understand people on a much deeper level, in a way most can't.

"She decided she was going to graduate in January of her senior year, go to Nepal, and work at an orphanage. Maya was a very empathetic person," said Mathew Swerdloff, Maya's Father and co-founder of the Maya Gold Foundation.

"It makes this more than just a service trip, it's like I'm doing this for her which makes it really special," said Amelia Verderosa, 2018 and 2019 youth ambassador.

This year's group of 16 is about to leave for their trip. The group plans to work with children and educate themselves on the human trafficking threat children in Nepal face on a daily basis.

"It's not a vacation. It's definitely something you have to commit yourself to. The experiences that you will be able to give to others, and the ones you get for yourself, are so much more rewarding than anything you'll ever do in your life — or at least anything that I've ever done in my life," said Dayna Thomas, 2018 and 2019 youth ambassador.

In addition to this trip, the foundation holds leadership workshops, community events, and offers community service scholarships, all in an effort to carry out Maya's vision — a vision to inspire and help local teens make a difference in their community.