Michelle Nunn
Friends,
Last year, on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, Matt Segneri rose before dawn to help plant 3,000 flags in Boston honoring those lost. He joined hundreds of other volunteers from Points of Light's HandsOn Network affiliate Boston Cares. The event was held in total silence.
"It was a powerful shared experience on a sorrowful but inspiring day," he writes in a guest blog posted yesterday on Points of Light's website. "And it provided the spark that would change the next year of my life."
Friends,
One of the things I sometimes read about is the homogenization of our nation's communities. After travelling across the country for five weeks, I am happy to report that we continue to live in a land of great regional character. Even volunteer experiences vary across the country.
A perfect example for me was participating in my first-ever Human Cattle Drive in Sheridan, Wyo., (also known as the Trail Tromp) to break in a gorgeous new 12-mile trail. The pathway was created through voluntary conservation easements and orchestrated by a team of volunteers with the Sheridan Nature Conservancy. The community volunteers literally stomped the trail down and simultaneously raised awareness and enthusiasm for this amazing new community asset.
Seattle is actively creating and cultivating spaces for community connections.
Two of my Seattle meetings took place on strolls through the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park, which used to be a petroleum transfer and distribution facility. Today, thanks to philanthropic and volunteer leadership, the site has been transformed.
With unobstructed views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains, the garden circles a bold, red Calder sculpture, “The Eagle.” The park is dotted with chairs to facilitate conversations in any and all groupings.
My Seattle hosts said the Sculpture Garden has become a gathering point, offering free yoga on the grass, food trucks and farmers’ markets, art classes, performances and family festivals like the Salmon Return Celebration.
Michelle Nunn finds inspiration in Portland, Oregon.
I am fascinated by people’s stories of the sparks that ignite their passion to change the world. When I was in Portland, Emily Gilliland, executive director of Oregon's Campus Compact, laid three different matches on the table to illustrate the ignition points in her service journey.
- A matchbook represented her high school’s 75-hour service requirement – a quick light to get her started. While serving at the Red Cross, she discovered that adults were interested in her ideas and were even willing to take direction from her.
- A short box match signified her year with AmeriCorps – challenging, but enriching – a strong spark to further impel her commitment to service.