Daily Point of Light

Karen Benson continues to be instrumental in helping the state of Missouri recover from tornadoes, flooding, and severe weather – and she donates her time and expetise for free. Karen has a passion to serve those in need at their most vulnerable times after disaster strikes, and she is a leader in providing strong disaster case management training across the state. Karen, who lives in Mount Vernon, Missouri, has been a key member of the Missouri State Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster movement for many years, serving in multiple roles.

At an age when most children are discovering their gifts, Ashraya Ananthanarayanan is using her’s to change the world. Only 8 years old, Ashraya has already helped people, animals, and the environment. Her work shows us that anyone can take action to change the world. Since the age of four, Ashraya has been using her gifts of music, dance, and the written word to affect change upon the world. Her first trick was raising funds for underprivileged kids in India at age four.

Planting the seeds of community is something for which 17 year-old Anna Wherry has a passion.  In addition to attending high school and volunteering with the Baltimore Medical System, Anna has been working to make life in the United States easier for a group of Bhutanese refugees. Anna has worked to introduce urban farming techniques to members of a refugee community in Baltimore, whose citizens suffer from insufficient access to food. After meeting Khada Nanda Upret, a Nepali refugee from Bhutan, Anna discovered that many Bhutanese refugees grew up surviving on their crops. 

When people are in an impossible situation, they look for someone to lead them out of their circumstance. However, not even Jeannie Gallina suspected what she could do to help the people of Clay County, FL. By founding The Way Free Medical Clinic, Jeannie found a way to provide healthcare for those with no other resources. Many people in Clay County, Florida were living without access to affordable healthcare or health insurance. Despite being employed, it was not an affordable option for them.

At twelve, Jacob Liberman stood apart as a volunteer planting trees and, two years later, is using his enthusiasm and organizational ability by joining the organization, treepeople.org, and creating a 41-volunteer project.