This post by Tracy Hoover, Points of Light’s CEO, originially appeared on the Johnson Center at Grand Valley State University’s blog.
Resiliency is something we see every day—the child who learns to walk by stumbling only to get up again, the father and mother who work several jobs to make ends meet but rarely get ahead, the community that goes through decades of hardship and ultimately bankruptcy, but coins itself the comeback city. In Detroit, we got to see a resilient city and how its civic capacity, demonstrated in part through countless hours of volunteering, is fueling Detroit’s rise.
I know this because the 2016 Points of Light Conference on Volunteering and Service was held at the end of June amidst the rebounding, energetic, and entrepreneurial spirit that is alive in the still misunderstood city of Detroit. I know this because an enthusiastic board member and his fellow Michigan champions made the case that our 3,000 attendees from around the world, who represent business, nonprofit, Hollywood, and national leaders, needed to be inspired; to learn; to change; and to grow their thinking about how and why volunteering really matters, especially in resilient communities. They promised that if we came to Detroit we would see the real power of neighbor helping neighbor, we would be asked to engage in the community in a genuine way, and we would gain a meaningful understanding of how the soul of a city is driven by its people.
Detroit could not have been a more perfect city for this gathering of the minds that are focused on creating change. Detroit has always been central to the American story. Our greatest triumphs and trials can be charted alongside the rise and fall of the Motor City, the birth of Motown, the social revolt of the Underground Railroad and now the city’s rebirth in this 21st century global economy. A city like so many other disenfranchised cities where two-thirds of Americans live and either thrive or atrophy in this post-industrial, digital, global age. And yet we found that it was a city that was eager to learn from others while it provided models to replicate. A city that reached out to the visitors and welcomed exploration, and created new and renewed appreciation for the vital, delicate, precious tissue that connects, sustains and binds communities. Detroit and Detroiters created a place for examining, collaborating & learning from each other. They showed us a city of real, accessible, and poignant glimpses of disruptive transformation. It proved to be fertile ground for sharing ideas, challenging each other and ourselves, and celebrating together.
Frank Bruni of the New York Times wrote, “If New York is a measure of our financial might, and Los Angeles a yardstick for our imagination; then Detroit is a gauge of our soul.” His was a referendum on what we’re capable of in terms of neglect and in terms of salvation.
As Detroit is transforming, citizen activists are leading change. Social entrepreneurs are igniting progress. Collaborations between business and community leaders are producing imaginative new solutions to old problems. And Detroit is seeing neighborhoods come back to life; with residents leading and benefitting from new businesses opening up; and experiencing a renewed sense of spirit.
For the points of light gathered there last month, I believe it is Detroit’s renaissance, as well as its still unvarnished realities, that provided the flint for new ideas to spark there. With countless volunteers and social activists moving Detroit forward, new models are emerging for hyper local problem-solving that are people powered and citizen led. Together, Detroit’s citizens and its leaders are revealing a new playbook for building and rebuilding resilient communities in America.
I came to Detroit intrigued and I left inspired largely because of the many community champions we got to know, learn from and stand with in Detroit. Thank you Kyle Caldwell, Donna Murray- Brown, Rob Collier, Ginna Holmes and all those who invited us to see and experience a resilient community—Detroit!
5 Reads To Help You Cope
At every turn, stories from every corner of the world tell of human suffering caused by war, poverty, hatred and injustice. The constant onslaught of the last few months have left many feeling overwhelmed, at a loss for words and actions. How do we make sense of recent events? How do we talk to our children about things we as adults cannot understand? How do we turn the division into unity to build stronger bonds of civic engagement and equity?
There are no simple answers. Perhaps that’s why there’s some comfort in one blogger’s headline, “Whatever you’re feeling is OK.” Vu Le is the executive director of Rainier Valley Corps, a Seattle nonprofit that helps develop and support leaders of color to strengthen the capacity of communities-of-color-led nonprofits. Le acknowledges that, whether you’re a dedicated volunteer, in national service, or work at a nonprofit, many people “get into this line of work because we are empathetic by nature. That means that often we will feel things acutely and also absorb others’ emotions like a sponge.”
Points of Light’s own AmeriCorps Alum leaders Mary Bruce and Ben Duda penned an aptly titled message to their members: “We’re restless.” They poignantly state that each act of violence is a “brutal reminder that we have much work ahead to live up to the promise of the AmeriCorps pledge and ‘bring Americans together to strengthen our communities.’” In addition to offering up resources for their members struggling with finding their role, they’re undertaking an effort to be more active in leading dialogue and action to address disparities and social injustice.
During these troubled times, many resources have come to the fore:
The American Psychological Association has guidance and resources for coping with tragedy.
For children, the feelings run even deeper, leaving them filled with distrust and fear. GenerationOn, the youth division of Points of Light, has compiled an archive of articles from youth development and parenting experts about how to talk to kids and teens after a tragedy.
Sharing resources and engaging in dialogue help break through feelings of isolation and disconnection that evolve when a pattern of violence takes hold. We can find opportunities to come together, to understand and heal the divisions among us. And chances are, if you’re reading this, you already believe deeply that connecting people through service offers hope for the power of individuals to be bright points of light in all of this darkness.
Share resources you’re finding useful, inspirational voices and ideas for bringing people together at #PointsofLight.
The Spirit of Art and Activism: An Inspirational Closing at the 2016 Conference on Volunteering and Service
Music, passion and social entrepreneurship dominated the closing plenary of the 2016 Conference on Volunteering and Service in Detroit, punctuating three days that brought nearly 3,000 attendees and speakers together to share and learn from one another as we unite in service to shape the future of our communities, and our world.
Actress Yara Shahidi stunned the audience with her passion and eloquence around the issues of equity, service and the power of art to make a change. The 16-year-old star of ABC’s “Black-ish” used her TV character as an example to illustrate the important role of the media in defining our collective reality: “I believe that it is my obligation, and all of our human obligation as artists, content creators, painters, musicians, poets, teacher, actors, educators, influencers, dancers, people, to present a truer representation of the colorful world we live in.”
Shahidi was honored with Daily Point of Light Award number 5,772, presented by Points of Light CEO Tracy Hoover and Chairman Neil Bush, in recognition of her passion and commitment to lending a voice to the issues she cares deeply about.
“It’s through my art that I have purposefully chosen to express my activism,” said Shahidi, a sentiment shared by others who joined the stage. Mariela Shaker, a virtuoso violinist from Aleppo, spoke briefly about her personal journey from Syria and the continued plight of refugees. Shaker, the White House Champion for Change for World Refugees, then performed two pieces conveying those sentiments. Emmy award-winner Maya Azucena spoke of how the tragedy of 9/11 spurred her to become a changemaker. “Don’t doubt your voice in the world. Every one of us is needed in the quest for change on this planet,” Azucena told the crowd — then raised the roof with her performance of “Unleash Me.”
Social entrepreneurs Phillip Cooley of Ponyride and Christian Vanizette of MakeSense, demonstrated the worldwide impact that vision, passion and technology can have when harnessed effectively. Ponyride created working space to provide the opportunity for multiple service organizations to take root in Detroit and impact the community. MakeSense made a difference when larger organizations got bogged down, mobilizing and raising more than $300,000 to transport refugees in the Mediterranean.
David Albritton, executive director of global product development communications at General Motors, saluted the work of every attendee, and thanked them for participating in the teamGM Cares service project – packing 5,000 backpacks with school supplies and nutritious snacks, which will be distributed to local children through the United Way for Southeastern Michigan’s Meet Up and Eat Up events.
Following a rousing and interactive performance by emcee Mike Ellison, he was joined by Points of Light Chairman Neil Bush and CEO Tracy Hoover to announce the location of the 2017 Conference on Volunteering and Service: Seattle. We hope to see you there!
Conference on Volunteering and Service Attendees Fill Backpacks with Supplies for Students in Detroit Metro Area
Attendees participated in the General Motors Service Project throughout the 2016 Conference on Volunteering and Service, packing 5,000 backpacks in support of the students of Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties. The backpacks, each containing school supplies and healthy snacks, will be distributed to K-12 students during United Way for Southeastern Michigan’s Meet Up and Eat Up events.
Agents of Purpose, from Detroit and Around the World, Headline Conference Sessions
“Consumers want the companies, the brands they are loyal to, to be agents of purpose,” said Points of Light CEO, Tracy Hoover, as she opened the Business Track at the 2016 Conference on Volunteering and Service. Celebrating corporate changemakers who are inspiring the next generation of purpose-driven organizations, the session “What’s New? Leading with Spirit and Innovation” featured an impressive group of speakers who both inspired and challenged attendees to think about the role they play in collaborating with community and civic leaders.
In a TED-talk style format, speakers shared lessons of success grounded in the theme of “My Detroit, Our World.” Detroit’s youngest entrepreneur, 13-year-old Asia Newson (aka Super Business Girl), shared her winning strategy: teamwork. “You can’t do it all by yourself. You can try, but you need a team. And you need support from the community. It makes you stronger.” Attendees heard stories of triumph and change from citizen leaders, including, Damien Rocchi, CEO and cofounder of Grand Circus Detroit; Dan Carmody, president of Detroit Eastern Market Corporation; and Dennis Archer Jr., CEO of Ignition Media Group and president of ACS. Mark Davidoff, Michigan managing partner of Deloitte, moderated a discussion focused on making financial literacy a priority for the future of Detroit with panelists Sandy K. Baruah, president and CEO of Detroit Regional Chamber, and Kathleen Hatke Aro, president of the Accounting Aid Society.
“Innovation is the only path to sustainable growth,” said Jennifer Silberman, vice president of corporate social responsibility for Target, sponsor of the Business Track. She underscored the importance of leveraging the creativity and innovation of intrapreneurs—those who work within a company to accelerate change—saying “at the end of the day, agility isn’t just for startups anymore.”
Looking towards Detroit as a “Comeback City,” Professor Michael Gordon of the University of Michigan’s Center for Social Impact moderated a conversation about corporate and community leaders uniting in service to revitalize the city. Naomi Camper, head of the Office of Nonprofit Engagement at JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Heidi Magyar, director of community outreach programs for General Motors and president of General Motors Foundation, joined Malik Yakini, executive director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, to discuss the importance of investing in citizen leaders who are addressing community needs, and how to make decisions about how and where those investments are made. “There is no room for competition when it comes to doing good,” Magyar said.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan explained that business, coupled with the power of employees as volunteers and leaders in the community, is an essential partner in the growth of Detroit and an economic driver of jobs and capital investment.
The 2016 Civic 50 honorees were announced during the Business Track Luncheon & Awards Ceremony, celebrating the accomplishments of the 50 most community-minded companies in the nation. Sponsored by Target, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Deloitte, the luncheon explored insights and trends from the 2016 Civic 50 survey and honored the Civic 50 leaders that are providing a roadmap for how companies can use their time, skills, and other resources to improve the quality of life in the communities where they do business.
Leading advocates of military caregivers came together to discuss strategies for leveraging the power of volunteerism in support of our country’s “hidden heroes.” The forum, sponsored by the Bob Woodruff Foundation, included facilitated group discussions and a panel of experts from government and nonprofit organizations that are focused on the needs of military family caregivers who face many challenges and often struggle to find support. Joey Caswell, wife of a wounded veteran and a Dole Fellow-Michigan with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, shared an emotional testimonial about the challenges she faced and
. “We want you to know, to love and appreciate, that behind every wounded vet is a caregiver who is helping to keep the vet alive,” said Caswell. “It is my goal that not one veteran or caregiver have to go through what we did.”
Larkin O’Hern, with the Bob Woodruff Foundation and a wounded veteran himself, added: “We want to take volunteering, which is good, to well executed volunteering, which can be life changing.”
The current challenges posed by the refugee crisis and the innovative solutions meeting them were in the spotlight at the Global Track’s “Harnessing the Power of Volunteering to Support Refugees.” Andre Cervi, co-founder of Atados and Abraco Cultural, laid out his organization’s work around hiring refugees to teach language and culture to local Brazilians. Joining him at this session, sponsored by Disney, were Celina de Sola, who grew Glasswing International from a three-person Salvadoran nonprofit into a network of 14 countries in Latin America; Lorrie Foster from IAVE (International Association for Volunteer Effort); and Lena Panagiotarea, general manager for Volunteer4Greece.
Volunteers building relationships—with causes, organizations and corporations, and each other—that is what forms the volunteer experience. At “Beyond the Volunteer Event,” sponsored by UPS, Maurice Hogan from Rock Ventures and Julia Sartor from The Greening of Detroit shared practical advice and insights on how they have successfully partnered to co-create volunteer events for employees. Sartor cites both customer service and providing a consistently positive experience as the most important factors in building volunteer connections—making sure that the experience is safe, directions are clear, and accommodations, such as bathrooms, are comfortable. A positive volunteer experience, said Maurice, is where “folks are honored and their time is honored.”
Announcing the 2016 Corporate Volunteer Council of the Year
At the 2016 Conference on Volunteering and Service today, Points of Light honored the Corporate Volunteer Council of Orange County as 2016 Corporate Volunteer Council of the Year for serving as a primary local resource for encouraging, educating and connecting businesses that support employee volunteerism.
Corporate Volunteer Councils are local networks that businesses join to share best practices and address community needs through workplace volunteering. The Corporate Volunteer Council of the Year Award recognizes councils that have a clear purpose, activities that relate to that purpose and measurements for success. All winning entries are reviewed and selected by an awards committee comprised of national Corporate Volunteer Council leaders convened by Points of Light.
The Corporate Volunteer Council of Orange County was presented the Corporate Volunteer Council of the Year award by Points of Light Board Member Jeff Hoffman during the conference’s Business Track Luncheon. Dan McQuaid, president and CEO of OneOC—the HandsOn Network affiliate that manages the council—accepted the award on the organization’s behalf.
Since its founding in 2012, the Corporate Volunteer Council of Orange County has grown both in numbers and in impact. Its corporate members have opportunities to increase their skills and find new ways to engage their employees in order to better meet the needs of their community. In fact, the CVCOC has made nonprofit outreach a priority to further strengthen corporate and nonprofit partnerships in Orange County. Not only do they invite smaller nonprofits to present their missions and employee volunteer opportunities during their bi-monthly member meetings, they host annual mixers with their counterparts in nonprofit volunteer management as well as nonprofit fairs. By connecting CVCOC members to the Orange County, California, nonprofit community, they are continually learning about the critical issues facing the community and the agencies that offer employee volunteer opportunities that can make a difference.
“As a member of the CVCOC, it’s an honor to have our network of volunteer-focused organizations recognized as the 2016 Corporate Volunteer Council of the Year,” said Diane Killeen, manager of Disneyland Resort Corporate Citizenship. “Every time the CVCOC comes together, we find creative, hands-on ways to positively impact Orange County communities, and we look forward to connecting with more communities in need.”
Led by an active steering committee that reflects its corporate members, the council offers its members robust year-round programming that includes special convenings with recognized corporate social responsibility experts along with regular meetings that allow for best practice sharing to support members’ daily work. Each year, member companies also commit to recruiting their employee volunteers to serve during a transformational community project, which contributes to community pride and ownership while generating great media exposure for CVCOC and member companies alike.
“Our CVCOC is thrilled to win CVC of the Year from Points of Light. What an amazing honor! From our bi-monthly meetings to our networking events to our learning conversations to our annual Corporate Combined Project, we strive to be connectors and resources for each other and our broader community,” shared Sarah Middleton, executive director of The PIMCO Foundation. “I love hearing best practices and innovative ideas from other CVCOC members. I also appreciate the collaborative effort our CVCOC pursues to create shared value and real impact for those in need in Orange County.”
Fireworks Light Up the Detroit Waterfront at 2016 Conference on Volunteering and Service
Spectacular fireworks, an annual event celebrating Independence Day (U.S.) and Canada Day, capped the first day of the 2016 Conference on Volunteering and Service in Detroit on Monday. Attendees at the Welcome Celebration, sponsored by Coca-Cola, enjoyed a riverfront view.
How Changemakers are Putting America Back Together – Starting in Detroit
This post is byTracy Hoover, Points of Light’s CEO.
Today, many of the greatest minds in business, nonprofit, and government will come together, as they do every year at the Conference on Volunteering and Service, to immerse themselves in a festival of ideas and to foster creativity in solving some of our most pressing challenges. Their commonality: They believe the best solutions put people at the center of change. And this year, there is a reason they will come together in Detroit.
The Motor City is at an important transformational moment in its history. Citizen activists are leading change. Social entrepreneurs are igniting progress. Collaborations between business and community leaders are producing imaginative new solutions to old problems. Detroit is seeing neighborhoods come back to life, with residents leading and benefitting from new businesses opening up, and experiencing a renewed sense of spirit.
As toxic rhetoric polarizes us, and economic and social disparities divide us, it is more critical than ever before that we lift up examples of what is right in America. To acknowledge that every person has a role to play, that real problem-solving happens at the local level, and that we are more alike than we are different.
This is precisely what James and Deb Fallows discovered when they researched and wrote a fascinating article in The Atlantic, “How America is Putting Itself Back Together.” The husband-and-wife team spent three years going from town to town across America to investigate for themselves what many have called “the unraveling of America.”
After 54,000 miles of travel and conducting countless first-person interviews, the Fallowses found the opposite. Americans, they concluded, are reinventing our country for the better, town by town. As James Fallows writes, “Many people are discouraged by what they hear and read about America, but the closer they are to the action at home, the better they like what they see.”
As they traveled the country, the Fallowses found common threads in what was working for cities that were experiencing growth and opportunity. There were tangible factors such as whether a city has a downtown, and interesting intangible factors such as whether the citizens knew their “civic story.” In Fresno, Allentown, and Detroit, for example, residents knew they lived in “turnaround” cities.
To the Fallows’ list of common factors, I would like to add a crucial one that I have found to be just as important: The role of changemakers working to improve the lives of others. At the Conference this week, we will hear from a number of extraordinary Detroit changemakers. With grit and determination, passion and commitment, they are leading transformational change in the Motor City.
From former design student Veronika Scott, who developed a self-heating coat that turns into a sleeping bag and a business around it that supports Detroit homeless; to Mike Ellison, a powerful artist and activist who is shining a spotlight on social change across the city; to 13-year-old social entrepreneur Asia Newson, who inspires and equips other young changemakers; to businessman Dennis Archer, Jr., whose father was mayor of Detroit and who is galvanizing cross-sector collaborations to support growth and opportunity for all of Detroit’s residents. And then there are the countless volunteers and social activists at the center of hyperlocal problem-solving who are building resilient communities.
I’d be willing to bet that in the dozens of successful towns and resilient communities that the Fallowses visited, local changemakers are leading transformation every day in ways big and small. James Fallows ends his report with this: “The people who have been reweaving the national fabric will be more effective if they realize how many other people are working toward the same end.”
If you’re joining us in Detroit, or livestreaming the sessions, you will see that reweaving taking place and realize just how similar our challenges are and how many people are working toward the same end.
ServiceWorks Motors into Detroit with a Skill-Building Bootcamp for City’s Youth
was a ServiceWorks Skill-Building Bootcamp, designed to give participants—Service Scholars—an intensive one-day experience that touched on many of the critical skills needed to prepare for success in a 21
st-
century economy.
Never before had ServiceWorks put on a bootcamp in a city without an official program host site. By partnering with the
, Points of Light was able to provide a transformative day of professional skills training and networking for more than 50 Detroit-area youth.
Delores Morton, president of programs for Points of Light, told the group why it’s important to reach a new generation of potential leaders: “Young people see challenges in their community differently. They see problems and solutions from a different perspective.”
More than 50 young people participated in workshops on:
Leadership and Team Building
Communication and Networking
Project Management
Goal Setting
Community Service
The skills they learned the would be able to put to immediate use, but for a young lady named Heather, there was an added benefit that could be long-lasting.
“I practiced looking people in the eye, smiling, learning how to do a firm handshake, learning how to write and speak correctly. And when you get to talking to people, that’s when people break their shell, so I was also able to make new friends.”
Like all ServiceWorks Bootcamps, the program included a volunteer service project. After a day of learning, the Scholars and AmeriCorps members went to Detroit’s
to pack asparagus for those in need.
It was an impactful act of service for 18-year-old Kylynn: “I loved helping the families and giving back to people I can relate to. You get to help out the less fortunate. If you have more than them, it’s better to give back.”
members—guiding Scholars, recruiting volunteers and coordinating service projects. So “Service Unites” had a special meaning for the event— bringing together seven AmeriCorps members from six different ServiceWorks sites.
Working together for the first time, in an unfamiliar environment, it was powerful to see them united in service to a group of young people who were new to them.
One of those VISTAs is Anjie Diaz, part of the ServiceWorks team at
in New York City. After spending the day with a group of Detroit youth who’d made the effort to spend a Saturday bettering themselves and their neighborhoods, she came away impressed with their desire to be changemakers.
“I saw a lot of thoughtful social engagement. They’re thinking about their community. And they’re wondering about ways they might be able to enact some changes on their own. They want things to be better.”
Six years ago, Carter Jimenez Jenkins was looking at a website called Blue Planet Run and saw a photo essay about people who were living without access to safe water. Carter was shocked and knew he needed to take action.
He quickly learned that 1 in every 8 people lack access to clean drinking water and decided he was going to do something to improve this statistic. Carter started Students For Safe Water, a nonprofit that supports people living around the world by raising funds to provide safe water to villages and communities while also educating students and teachers here in the United States about the world water crisis.
In 2013, Carter was honored by Hasbro and generationOn as a Hasbro Community Action Hero for his dedication to service in his community, and around the world.
“Becoming a Hasbro Community Action Hero helped propel Students For Safe Water forward by giving me the confidence to reach out to more students and community leaders,” Carter reflects about how winning the award impacted his work. “By providing tools to accomplish our goals, our outreach has expanded in areas I never could have foreseen. Most importantly, it has brought more kids to service and that helps improve more lives.”
Over the past four years, Students For Safe Water has expanded both in their outreach—now encompassing literacy, reforestation and teacher education—and in their global impact, expanding to the entire United States, Latin America and Uganda.
Recently, the organization funded a teacher hygiene education program in Uganda, campaigned for change after the Flint, Michigan, water crisis, talked about the draught in California, and built water and sanitation systems in Nicaragua. All of this work has impacted thousands of lives across the globe.
But the one thing Carter is most proud of, he says, is “the impact Students For Safe Water has had on other student leaders, who are doing great things based on their involvement with the organization, including some who started their own non-profits. The impact is amazing.”
The great news is that any kid or teen can become more involved and improve their community today.
“The easiest way to become involved is to become aware,” says Carter. “Every day there are opportunities to be of service to others, whether it’s offering a smile to someone having a bad day or committing time to a cause you are passionate about. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. If I hadn’t, I would have never had the experience of becoming a Hasbro Community Action Hero!”
The Hasbro Community Action Hero Award recognizes outstanding young volunteers who show that you are never too young to make a difference in your local or global community. Hasbro Children’s Fund and generationOn will celebrate 10 young people between the ages of 5 and 18 for their extraordinary community service and volunteer activities. Do you know an amazing kid or teen (or are you one yourself?) who should become a Hasbro Community Action Hero? Learn more and nominate an amazing kid or teen today!
