Giving Back Is a Responsibility and a Privilege for These Workers
Elaine came straight from her graveyard shift to do some good for her community. She joined a couple thousand of her co-workers from TELUS International Philippines to volunteer for Brigada Eskwela, an annual Philippine Department of Education program that invites volunteers to help maintain school buildings and create good learning environments for students.
TELUS International Philippines volunteers paint a mural at a local school.
“I am grateful that I am here today; I also studied in a public school,” she said. “I’m happy that I am able to help the 50 students using the classroom we are repainting.”
TELUS International Philippines, one of the country’s pioneering companies in the global call center outsourcing and IT development industry, considers corporate social responsibility as the cornerstone of its culture. Its philosophy – “We give where we live” – is anchored on the premise that it is both a responsibility and a privilege to give back to the community.
For the past three years, TELUS has partnered with Hands On Manila to take part in Brigada Eskwela, in line with the company’s annual TELUS Days Of Giving. During those days, TELUS employees have opportunities to volunteer in community-building efforts.
This year’s Brigada Eskwela venue was Tenement Elementary School in Taguig City, in metro Manila. More than 2,000 TELUS employees who came to the May 16 event repainted 54 classrooms in four buildings, refurbished 2,000 chairs, painted 54 mini-fences and potted 600 ornamental plants.
From left, Tenement Elementary School Principal Geronima Garcia, TELUS International President and CEO Jeff Puritt and Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines volunteer at Garcia’s school during Brigada Eskwela.
Some groups painted 12 murals along the school’s staircase and helped 50 kids participating in a hygiene workshop. On the same day, TELUS broke ground to start construction of a two-room kindergarten building the company is donating.
Hands On Manila, which brought 130 volunteer leaders to help manage the projects and volunteers at Tenement Elementary School, actively fosters volunteerism in the corporate world. The nonprofit – part of Points of Light’s HandsOn Network – has partnered with hundreds of corporations like TELUS, an average of 50 partners a year for community service in metro Manila and elsewhere around the country.
Events like Brigada Eskwela show the good that nonprofits and businesses can accomplish together.
As TELUS International President and CEO Jeff Puritt said, “In order to do well in business, you must do good in the communities where you work, live and serve.”
Saluting Barbara Bush and the Points of Light Fighting to End Illiteracy
This post is by Tracy Hoover, Points of Light’s CEO.
Tracy Hoover
Former First Lady Barbara Bush “vowed to make a difference every single day,” as granddaughter and TODAY show correspondent Jenna Bush Hager told viewers this morning. Here at Points of Light, we see the difference Mrs. Bush continues to make, inspiring others every day. And in honor of her 90
th
birthday, we’d like to celebrate her commitment to literacy by recognizing three Daily Point of Light award winners who – in their own powerful ways – are taking action to spread the joy of reading.
Daily Point of Light awardee #5429 Cara McCollum created the Birthday Book Project, providing books as birthday presents to kids who otherwise might not have books at home. Today, she has delivered more than 25,000 books to children in New Jersey and Arkansas.
In Houston, Daily Point of Light awardees #5086 Sandra Ahlhorn and Amy Barnes learned about “summer slide” – the loss of learning that can result during the summer, especially when there aren’t books in the home. In 2012, they created
. Since then, they’ve distributed more than 400,000 books to children in Houston schools.
When Mrs. Bush presented the Houston award, alongside her son and Points of Light Chairman Neil Bush, she thanked the awardees “for making a true difference in the lives of children.” She added: “Amy and Sandra are perfect examples of George’s vision.”
, Mrs. Bush continues to bring a tenacious focus and commitment to giving young children the resources they need to develop a love of reading and providing parents with a second chance to acquire the literacy skills they need for a promising future. The program supports more than 900 family literacy programs across the nation. In honor of Mrs. Bush’s birthday more than $17 million has been raised, including a first-ever
.
So today, we salute Mrs. Bush and all of the points of light who are helping to create a constellation of change agents and the momentum that’s needed to wipe out illiteracy and solve this problem as Mrs. Bush envisions, “one child, one family at a time.”
Are you feeling inspired? Send a
Top 10 Reasons to Join Us at the 2015 Conference on Volunteering and Service
Thinking about coming to the Conference on Volunteering and Service? There are countless reasons to meet us Oct. 19 to 21 for the largest gathering of volunteer, national service and civic leaders. We’ve boiled it down to the top 10!
10. Value.
You won’t find an event that offers this much content and this many inspiring, A-list speakers anywhere else.
9. Relevance.
You’ll have opportunities to engage in in-depth discussions about solutions to the most important challenges you face in your community.
8. Connections.
You’ll reconnect with old friends and make new, like-minded, diverse friends and contacts from all over the globe.
7. Legacy.
Points of Light is commemorating our 25th year. Celebrate the work of our founder, George H. W. Bush, in his hometown of Houston.
6. Inspiration.
You will return home equipped with new plans, tips and tools to make your organization stronger.
5. Impact.
Whether you are new to your organization or a senior executive with years of experience, you’ll find content that will make a difference in your career and your community.
4. Diversity.
This is the largest convening body on the nonprofit sector, bringing together leaders from all over the world to help you learn and grow.
3. FUN!
Celebrities, music and celebrations will amp up your experience. You’ll also discover the Houston you never knew, complete with a volunteer project to break a Guinness World Record.
2. Progress.
You’ll hear from people who are working on some of the world’s toughest problems about their solutions for the future.
1. Replenishment.
You have spent your life taking care of others. Isn’t it time you invested in yourself? Get refreshed, recharged and ready to take on the world.
Click here to find out more about the conference. Register today to take advantage of the early bird rate. We hope to see you there!
Points of Light Leadership Partners Invest in the Future Workforce, Prepare Americans for Disaster and More
As Points of Light celebrates its 25th anniversary this year – building upon founder President George H. W. Bush’s vision of a “thousand points of light” – we recognize the socially responsible investments from our top 2015 corporate contributors, companies that have helped Points of Light become the largest organization in the world dedicated to volunteer service.
Target volunteers hand out school supplies assembled at the Turner Field service project to Atlanta teachers.
“Points of Light’s corporate partners have always been important stakeholders in our success,” says Madden DeGarmo Manion, Points of Light’s Chief Development Officer. “Over the past 25 years, corporate volunteering has become the new norm. Businesses are increasingly seeking to make philanthropic investments that incorporate volunteer activities for their employees and strategically link to their overall business objectives. Points of Light has developed strategic, multifaceted partnerships that are best-in-class examples of this type of programming.”
Here is some of the work Points of Light’s Leadership Partners made possible in 2014, with many projects continuing into 2015.
Investing in the future workforce – ServiceWorks, powered by AmeriCorps, the Citi Foundation and Points of Light, is a groundbreaking, national program that uses volunteer service as a strategy to help 25,000 low-income young adults in 10 U.S. cities develop the skills they need to prepare for college and careers. The Citi Foundation’s three-year, $10 million commitment is the largest single grant to Points of Light and supports the largest privately funded AmeriCorps VISTA program.
UPS employee Tony Heath, standing, volunteers at the Better Living Center in Chester, Pennsylvania, which offers free Internet access to the community.
Strengthening key programs – The expansion of Points of Light’s disaster, veterans and global programming, and an enhancement of the organization’s technology offerings, was made possible with funds from The UPS Foundation. During the 2014 Conference on Volunteering and Service, UPS CEO David Abney announced the company’s commitment toward reaching 20 million hours of employee volunteer service by the end of 2020. Investments in Points of Light’s mission represent a strategic commitment to the value and ideals of volunteerism at UPS.
Investing in HandsOn Network affiliates to increase employee volunteering – Altria Group works closely with Points of Light’s HandsOn Network affiliates throughout the country to engage their employees in community volunteerism in local markets. In 2014, through the HandsOn Network, Altria employees completed 80 service projects in 36 states, engaging more than 2,000 employees and delivering more than 10,000 hours of service to local communities.
A volunteer shows a disaster kit during the Los Angeles stop of a 14-city disaster preparedness tour created by The Allstate Foundation and Points of Light.
Preparing Americans for disaster – Tens of thousands of people are participating in a 14-city, disaster preparedness tour sponsored by TheAllstate Foundation and run by Points of Light and its HandsOn Network. As volunteers, Allstate insurance agents educate attendees about the perils of local disasters and the best ways to prepare. The agents also help participants assemble their own disaster preparedness kits – including such items as hand sanitizer and flashlights that don’t require batteries. During the national tour, 10,000 visitors take home kits.
Providing financial coaching for success – Through the Financial Opportunity Corps, a national service program funded by Bank of America and managed by Points of Light, AmeriCorps VISTA members train volunteers as financial coaches at local nonprofits across the nation. More than 400 economically disadvantaged individuals and families have been empowered through these coaches to adopt better money habits, such as reducing debt, paying for school, saving for emergencies or building assets. An additional 2,000 individuals and families have participated in financial workshops by trained Financial Opportunity Corps volunteers. Bank of America employees have embraced the Financial Opportunity Corps, serving as volunteer coaches and financial workshop facilitators, and contributed more than 35,000 volunteer hours to a broader range of financial education initiatives last year.
Volunteers celebrate Family Volunteer Day at The Travel Town Museum in Los Angeles.
Making family time count – Together, Disney and Points of Light are inspiring families to get out and serve. In 2014, more than 16,000 parents and kids participated in Family Volunteer Day, serving close to 90,000 people. Disney is a multiyear supporter of Family Volunteer Day – managed by generationOn, Points of Light’s youth division. The company also invests in Points of Light’s Daily Point of Light Award to honor families who volunteer together.
Fostering collaboration and innovation in service – JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Target helped bring together thousands of leaders from the nonprofit, corporate and civic sectors as impact sponsors of Points of Light’s 2014 Conference on Volunteering and Service in Atlanta. During the conference, JPMorgan Chase held an innovation summit, awarding four nonprofits a share of $100,000 for creating new ways to help people volunteer. And at a Target-sponsored volunteer project before an Atlanta Braves-Philadelphia Phillies baseball game, more than 300 volunteers and game-goers packed 5,000 kits full of school supplies for local teachers.
In addition to the companies mentioned above, here are Points of Light’s 2015 Leadership partners:
T-Mobile – engages employees to transform afterschool centers
Hasbro – provides ongoing leadership support for generationOn, Points of Light’s youth service division, including recognition of outstanding young volunteers
Hilton Worldwide – invests in a Global Month of Service and other core Points of Light programs
GE – engages 100,000-plus employee volunteers in 60 countries across industry sectors and in 2014 donated more than 1.1 million volunteer hours
ConAgra Foods – inspires and engages people to dedicate their time, talents and voice in the fight against child hunger
McKenna Long & AldridgeLLP – providing pro bono legal support to advance the mission of Points of Light for more than 15 years
IBM – as a strategic in-kind partner, supports A Billion + Change (a campaign managed by Points of Light, focused on skills-based and pro bono service) and other significant organizational priorities
Points of Light’s Leadership Partners each contribute $500,000 or more annually. Their 2014 investments have enabled Points of Light to develop and grow innovative programming that makes good business sense for the companies and a big difference in the communities Points of Light serves.
Challenging What’s Possible in Pro Bono Service
This post is by Tracy Hoover, Points of Light’s CEO.
Points of Light CEO Tracy Hoover addresses government, business and nonprofit leaders at the White House. (Photo courtesy JPG Photography)
At the height of last year’s Ebola outbreak, the citizen engagement team at IBM Connections in Sierra Leone put their talents in technology to work, creating a way for citizens to report Ebola-related issues and concerns via text or voice calls.
The people behind the project – which provided real-time insight to the government and helped health care companies more effectively deliver trial vaccines – were not only highly skilled IBM employees. They were volunteers.
Across the country and the world, companies like
are putting their unique business muscle to work for the greater good. These pro bono volunteers – top-notch professionals in technology, public health, systems engineering, logistics, manufacturing and more – are using their industry-leading skills and relevant issue expertise to help nonprofits change lives.
Yesterday at the
– that brought together corporate and nonprofit leaders for a change-making expo. We showcased some of the newest tools and innovations in pro bono service.
With business titans like IBM,
, there was ample evidence that pro bono service can be a powerful new weapon for tackling tough societal issues.
And the solutions on display yesterday provided an exciting glimpse into the future of social innovation. It was easy to imagine a day in the not-too-distant future when socially and community-minded companies look first to their core business assets – those skills, systems, products and operations that give them a competitive
business
advantage – as their most powerful resource for change-making.
In some ways, today’s event was the continuation of an effort that started nearly four years ago, when Points of Light took on the management of the
campaign, asking 500 companies to pledge $1 billion in skills-based and pro bono service.
American businesses far surpassed that goal, with more than 2,500 companies pledging more than $2 billion in pro bono service. But as exciting as the numbers are, I found myself most excited about how this pro bono field is evolving to more
precisely
marry specific corporate assets and expertise with the community issues and nonprofit organizations where they can have the most impact.
At its best, this new breed of business and nonprofit collaboration has real breakthrough potential.
Just imagine the possibilities of deploying the same American business ingenuity that fuels the world’s leading economy to tackling the most critical issues of our time – such as eradicating extreme poverty, ensuring strong community health and education systems, protecting our natural resources.
We’re already on the verge of this new kind of sharing in pro bono service – one that goes beyond one-time service delivery and focuses instead on developing tools and resources to help address the world’s biggest challenges.
The most effective pro bono service is about thoughtful partnerships that match up the right talents, and that lead more directly to solutions. Our collective charge now is to take that partnership model to scale, with as many businesses and nonprofits sharing successes along the way.
I’d love to know how your company or nonprofit is leveraging pro bono service for making change!
To contribute to the conversation, comment below or email [email protected].
White House Gathering Explores Ways Pro Bono Volunteers Strengthen Nonprofits
Engineers, marketers, software developers and other highly skilled professionals are lending their know-how as pro bono volunteers to help nonprofits achieve their missions – with the blessing of the companies that employ them.
From left: Asim Mishra, chief of staff, Corporation for National and Community Service; Melissa Rogers, special assistant to the president and director, White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships; Tracy Hoover, CEO, Points of Light; Michael Smith, special assistant to the president and senior director of cabinet affairs for the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative (Photo courtesy JPG Photography)
Showcasing the growth and strength of the pro bono movement, companies in attendance – the vanguards of pro bono – shared new tools and partnerships that help nonprofits advance their work and create more sustainable change.
“Today, let’s start building a new normal in pro bono service,” Points of Light CEO Tracy Hoover told the guests. “Let’s build a model that addresses the reality of scarce resources, limited time and increased needs that so many nonprofits feel.”
Hoover added that pro bono leaders “are improving this pro bono ecosystem by building resources that allow nonprofits to better leverage pro bono service.”
Senior leaders from several companies introduced new resources and programs designed to strengthen nonprofits, including:
Value Exchange – Based on years of researching, advising and developing high-quality, public-private partnerships, Deloitte has developed the Value Exchange tool – a simple framework for articulating the kinds of value that a nonprofit offers for-profit partners and what the nonprofit expects in return.
HP Advising – Through this service, nonprofits are matched online with HP employee volunteers who provide advice in particular areas – based on expertise – including branding, IT, business planning, managing staff, recruiting volunteers and other key business areas.
IBM Impact Grants – These grants provide consulting expertise and software designed to support education and nonprofit organizations through an array of capacity-building offerings, including strategic growth advising, business analytics support and security.
For more about skills-based and pro bono service, visit A Billion + Change.
After the Baltimore Riots, Volunteers Have a Long-Term Role to Play
The recent riots in Baltimore – sparked by unrest over the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man in police custody – brought out the worst and the best in the city’s people.
Volunteers from Business Volunteers Maryland help make sandwiches for people in West Baltimore through the Salvation Army’s FeedMore program, three days after the riots.
The day after rioters smashed windows, set fire to police vehicles and tore through businesses in the West Baltimore neighborhood, neighbors volunteered to help. They swept up broken glass, cleared debris and helped business owners clean up their stores.
That immediate outpouring from volunteers was heartwarming to see, says Kelly Hodge-Williams, executive director of Business Volunteers Maryland, but there’s more volunteers can do in the long term.
“Decades of systemic problems have led to two Baltimores,” Hodge-Williams says. One is poor and mostly African-American, with low-performing schools and high unemployment. The other is middle and upper class and more diverse, with better schools and more job opportunities.
Business Volunteers Maryland, part of Points of Light’s HandsOn Network, is exploring ways it can channel volunteer power toward addressing deep-seated problems that have plagued Baltimore – and other cities – for decades. The organization is focusing on four key issues: youth development, quality education, employment and services for those in poverty.
Kelly Hodge-Williams
“Our unique platform is that we mobilize human capital,” Hodge-Williams says of Business Volunteers Maryland. The nonprofit matches professionals skilled in such fields as marketing, human resources, finance and more with local nonprofits who need their volunteer services, in addition to connecting people with more traditional volunteer opportunities through its Volunteer Central website.
Hodge-Williams says that while direct-service, hands-on volunteers are essential in the ongoing cleanup and restoration of West Baltimore, “high-level thinking and talent” are also critical in the years to come. Such volunteers – whether they come through corporate employee volunteer programs or on their own – are able to help nonprofits develop and execute plans to better meet their missions.
On June 17, Business Volunteers Maryland will hold its annual doSOMETHING! for a Better Baltimore event, during which prospective volunteers can meet with representatives from a host of nonprofits. This year, given the recent violence on the streets, the event will host nonprofits that address youth development, education, employment and poverty.
A public-private partnership called One Baltimore launched this month to focus on the systemic problems facing the city. Business Volunteers Maryland is planning to be part of the initiative.
“We’re all at a point of trying to figure this out,” says Hodge-Williams, adding that her organization is planning regular meetings with corporations and businesses to determine the best ways to get their employees involved. “We see this as an opportunity.”
The `Naive, Genuinely Honest, Simple Approach’ of Kids Leads to a Gift for Young Cancer Patients
When I was a young girl, I remember meeting a woman at my church who walked with a severe limp. After speaking with her one morning, I turned to my mom and asked, “Why is it so hard for her to walk?”
She replied quietly, and with a heavy heart, “She had polio, sweetie. Walking will always be difficult for her.” As I watched her painfully walk away, I remember thinking, “What’s polio?”
At the beginning of this school year, I was sharing this story with my third graders. We were discussing the difference between my vast vocabulary and the words they have learned in their eight short years on earth. The intent was to teach them about words and their meanings. Semantics.
The lesson brought so much more. My students reacted emotionally. “So, polio is kinda like cancer, Mrs. Hayes?” asked one of my boys. A conversation about the definition of cancer, its effects on people and the many ways it has invaded each one of their hearts followed. I was flabbergasted. Is cancer that prevalent?
One of the many wonderful qualities of a child is his ability to see the world’s problems as easily fixable. Cancer, to them, could be eradicated if “a really smart scientist makes a medicine to cure it.” This naive, genuinely honest, simple approach is what led to a fundraising effort to help children in a local hospital.
Last September, students at Walkerton Elementary School came together to raise money for the Memorial Hospital Children’s Oncology Department. Several resources were utilized to immerse the children in cancer education.
There were statistics shared, guest speakers invited and mini-lessons prepared for a weeklong initiative to raise awareness and funds. The results were astounding! The goal for the week: $500. It was surpassed on Tuesday. Children were bringing their piggy banks, birthday money and quarters from the Tooth Fairy to help children afflicted with cancer.
They were emotionally invested. Why? They felt that a child with cancer didn’t have a childhood. They wanted those kids to be kids.
Their efforts culminated on Friday with a grand total of $2,051.69. One week. In five days, these children felt the triumph of helping others. They were educated about a devastating topic, inspired to find a way to assist those in need and worked hard to provide funding that will help solve the problem.
The efforts of these students, both individually and collectively, are commendable. Through serving others, they were able to see the gift of wellness.
As I think about those ill children who are courageously fighting cancer, I am reminded of the woman from my childhood. Thanks to medical breakthroughs and effective research, we are no longer threatened with an epidemic of polio.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, one day in the near future, a child who hears the word cancer could look up to her mother and ask, “What’s that?” With a smile and a joyous heart, she will reply,” Something we no longer need to worry about, sweetie.”
Are you a teacher looking to teach your students about volunteer service? Check out resources and lesson plans from generationOn, Points of Light’s youth division. (This post originally appeared on the generationOn blog.)
Service as a Family Tradition – Four Generations Strong
This post is by Joyce Yamaato, vice president with Wells Fargo’s Strategic Philanthropy and Partnerships Group. Her service in AmeriCorps led her to pursue a philanthropic career spanning 20 years.
Joyce Yamaato
Service starts with family. Family in my culture is basically everyone. I remember growing up and having lots of “aunts and cousins.” It wasn’t until I got older that I realized that we weren’t necessarily related!
Both my mom, Joylyn, and my grandmother, Alice, were very involved in the community. “Service” to them meant volunteering at church, making meals for those going through hard times and giving charitably. I work to pass on these same community values to my own children.
My mom and grandmother also gave back through teaching. My mom taught English overseas. At the time, she was the only female department head in the late 1960s and early ’70s.
My grandmother taught sign language here in the United States. She received her master of arts in speech language pathology from the University of Alabama in the mid-1960s.
I’ve always thought of her as an adventurous woman. She went back to school to get her master’s degree after her six children became adults. Her teaching career spanned 35 years.
My grandmother passed away last year at the age of 92. The photo you see below was the last one that I took with her during the holidays. I believe that her time teaching students of diverse abilities was one that she cherished the most.
Joyce Yamaato, far right, with her daughter, mother and grandmother
It was also an experience that resonated with me when I decided to serve in AmeriCorps.
I remember how excited my mom and grandmother were when I first got accepted into the Literacy AmeriCorps New Orleans program. I taught English as a second language to immigrants and refugees, and they were extremely supportive of me throughout my year of service.
I found that they listened and asked questions a lot, mostly about my students and how I responded to their needs. I thought they would have been more prescriptive given their expertise in teaching! Instead, they generously – and gently – guided me as I figured out my own style of teaching and how to surface solutions on my own.
As a mom, I see my 12-year old daughter growing up to be community minded. I remember driving her and my son to volunteer at an emergency event simulation. I watched as they learned to set up a tent and how it can quickly become a shelter, an urgent health care center and a place to eat a nutritious meal in the aftermath of a disaster.
We talked about what it might be like for displaced children and refugees living in other countries.
Today, I see my daughter continue to develop as a local and global citizen, and a great role model for her younger brother. She’s passionate about volunteering to support the rights of children and is also currently participating in a global classroom activity focused on access to clean water.
As my daughter grows up, I think how amazing it is to see the influence and community values of generations of women in my family reflected in her. I’m also inspired as I think about the collective impact we can make together in our communities.
I’m thankful for my mom and grandmother for setting me on a path toward servant-leadership, and AmeriCorps for giving me a chance to keep following it.
Where Some See Hopelessness, These Volunteers See Promise
Central America is one of the toughest regions in the world to be a child. Poverty, violence and lack of opportunity are prevalent. Access to quality health and education services is limited. Migration from the region separates family members, and child migrants face life-threatening journeys.
A Glasswing International volunteer teaches students during an after-school club at an El Salvador public school.
Despite these challenges, Glasswing International – part of Points of Light’s HandsOnNetwork – believes that Central America still holds the potential for great promise. The organization works to confront the obstacles its countries face in order to enable its children to thrive.
Since its founding in El Salvador in 2007, Glasswing has mobilized more than 85,000 corporate, community-based and medical volunteers. Through extreme school makeovers, after-school clubs, medical professional and first responder training, and community health projects, Glasswing volunteers have touched the lives of more than 600,000 people.
“Glasswing believes in strengthening communities’ existing resources, such as public schools, hospitals and health clinics rather than building anew,” said Celina de Sola, Glasswing’s co-founder and vice president of programs. “Through the organization, volunteers have an accessible way of making a huge impact on the lives of children and youth in the region.”
Ninth grader Claudia says participating in Glasswing International after-school clubs has helped her improve her attitude at school and better express herself socially.
Glasswing’s cross-sector approach forges partnerships with international and local governments, corporations, nonprofits and civil society. Although globally minded, the organization is locally driven, allowing the organization to design, implement and oversee all of its projects and accomplish more for less.
Some highlights:
More than 20,000 mothers and children have benefitted from Glasswing’s pediatric and community health services.
Volunteers have renovated more than 550 public schools, to help improve enrollment, retention and learning.
More than 22,000 young people participate in after-school clubs; 92 percent improved relationships with family and peers, 86 percent experienced improved self-esteem and 85 percent improved their grades.
Ninth grader Claudia – who started participating in Glasswing after-school clubs four years ago – is one such student. The 14-year-old grew up in the Las Palmas neighborhood of San Salvador, an area defined by poverty and violence.
“Growing up in Las Palmas was difficult,” Claudia says. “I was very combative with my teachers and didn’t do well in school.” Now she’s a member of several clubs, including the leadership, debate and girls’ clubs.
“Participating in these clubs has made a positive impact on my life,” Claudia says. “They have helped me improve my attitude in school, and better express myself socially.”
Currently, Glasswing has permanent programming in six countries in Central America and projects in an additional eight countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2015, Glasswing was invited to join the Clinton Global Initiative, an program of the Clinton Foundation dedicated to helping its member organizations maximize their social impact.
Interested in finding out what you can do to help Glasswing and the people it serves? Please visit www.glasswing.org.
