Problem-Solving People

Today’s post is by Calla Gilson, 17, from Delta, Ohio. She got her start volunteering with the Migrant Ministry, a program that provides education support for migrant students and advocates on behalf of the migrant worker community. Calla inspires other young people to get involved in service as a National Youth Advisory Council member for generationOn, the youth enterprise of Points of Light. This post originally appeared on the White House’s For the Win blog.

“We are problem-solving people!” The thought returned to me again and again as I listened in amazement during several workshops with a variety of focuses at the Points of Light 2013 Conference on Volunteering and Service. Each and every workshop seemed to be merely a variation on this one, concrete theme that is the heart of every service venture. I would say it is this identity that is the service community’s greatest asset – the ability to recognize a need, and rise to not only a solution, but to work in a way that invites each person to be a part of something greater than themselves in a fashion that only giving back can truly do.

This sort of innovation is truly ingenious – an undeniable mainstay of productivity that any society should prize. And let’s face it, our world isn’t going to run out of problems soon – child hunger, education inequality, international humanitarian injustice – take your pick, there are oodles of issues ripe for the picking, and application of the dedicated hard work of people who recognize their severity is in high demand.

I had very little expectations going into the Conference on Volunteering and Service. I figured that each workshop would be a general sharing of knowledge, but in a way that was more focused on what the separate sponsor organizations had done in their years of service – plugs for individual missions and specific service campaigns. Perhaps that is why I was so blown away by the true impact of the conference.

Empowerment through shared experience and the generation of fresh ideas through presentations and collaborations equipped each attendee with the know-how and inspiration to tackle any social injustice. This was the first year of the Global Track at the conference, and I feel so honored to have taken part in celebrating this milestone!

I admire the service community for recognizing the need for international involvement and expanding its outreach to enable a greater focus. I write this blog from China, and while the focus of my visit is on language immersion, I am enjoying learning about the societal norms for service. My group will be partaking in several service projects in which I will be able to utilize the skills shared in the workshops.

While problem solving is very important, it must be fueled somehow, and there is no better way to feed this productive fire than with the kindling of enthusiasm! The enthusiasm of each individual who attended the conference was undeniably contagious.

A collective can-do attitude created such an atmosphere of support and optimism that it couldn’t be escaped! This is an essential component of the problem-solving formula. The denial of the “impossible” and the ability to embrace change continues to build up the community and nurture its growth. It is this that connects each partner organization, enterprise and business – a demand for a greater good. The Conference on Volunteering and Service wasn’t about individual goals, or trying to recruit supporters for specific campaigns. Rather, it was about coming together, for the good of the community – to engage, empower and inspire, so that together we can grow through the creation of solutions to the problems that we each recognize, and in the process, change the world.

Preserving Our World

Today’s post is by Jordyn Schara, a high school senior from Reedsburg, Wisc., who founded the Wisconsin Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal Program to help communities dispose of medicines safely. Jordyn, a founding member of the generationOn Service Leaders Network, is a 2010 Hasbro Community Action Hero. This post originally ran on The White House’s For the Win blog.

Our world is facing incredible environmental issues that seem to transform on a daily basis. The most important of these is climate change. We are causing the polar caps to melt and catastrophic weather to reap havoc across our world because of our production of greenhouse gases. Landfill waste and over-consumption are sometimes overlooked problems, but our waterways are choked with trash and our throw-away lifestyles are unsustainable. All of this damages our ecosystems and causes endangered species.

The environmental issue that is most dear to me is clean drinking water. Pure water is in short supply. About one out of six people does not have access to safe drinking water and 3.4 million people die each year from a water-related disease. This is unacceptable. But while some people are sitting around, wringing their hands and worrying how our government is going to fix everything, there are young people from all over the globe saving the environment, saving lives and preserving our incredible world for generations to come.

I am proud to be one of those teens and to have represented our great nation at the Volvo Adventure Award in Sweden in June and cannot wait to share my newfound knowledge with the world.

Volvo Adventure is an award program sponsored by Volvo and the United Nations Environment Program that rewards youth who have made a positive impact on the environment. This year, teams from 11 different countries participated. My team consisted of five students from Wisconsin and Illinois who all played a major role in P2D2 (Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal Program), a national movement to end improper disposal of expired and unwanted medications.

My team traveled to Göteborg, Sweden, during the first week of June to participate in the event. All of the teams were asked to create a presentation that they would then present in front of a panel of United Nations judges at the end of the week. The judges would then select the top three teams, who would be ranked in first, second and third place.

Once we were introduced to the other teams, we all had the opportunity to learn more about each other, where we come from and what environmental project we spearheaded. We did an activity in which we made a paper model of our environment, including both the positive and the negative aspects of it. We then took yarn and linked our model with all the other models that we shared a specific environmental trait with. It was amazing to see that a Midwestern town can have some of the same issues as a village in Tanzania. It truly brought us all together.

That spirit continued throughout the week as we prepared for our presentations. When the judging day finally came, we were all so relaxed around each other that we were barely nervous. The following day, a ceremony was held to congratulate everyone on all they had accomplished and to name the top three countries. We all sat quietly as the names were being called, hoping to be called onto the stage. We knew, however, that it didn’t matter who won. We had all accomplished so much in our countries.

The envelope containing the winners’ names was opened, and we were so excited to hear that we were one of the three teams called to the stage! We were awarded third place. Not only was this a huge accomplishment for P2D2, but it was also the first time a United States team has ever placed in this competition.

I left Sweden feeling empowered and knowing that I have made a difference in my environment. I now want to spread this awareness to let others know that they too have the power to affect change by voting, joining environmental clubs, participating in environmental projects, sharing their knowledge about the environment and encouraging family and friends to get involved.

Our environment is under attack and we need to look at our own impact and make government officials accountable.

Open Your Eyes to Hunger

Lance Oppenheim, a 17 year-old from Southwest Ranches, Fla., featured the winner of a literary writing contest in a video called Open Your Eyes, which asked participants to describe what child hunger means to them. Lance serves as a National Youth Advisory Council member of generationOn, the global youth service enterprise of Points of Light. (This post originally ran on the White House’s For the Win blog.)

A family friend recently had a baby and I’m relieved that this new family has the resources to secure for the child the proper nutrients and food throughout his infancy (and beyond). But, that sense of security should not be taken for granted. Unfortunately, over 16.7 million children live in food insecure households within the United States. Food insecurity is actually an odd term, referring to the fact that these children do not have enough food necessary for a healthy life. Food insecurity is an antiseptic, nonemotional term for children who find no relief when their tummies grumble; for children who miss meals and go to bed hungry, day after day, night after night.

It is incredible to even consider that 1 in 5 children may not know from where their next meal will come. In my community of Broward County, Fla., only 31 percent of all households that are eligible for food stamps actually receive them, and 44 percent of all students who are enrolled in elementary school qualify for free or reduced lunches. A staggering 15 percent of Broward County’s children live in poverty. Nationwide that number jumps to 22 percent. The United States, a super power and model for the rest of the world, has not fully addressed the vast problem of food insecurity for children. We can and should do better.

Perhaps most disturbing is that so many of us are not even aware of the hungry families in our communities. We are the fortunate ones who choose what we eat, unaware of the great security we enjoy by making these simple food decisions. While society may have created invisible walls that obfuscate the enormity of the issues and social implications that child hunger presents, organizations and individuals across the country are stepping up to fight child hunger.  

We can all do our part. As a National Youth Advisory Council member of generationOn, I sponsored a literary writing contest through my organization, the Opp-Guide to Community Service Inc., which asked participants to describe what child hunger means to them. I featured the winner of the contest in a video called Open Your Eyes. Learn about Holly’s story and then decide what you can do.

Whether it is collecting nonperishable items, planting community gardens or raising funds to donate to local food programs, it’s time to open your eyes.

Together we can put an end to food insecurity and wipe child hunger off the map.