Change Notes: General Colin Powell, Alma Powell Kick Off Points of Light’s Sunday Supper Series to Bring People to the Table
Friends,
The word “supper” means different things to different people, but for me it evokes memories of a big Southern fried chicken dinner around my grandmother’s dining room table with family and friends and lots of stories, arguments and jokes.
Gathering around a common table has always been central to creating community and finding solutions. Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed of “the table of brotherhood.” And there was a reason that one of the most potent acts of the civil rights movement was the simple insistence on having a seat at the table in restaurants across the South.
Yesterday, Points of Light and its partners – Target and the Corporation for National and Community Service among a strong list of supporters – brought 250 thought and industry leaders together at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C. for a Sunday Supper, as tens of thousands of others held Sunday Suppers across the country
The goal: to get 100,000 people to come together across all that divides us – race, class, religion, politics, age – to break bread and start a conversation about what unites us and what we can achieve together. Organizations working with Points of Light and its affiliates to reach this goal include the United Methodist Church, the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, and Repair the World.
General Colin Powell and Alma Powell of America’s Promise Alliance spoke movingly about the role of education in our nation’s fight for civil rights – and the need for each of us to do our part. “I urge all of you to gather your points of light together and illuminate the path to success for our children,” Mrs. Powell said.
Other speakers included Target’s Laysha Ward, MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Strive Network’s Jeff Edmondson, D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson, Public Allies’ Ernesto Morales (an AmeriCorps member), National Urban League’s Marc Morial, National Council of La Raza’s Janet Murguía, and Patty Stonesifer, founding CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Corporation for National and Community Service’s Wendy Spencer closed the program with help from four teens from the DC Youth Poetry Slam.
I hope Sunday Suppers become a new ritual of our democracy, encouraging us to reach out to our neighbors, listen, understand and take action to solve problems in our communities. As we celebrate the Inauguration of our President, this is an opportunity for us all to embrace our role as leaders in setting the course of our nation’s future.
Find out about how to host your own Sunday Supper here. Take a look at highlights from the National Day of Service and Sunday Supper campaigns. And let us know what you did this weekend – and what you plan to do all year long, as we rededicate ourselves to Dr. King’s dream. Connect with Points of Light on Facebook and on Twitter at #2013MLKDay or at [email protected].
In service,
Michelle Nunn
CEO, Points of Light
Change Notes: For Leadership, Look Beyond Washington
Friends,
This weekend, more than 250,000 individuals will honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through hands-on volunteer projects in hundreds of communities nationwide, thanks to the combined efforts of Points of Light and its affiliates, Target, and the Corporation for National and Community Service. On January 19, a day designated by President Barack Obama as a National Day of Service, 10,000 of those volunteers will convene in Washington, D.C. for UNITE America in Service, an event endorsed by the Presidential Inaugural Committee. You can learn more here on how to participate and can follow this event on Twitter using #2013MLKDay.
These events honoring Dr. King’s legacy of service showcase the power of individual action. I’ve written a blog, featured on Huffington Post, highlighting citizens leading extraordinary change through tough times in their communities (full text appears below). I think you’ll be inspired by their stories, and I invite you to read about more individuals creating meaningful change in communities on our Daily Point of Light site.
In service,
Michelle Nunn
CEO, Points of Light
For Leadership, Look Beyond Washington
Today’s post is written by Michelle Nunn and published on the Huffington Post.
We are an optimistic people, but polls say we have become pessimistic about our nation’s future. Congressional approval ratings are at their lowest since 1974. A recent poll suggests that more than three in four Americans say politics is causing serious harm to the country. And a majority of Americans think today’s children will not be better off than their parents.
As we near Inauguration Day, is there cause for celebration?
I think so. Over the past year, I have seen a great deal of paralysis in Washington but the best of the can-do American spirit across the country. I’ve seen that we can look beyond our elected representatives and to one another for leadership — and for hope.
It is perhaps fitting that the inaugural weekend falls this year on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Dr. King’s memory and legacy remind us that our greatest moments, our most important strides as a nation, have come from the participation of millions of ordinary citizens.
In the face of tough economic times, disaster and tragedy, ordinary citizens routinely come through with kindness and help.
I see that in a group of neighbors who banded together in Nashville to help a family in tough straits cut its energy bill. When Raymond Abernathy, who has heart disease and diabetes, couldn’t prepare his house for the winter, his neighbors weather-stripped doors, put in window caulking and installed attic insulation. They didn’t look to a program to step in and help. They were the program.
We see that in a group of volunteers from New Orleans, all too familiar with life in the aftermath of a major natural disaster, who cheered up hundreds of Hurricane Sandy victims in Far Rockaway, N.Y., by reminding them about the power of community and joy. Volunteers traveled north to put on a New Orleans-style party with music and entertainment, food and gifts for people in need of a boost. They didn’t wait for the aid to be provided by someone else. They were the aid.
And I see that in Danbury, Conn., where thousands of people have contributed more than $3.5 million to support the Newtown community following the Sandy Hook School tragedy. Every penny raised will go to meet the needs of the Newtown community, as determined by members of that community.
Americans know how to solve problems, and we know how to build and rebuild. We also know that government can’t do it all, even in the best of times.
As we begin a new political season in Washington, let’s continue to debate the role and size of government, but let’s not look exclusively to our nation’s capital for leadership and motivation. In our time, there may be greater inspiration to be had when we look inward, at ourselves and at the great leaders in each of our communities, the heroes who step up to provide help in times of need.
The day that we inaugurate our president and remember Dr. King’s legacy of service is a good day to unfold those arms, step off the sidelines and get on with the hard work of creating a future of our own making.
Michelle Nunn is CEO of Points of Light, which is mobilizing hundreds of thousands of volunteers in service to their communities on Jan. 19, 2013 in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For details, go to pointsoflight.org/mlk.
Friends,
In a parking lot in Far Rockaway, New York, a school bus is the volunteer staging site.
Volunteers check in and get their assignments. Then, with computers and maps of the neighborhood, they fan out to “muck out” homes, a critical first step to restoring power and starting the rebuilding process after Hurricane Sandy. Wearing protective gear and facemasks, they tear out the flooring and remove the debris and paneling in homes to eradicate mold.
Volunteers in Rhode Island clear
muck and debris from a local
business
A few weeks ago, I witnessed volunteers stacking all the ruined belongings of 82-year-old Maureen Gallagher in front of her modest home in the Belle Harbor neighborhood, which sustained extensive damage in the storm. The widow of a police officer, Maureen is staying with her daughter for the time being, but when she heard volunteers were at her home, she made a trip to thank them.
As tears ran down her cheeks, Maureen hugged the volunteers, who shielded her from seeing her beloved player piano added to the pile of debris.
Maureen is one of hundreds of homeowners helped by New York Cares, a Points of Light affiliate. In the past few months, New York Cares has deployed more than 12,000 volunteers, including President and Chelsea Clinton, to muck out homes, distribute supplies, and conduct food and clothing drives.
In addition to
, nine other HandsOn Network and Points of Light affiliates are actively engaging volunteers in the disaster response and the long process of rebuilding:
Although the television coverage has faded away, the suffering and frustration of our many fellow Americans in the wake of Hurricane Sandy has not. Just in Maureen Gallagher’s neighborhood, there are 400 homes on a waiting list, needing repairs.
But as thousands of displaced residents across the region want only to move back into their homes, the number of volunteers is dwindling.
As you get ready for the holidays, please take a moment to help Points of Light bring the power of people to bear where it matters most. Volunteer with a HandsOn Action Center or donate to Hurricane Sandy Relief today.
Thank you and best wishes for a happy holiday season.
In service,
Michelle Nunn
CEO, Points of Light
Change Notes: Acts of Charity Lead Us to Acts of Justice
There’s often a fine line between individual acts of caring and systemic change – a line we cross often in a world that needs both compassion and justice. That line took center stage last week at the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) conference in London, where I worked with 400 attendees from 70 countries — all of whom engage volunteers to help meet critical needs, all of whom end up developing solutions to larger issues in the process.
When we serve, confronting the needs of our community and our world, we are awakened to systemic challenges, and we discover new ways to meet them. Celina de Sola’s work in El Salvador is a case in point.
After responding to disasters in the U.S. and around the world, Celina wanted to have a longer-term impact in one place. She returned to her home in El Salvador to co-found Glasswing International (our affiliate in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) with Ken Baker.
Working with partners like Chevron, Hanes and USAID, the group targets at-risk schools where most students attend classes for little more than four hours per day and two-thirds drop out after 9th grade. Glasswing engages hundreds of volunteers to lead after-school programs – school newspaper clubs, discovery labs and glee clubs, and academic support in English and computers – along with ongoing projects to improve school facilities and grounds.
The payoff? Glasswing has extended the school day, increased attendance, and received a $5 million investment to extend the program to more cities and schools. Some say that Glasswing has focused the power of volunteers to combat the increasing sense of fatalism in El Salvador.
Points of Light’s international network has grown from a few social entrepreneurs to thousands of them, leading change in 22 countries. Singapore Cares has grown from zero to 20,000 volunteers in three years. RomAltruista, in Rome, has grown from zero to 1,000 volunteers in just three months.
In Brazil, RioVoluntario is applying skills-based volunteer leadership to improve the quality of day care for Rio’s low-income children. HandsOn Manila’s intensive enrichment program provides high-achieving kids in poor schools the resources to reach for academic success. On 15 university campuses, HandsOn China’s student leadership program offers over 20 student-managed projects each week, networking events, resume books for the top 150 student volunteers and roundtables with business leaders.
Companies are deploying their most capable professionals to countries around the globe. IBM volunteers have promoted digital entrepreneurship in Sao Paulo, built a strategy for attracting businesses to Danang City and created a five-year roadmap to make Johannesburg a safer city. General Mills nutritionists are fighting hunger in Malawi and UPS is changing driver education and improving safety in countries around the world.
Are all these good deeds charity or efforts to achieve social justice? Many would say there is a hierarchy of good, in which social justice trumps charity. But I see it more as a continuum. Often acts of charity lead us to acts of justice. We need volunteers to reach out with arms of compassion to care for the world and we need volunteers to help heal and repair what is broken.
Students, Parents, and Organizations Coming Together for Hurricane Sandy Relief
Today’s post is written by Ivan Cestero, 9th grade history teacher, and Director of Avenues Community Engagement.
In accordance with the Avenues community focus on “welcome, safety, and respect,” the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy gave all of us the opportunity to reflect on the important impact we can have on one another’s lives. In response, Avenues Community Engagement, or “ACE,” organized a series of school-wide projects under the umbrella of “Operation Gratitude.” Simultaneous undertakings by parents and independent teacher projects provided further inspiration. By Thanksgiving, our students and parents had provided hundreds of blankets and coats to people without heat, fed over 600 clients at a food pantry, supplied a displaced elementary school in Coney Island, and raised $1300 in small donations. We then shared this service with generationOn through the Joy Maker initiative, and Hasbro donated a toy to Toys for Tots on behalf of each student involved. By collaborating with parents, orgs, and companies, the students made a large and meaningful impact.
Given the urgent need across New York City, and the wide scope of possible classroom activities per grade, we focused on three priorities: the response should be timely and meaningful to aid recipients, age-appropriate and empowering for our students, and conducive to school-wide culture building. And it had to get unrolled quickly.
After initial teacher consultation and community outreach, ACE offered three major activities. First, Operation Gratitude was a school-wide food and supplies drive, with grades contributing different materials. Second, Count Your Blessings was a reflection-focused donation exercise asking students, parents, and teachers to take time to be thankful after the storm and contribute $5 toward relief efforts. Financial contributions were optional. Finally, a Sandy space was created in a corner of the cafeteria with a combination of donation boxes, colorful banners, and meaningful community reflection that allowed us to demonstrate and celebrate our good work as a school.
Led by Tara Misenheimer, 9th grade Art Now students launched the “Power Buttons” Project. It offered K-9 the chance to create colorful, imaginative, whimsical, and thought-provoking artworks in a small circular space on a piece of white paper. The art class used a rotary cutter and button maker to transform these mini masterpieces into wearable artworks to raise money for victims who were without power for so long. They will be sold for $1 in the final days Winter Break—look out for them.
It’s worth noting that Avenues parents provided the first inspiring push toward Sandy relief. Parents were able to donate a seemingly endless amount of material first to our neighbors at the Fulton and Elliot Houses and later, as APA and ACE coordinated their efforts, to P.S. 90 in Coney Island. We are appreciative of the way in which parents worked directly with us on our student projects as well, delivering all of the food to St. Clement’s.
Given the nascent state of ACE and the fact that Avenues itself was only 6 weeks old, Operation Gratitude was was a learning process for all participants. However, we learned to work together in the last month—parents, students, administrators, and teachers—and we found out what we could do with very little time in which to organize and carry out a plan. By looking online for resources, we discovered that we could make an even larger impact instantaneously by sharing our efforts with generationOn’s Joy Maker opportunity. Our resourceful and generous Avenues community has the potential for fully living out our mission statement, by being “humble about our gifts and generous of spirit,” and “aware that our behavior makes a difference in the ecosystem.” From the very beginning, ACE was in place to give students the opportunity to engage in the community in meaningful ways. Hurricane Sandy gave all of us an early lesson on the power of collaboration.
Why IBM Is America’s Most Community-Minded Company
Today’s post is republished from Citizen IBM on Nov. 19. This blog is written by Michelle Nunn, CEO of Points of Light, the largest organization in the world dedicated to volunteer service.
You may have suspected that IBM was the nation’s most community-minded company. Now you have proof. Last week, BloombergBusinessweek published the first-ever Civic 50, a groundbreaking national initiative to identify the 50 companies having the greatest community impact. IBM was ranked No. 1.
By identifying how companies are using their time, talent, and financial resources to improve their communities, The Civic 50 sets the standard for corporate civic engagement nationwide. Working with The National Conference on Citizenship, Points of Light developed The Civic 50 to inspire companies seeking to become better partners in their communities. This year’s top five companies are:
IBM
Citi
AT&T
Aetna
Capital One Financial
These companies have a commitment to community that is deeper than simple checkbook philanthropy – they align their core businesses with social issues they seek to tackle. From employee volunteering to community nonprofit partnerships, the range of activities is broad and they are making a difference in health, education, child enrichment, poverty reduction and disaster relief. Here are just a few of the great things these companies are doing:
IBM’s Smarter Cities Challenge sends teams of experts around the world to solve community problems.
Southwest Airlines’ “Adopt-A-Pilot” uses aviation-themed activities related to science, writing and other core subjects to educate 349,000 students.
Abbott’s scientists and engineers have joined forces with Partners in Health to fight the war against malnutrition in Haiti.
Target’s “Meals for Minds” program brings food to needy K-12 students and their families, recognizing the connection between hunger and school performance.
Allstate has educated 6.3 million teenagers about the importance of safe driving.
FedEx delivers emergency shipments of medicine to disaster areas.
Hasbro’s “Good Grief Camps” serve children who have lost loved ones in the military.
Capital One’s MoneyWi$e program has aided 3.5 million people with multilingual educational materials about theft, fraud and money management.
What is good for the community can also be good for the business and its shareholders. Here are a few of the rewards:
A 2010 CSR Perception Survey found 40 percent of respondents willing to take a pay cut to work at a socially responsible company, and 72 percent would sacrifice spending or salary to support corporate social responsibility initiatives.
The same survey found 75 percent of consumers say corporate responsibility is important to them, and they are more likely to purchase products or services from a company after reading its responsibility agenda.
Ninety percent of the managers at Capital One said they saw an improvement in leadership skills from employees participating in pro bono programs.
IBM’s Corporate Service Corps members say their service has bolstered their job performance, skills and desire to build their careers at IBM.
The Civic 50 is an important call to action – not only to companies already demonstrating community leadership and investment, but also to companies seeking to broaden their civic engagement. Check out the top companies at The Civic 50.
Celebrate World Fishery Day and Combat Fishery Declines with New Mobile Applications
Charles is a junior at Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, Ga. Charles founded an international movement of Earth Savers Clubs through his nonprofit, Greening Forward. Charles is a member of the 2011 PARADE All-America High School Service Team, an award recognizing outstanding young service leaders in association with Parade Magazine and in partnership with generationOn, the global youth enterprise of Points of Light. Charles invites readers to connect with Greening Forward @COrgbon or via Facebook. Charles champions the environment making him a hero for planet earth.
On Nov. 21, you might be preparing for Thanksgiving – thinking about turkeys and pies. But, you should be thinking about fish. Why? Because Nov. 21 is World Fisheries Day – a day dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of the world’s waterways and fisheries.
Today, these fisheries are under more pressure than ever before because of factors including increased fishing, the loss of essential fish habitats and increased plastics pollution in the oceans.
More fish are consumed today than any other time before. From 1950 to 1990, there was a fivefold increase in the world annual fish catch. Fish demand remains high: today, 70 percent of the planet’s marine stocks are fully exploited or overexploited, which the United Nations corroborated in a recently published study indicating that more than two-thirds of the world’s fisheries have already been overfished.
According to Save My Oceans, plastic constitutes approximately 90 percent of all trash floating on the ocean’s surface, with 46,000 pieces of plastic per square mile. In some parts of the ocean, there is more plastic per square inch than living sea creatures. Often, plastic pieces are mistaken for food and are eaten by marine wildlife. Although many plastics are designed as single-use disposable items intended to last for five minutes, it takes 500 to 1,000 years for them to degrade. Even if we stopped using plastics today, they will remain with us for many generations, threatening both human and ocean health. These are alarming facts, and while things might feel dire, there are actions we can take to address the problem of plastic pollution right now.
In celebration of World Fisheries Day 2012, Lauren Aycock, a 16-year-old environmentalist, and Greening Forward, a youth-driven and youth-imagined not-for-profit, are releasing two mobile applications for Android and iPhone devices that will empower users to protect oceans by choosing sustainable fish and kicking their plastics addiction.
The mobile application Saving Seafood, provides sustainability rankings for dozens of fish varieties as, which will help consumers avoid eating fish that are caught unsustainably.
Plastics Policehelps users find helpful and easy alternatives to kick their plastics addiction by reducing, reusing and recycling their plastics waste. You can download both of these apps by visiting each website homepage on your mobile device and adding the webpage to your home screen. These apps are currently unavailable in any app stores.
Innovations such as Saving Seafood and Plastics Police empower consumers to make choices that will ultimately protect endangered fish around the world and save our world’s fisheries by keeping plastics out of our waterways and oceans. I invite others to join Lauren and Greening Forward in our campaign to protect fisheries and waterways by advocating for more sustainable consumer choices.
Volunteer for Family Volunteer Day on Saturday Nov. 17
Family Volunteer Day, a Points of Light signature day of service, demonstrates and celebrates the power of families who volunteer together, supporting their neighborhoods, communities and the world. For 22 years, Family Volunteer Day has been held on the Saturday before Thanksgiving to “kick-off” the holiday season with giving and service. This year Family Volunteer Day takes place on Nov. 17 and is being powered by generationOn and sponsored by Disney Friends For Change, a global initiative that inspires kids and families to take action to help people, communities and the planet. To learn more about family volunteering find resources on generationOn.
Today’s post is republished from the HandsOn Blog Aug. 3, 2012.
Chances are, if you’re spending time volunteering and reaping the benefits, you’ll want to tell everyone! Why not get those closest to you in on the action with family volunteering? Proponents of family volunteering have stated that the benefits to families from family volunteering include sharing quality time together, transmission of values, modeling of compassion and civic engagement by parents, and improved communication between family members.
Family members can utilize their talents to work on an issue they feel passionate about. Family volunteering also teaches children the values of kindness, making others feel good, and giving back.
The benefits of volunteering together as a family are many! Several themes stand out as reasons why families should volunteer together. Family volunteering:
Brings the family closer together.
Creates a value system strengthened by volunteering. It is good for children to see parents involved.
Builds extended family among youth and other youth, as well as youth and adults.
Gives something back to the volunteer. Volunteering provides a strong sense of self-satisfaction, which makes the whole family feel good.
Shows strength in numbers. When a family works together, they can get more done than an individual!
Helps to improve family communication.
Benefits youth. Volunteering benefits kids on several levels, such as helping with job and college applications
Gives children a chance to see how lucky they are. Parents are pleased to give the children a reason to focus on someone other than themselves.
Provides a positive influence to the people helped.
Is fun! Volunteering is a social activity and gives children something to do, especially in those long summer days.
Respondents to a survey of families who volunteer conducted by the Points of Light Volunteer Center National Network indicated that:
Almost half volunteer with their family as frequently as every few months.
The majority of families were satisfied with their accomplishments and enjoyed the day.
Most felt that volunteering has given them a new perspective on the world.
Two-thirds of youth felt that volunteering has helped them decide what they want to do with their life.
Volunteering helped them to share values and talk more easily with their family, and it allows them to spend quality time together.
Change Notes: In good times and bad, demonstrating the best of the American spirit
Friends,
As millions of people along the east coast begin to mourn those who died and assess the damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy, I find comfort and reassurance in one thing: Americans have always pulled together after disasters to lend a hand, help our neighbors and rebuild our communities. As Sandy recedes, we will unite in volunteer service once again.
Just a few days ago, three million people gathered across the country on the nation’s largest day of service, Make a Difference Day. They donated food for military families. They cleaned up neighborhoods, parks and schools. They sponsored carnivals for children with special needs and lemonade stands for kids with cancer. In thousands of locations across the country, they did more than they’ve ever done before. (USA Today had a great story and video about a project in Virginia.).
For 22 years, on the fourth Saturday in October, Points of Light and Gannett’s USA WEEKEND have sponsored Make A Difference Day to meet the needs of the most vulnerable among us and demonstrate the best of the American spirit.
This year, in the early days of November, that spirit is needed again. As Hurricane Sandy weakens, our HandsOn Network volunteer action centers in the northeast need your help to clean up, to help those who have lost so much, to rebuild. So many depend on the power of people like you to make a difference.
