Glasswing International and Hands On Atlanta Help Students Dream of a Brighter Future
Without access to affordable after-school activities, students who already come from a cycle of poverty or violence often only know of that world and could be led to spend their after-school hours wandering with the wrong crowd.
have both worked tirelessly to provide after-school or weekend programs to help students in their communities stay in school and empower them to dream of a brighter future.
Glasswing International
Glasswing International was founded in 2007 by Celina de Sola, her brother Diego and husband, Ken Baker in San Salvador, El Salvador, with a simple goal to “foster change by investing in a community’s existing strengths and resources – its infrastructure and its people.”
With a number of offices across Latin America, Glasswing helps reform public schools throughout the region with initiatives such as after-school programs, mental health committees, and extreme makeovers.
On a weekly basis, hundreds of young volunteers will donate their time to lead clubs such as glee, debate, English, science, sports, and more at more than 1,000 after-school programs across 6 countries.
“For the young people we work with, who come from some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Central America, after-school programming is far more than a convenience,” de Sola said. “In these communities, educational programs can transform lives.”
, a 15-year-old from El Salvador, her father meant everything to her. So when he was taken to jail four years ago, she became depressed. Her grades started to plummet and her family started having financial problems at home.
“Everything was spiraling downward, including my self-esteem,” she said. “I felt everybody was judging me for my father’s mistakes.”
But then she decided to enroll in the Girls Club provided by Glasswing and her perspective slowly began to change.
“I will never forget the topic I liked to learn about the most – it was to value myself,” Gabriela said. “It was a way of realizing that I was more than my family problems… and I had to keep fighting to create my own life.”
Today, her grades have improved and she credits Glasswing for helping her through her hardest time.
Hands On Atlanta
From science experiments to fitness games, students are able to get a variety of fun learning experiences through Hands On Atlanta’s Discovery program.
Saturday mornings in Atlanta bring a special group of youth and volunteers together. Hands On Atlanta provides an enrichment program for over 800 students from kindergarten to fifth grade.
, partners with 11 schools in the metro-Atlanta area that have been deemed title 1 schools, which means at least 40% of the students come from low-income families.
From robotics and coding, to art and fitness, students are able to learn a variety of educational lessons from volunteer mentors on two Saturdays a month throughout the school year.
The lessons go beyond just the typical science and math lessons, however. Students are able to learn how to deal with their emotions, cultivate strong relationships and show initiative in taking responsibility.
“Discovery provides a way for students to connect to education without the pressure of grades and performance,” said Candice White, program manager of Discovery. “The students are able to engage with mentors, individuals in the community that truly want to see them grow.”
For these students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, programs like Discovery enable them to dream bigger than what their current situation allows. And all of this wouldn’t happen without the nearly 2,000 volunteers who dedicated more than 9,500 hours last school year.
For nonprofit organizations, like Glasswing and Hands On Atlanta, de Sola said, “volunteers are truly the “motor” that keep the entire operation running.”
If you’re considering whether or not to volunteer this Global Volunteer Month, maybe White’s favorite quote will motivate you: “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle,” by James Keller.
“That’s something everyone should remember when it comes to serving,” White said. “Not only is it self-gratifying, but it is something that makes our whole entire community better.”
In light of COVID-19, nonprofits, companies and individuals are adapting the ways in which they serve their communities. Visit
to find creative ways to make a difference and be a #LocalLight in your community during Global Volunteer Month.
At Home Service Project Ideas for Kids and Teens
While it’s difficult for adults to process the impact COVID-19 is having on the world, it can be even harder for kids. For active families who have canceled activities, school or are even quarantined, finding something to do to pass the time and feel good is so important. However, just because you’re not able to participate in your favorite service activity in person right now, doesn’t mean you can’t still give back.
Here are seven ideas that families and youth groups could do to not only keep youth engaged, but also help others both locally and around the world.
Spread cheer by sending cards for those who are serving in the military or in the health care field
is encouraging you to donate clean, used towels and blankets to an animal shelter to make a furry friend’s stay more comfortable. You can also use old towels, blankets or event t-shirts to make tug toys!
You can also
. There are many issues that are important right now, and making sure your local leaders know that you care is a good way to move things through government. Have an issue you’d like to address? The
Make a video or post on social media about an issue you care about
. Is there an issue you or your family would like more people to learn about? Make a video and posting it online for others to see! You can interview people via phone or video conference, collect information on your cause area, then post your video. Use #LocalLight to share how you’re taking action.
In light of COVID-19, the health and safety of all volunteers is our top priority. Please see our COVID-19 Action Plan
to find resources and other ways to stay engaged and volunteer when in-person alternatives have been postponed or cancelled.
The Points of Light Youth Council, a collective group of youth across the country and the issues they are tackling, does the following:
Advises on Recognition program design
Increases the youth voice in Points of Light’s own work and across the country
Support youth in developing their own programs and platforms
This year’s Youth Council is made up of five of our Daily Point of Light honorees:
How Phillips 66 is Continuing the Spirit of Volunteerism
Sharing our talents, resources and compassion with others is the heart of who we are as a society. The global spread of the COVID-19 virus has had an indelible impact on every aspect of our lives and finding ways to connect with those in need is more important than ever. This April, Phillips 66 is honored to
. More than 14,000 Phillips 66 employees live and work in communities across the globe, and we feel a deep sense of connection with our neighbors. Together with our community partners, we’re being creative about new ways to support our community partners and the people we collectively serve. We’re adapting to continue our spirit of volunteerism.
We are engaged in ongoing conversations with our philanthropic and social outreach partners and recognize that many of our nonprofit partners and neighbors are facing new challenges. In a time of uncertainty, it is clear that now is not the time to retreat from our responsibility to take care of one another. We are adjusting our philanthropic and volunteer commitments and allowing flexibility in how our community partners use the resources we provide. Here are a few of the ways we’ve modified our social impact investments during this time of historic global need:
Working with our community partners to reallocate our financial commitments to meet virtual volunteering and fundamental outreach needs. Examples include:
A local children’s museum partner will host a daily virtual story time in both English and Spanish.
The Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation is ordering 100,000 new books to donate. In partnership with the Houston Food Bank, these books will be distributed to families as they pick up food at the designated school locations. More than 75% of children in Houston ISD are on the National School Lunch program and will be using this program while schools are closed.
Many organizations have been forced to cancel important fundraising and volunteer events. We are encouraging organizations to reallocate our sponsorship funds to support their most urgent priorities.
We must keep giving during these times and allow our community partners to adjust our donations where necessary to ensure the health of their organizations. We understand the strain and stress they’re under to serve their constituents and maintain their fiscal integrity.
Making human connections is critical to our collective health and well-being. We are following the example of Points of Light and encouraging our employee community, family and friends to help one another through virtual volunteering.
Like many corporations, we encourage and support our employees and retirees to engage as volunteers and active participants in the communities where they live and work. At a time when we can’t be physically present to our community partners, we are inviting our employees to engage with organizations in need through virtual volunteering. We have shared the resources of Points of Light with our employees to help them find ideas and opportunities to offer their gifts of time, talent and compassion.
It is unknown what the long-term impact of the COVID-19 virus will be. Global Volunteer Month provides us all an opportunity to reflect upon how we are sharing our talents, resources and time with those individuals and organizations who need a helping hand. We are inspired by the vision of President George H. W. Bush in the founding of Points of Light. During this global time of need and in celebration of Global Volunteer Month, let’s all be the “illumination of a thousand points of light. Because, we all have something to give.”
