For Points of Light board member Brenda Robinson, service to others started early. Brenda says, “I was taught from an early age that there are many people who have needs that are greater than your own.”
“Our family runs a civil rights nonprofit that exists to provide a refuge for people – a place where anyone can lay their troubles at our door. Whether you’re in need of basic necessities like food and shelter, or larger healing related to social justice, the community that we serve understands that our doors are open, and that we’re here to provide those resources. From this work, I saw very early that a single individual can make a big difference for others.”
It was this exposure to a multitude of human experiences, that led Brenda to believe that telling those stories is not only important, but essential.
Today in her professional life, Brenda is committed to opening doors. She’s spent decades elevating unique voices and ensuring that important and powerful stories make their way to art and entertainment audiences. She’s an entertainment attorney whose law practice focuses on intellectual property and entertainment matters on behalf of clients in the music, film and television industries.
Throughout her career, she has provided legal counsel to recording artists, musicians and composers, actors and actresses, production companies, film financiers and investors, authors, arts organizations, athletes and entertainers. She has acted as production counsel and executive producer for numerous documentary and feature film projects as well as scripted and unscripted television programming. Brenda is also a partner in
, an equity fund that finances feature films and television series by women and diverse storytellers.
Brenda Robinson combines her work with her passion, elevating unique voices and ensuring important, powerful stories get told.
Brenda’s involvement with Points of Light came about almost by chance. At a State Department Dinner during the final Kennedy Center Honors weekend of the Obama Administration, she was seated next to a loyal Points of Light supporter and was moved after hearing about the work being done.
“The thing about the organization that most immediately stood out to me was that it is a decidedly non-partisan call to action. Points of Light sets an important example that service to one’s country and local community has no boundaries and applies to all of us as individuals equally capable of doing good for others,” Brenda said.
Perhaps stemming from her early exposure to civic justice, Brenda is particularly fond of the Points of Light Civic Circle concept. She says that what resonates with her is the idea of accountability; that corporations recognize the role that they play in engaging people to be more active and committed to their communities, and that good corporate citizenship actually matters.
Beyond Points of Light, Brenda is very active philanthropically. She says, “I believe in taking all of the resources that I have been blessed with and using them to create access for others. What drives me is the idea that I can somehow contribute to creating a pipeline of opportunity for those looking to have a seat at the table.”
Brenda joined the Points of Light staff and Mickey Mouse at Walt Disney World to celebrate the 2019 Disney and Points of Light Volunteer Family of the Year!
Brenda believes it’s important to make opportunities for people in arts and entertainment, whether in film, music, theatre or other forms, so that those who create can continue to inspire us with their ideas. She continues, “I believe in using the arts as a means of advancing social justice issues as well as bringing people together in a way that eliminates the boundaries of race, class and politics.” We agree.
At Points of Light, Brenda helps to ensure we’re opening doors and telling powerful stories, and says it has been the honor of her lifetime to serve on our board.
Really, the honor has been ours. Thank you, Brenda.
Corporate Volunteers of New York Receives 2020 Corporate Volunteer Council of the Year Award
One of the great hallmarks of the Points of Light Conference is recognizing individuals and organizations that take action that changes the world. Although the experience may be different this year, this tradition of recognition carries on.
Today, Points of Light is honoring Corporate Volunteers of New York as the 2020 Corporate Volunteer Council of the Year for serving as a primary local resource that provides professionals with a link to peer networks, resources, and education to increase the benefits of corporate volunteerism on companies and communities. The award recognizes councils that have a clear purpose, meaningful educational activities, and measurements for success.
Since its founding in 1972, Corporate Volunteers of New York has served as a resource for CSR professionals working in greater New York City. CVNY is a coalition of 200+ professionals who represent more than 55 major corporations from a variety of industries that recognize the critical importance of volunteerism, corporate social responsibility, and the changing needs in the communities in which we all work and live. CVNY connects its members to peers, industry resources, and offers education through various ways to increase members’ knowledge and expertise, which will maximize the effectiveness of their respective employee volunteer programs.
Monthly meetings provide members with the latest best practices, tactics and tools and take a variety of formats. After each meeting, the board disseminates a brief recap to members, including contact information or follow-up information so members can learn more or reach out if interested in pursuing a particular program or nonprofit partnership.
Although other CVCs across the nation may weave professional development into their events, CVNY puts a focus on it by offering an annual Professional Development Day designed to help members succeed personally and professionally. During their most recent event, members were challenged to put aside their preconceived notions and dig in at sessions entitled, Balance is Bullsh*t, Tough Conversations, and Effortless Networking. CVNY also hosts two annual social activities that encourage discussion and collaboration among members, and provide a unique opportunity to learn about members’ priorities in a more casual setting.
In addition to monthly meetings and annual events, CVNY provides members with an online discussion forum on LinkedIn, a members-only section of their website, as well as an annual report that highlights the past year’s programming and accomplishments. As a service to members, CVNY distributes an annual Compensation Survey, and shares the anonymous results to their members. This resource can help member companies ensure they are benchmarking appropriately with their local peers.
The CVNY board, solely responsible for the maintenance of the organization, is constantly seeking to improve programming, provide more value for current members, and grow membership overall. Using responses from member surveys and informal feedback sessions, CVNY’s board meets each year during an annual planning retreat to adjust offerings to ensure the success of members’ volunteer programs, pulling topics for the upcoming program year directly from suggestions elicited from the previous year’s member survey.
As community needs change, CVNY consistently adapts to meet those needs. Most recently, they have shifted meetings to virtual, moderated COVID-19 discussions as a way to reflect current members’ needs. Points of Light celebrates CVNY’s long-standing commitment to their members and the greater New York community—especially in these challenging times—and is proud to recognize them as the 2020 Corporate Volunteer Council of the Year.
To learn more about Corporate Volunteers of New York, click here.
How We Serve is Changing, Why We Serve (and Why It Matters) Remains the Same
comes to a close, and as our world remains forever changed (and still changing) in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, we can’t help but get reflective.
We know that the need for service is greater now than ever. We know that helping others, like so many facets of life, is going to look different going forward – and likely (hopefully) for the better. We also know that the people most impacted by the crisis are the people depending on the communities that surround them to encircle them with kindness and love.
Even as we put distance between ourselves, so many stories have emerged of our community circles growing wider. Italians taking to their balconies to sing in unison, lifting spirits. New Yorkers cheering for health care workers every night during their shift change. People dusting off their sewing machines to make (and give away) masks out of quilting fabric.
In the darkness, we’ve seen light.
Global Volunteer Month Activation Partner
, which connects people with opportunities for social impact action, does incredible work promoting both nonprofit jobs as well as service opportunities. Around and amid this crisis, their work has been even more critical.
We spoke with them about three important thing they’re seeing as it relates to the future of service. Taken together, these three things leave us hopeful and inspired.
First, during the crisis, people were (and still are) at home wanting to help. Idealist saw people offering to do grocery runs or trips to the pharmacy for their elderly neighbors. Young people were walking dogs or mowing lawns for neighbors. People were doing whatever they could to help those in their immediate proximity. Sometimes they found those opportunities through a flier in a mailbox, or a sign posted in an apartment lobby.
Idealist created a
, where people can find these small (but so meaningful!) ways to help someone, person-to-person, right where they live. These directories give people a way to find purpose amid so much uncertainty. Ideally, that sense of purpose will translate to continued service once the immediate crisis is over. The world is forever changed, so are we as citizens of it.
Second, Idealist also saw that organizations like foodbanks or soup kitchens that require in-person volunteers were hit especially hard by the crisis. The need for what they do was greater than ever, but the availability of volunteers was at an incongruent low point – whether that was due to stay-at-home orders or the vulnerability of their volunteers themselves (often older retirees, for example). At Points of Light, we regularly connect individuals and families with
promote and encourage that activity going forward.
Finally, Idealist rightly observed that the global pandemic also brought about a wave of what you could call “
.” By that they mean that people used their devices and online platforms to connect with others well outside the traditional definition of a community. During the crisis college students tutored school children on opposite sides of the country – or even the planet. People on social media shared the addresses of nursing homes so that others could send greeting cards to residents who were separated from their families. Idealist, on its
, saw a woman in Arizona donate and mail elastic to a woman in Alaska who was sewing masks for healthcare workers. The stories we know about represent hundreds, maybe even thousands that we don’t.
The problems we faced before the crisis were complex. The crisis made them even more so. As we come out the other side of this pandemic, we will be judged as a society by how we rose to the challenge. Did we go insular and circle our wagons; or did we open our communities and our hearts for the betterment of everyone within them?
The pandemic changed so much. It’s our hope that it also changed our sense of connectedness to our neighbors. Our honorable and dutiful obligation to one another. The purpose and power we have when we serve others.
Global Volunteer Month was intended to be a moment to pause and to celebrate service. More than that, it’s a moment to recognize and reinvest in it. A phrase we’ve heard so often over the last several weeks is:
We’re all in this together.
We’ve been in this together. Let’s be better in it together; for a better “this” and a better tomorrow.
To learn more about any of these initiatives or to learn more about Points of Light and Global Volunteer Month, please visit:
The stories we’ve heard about our Points of Light corporate partners and their response to the COVID-19 crisis continue to inspire and amaze us. One such partner is Starbucks. With a long track record of taking care of our environment, we’d intended to highlight
blog series. However, given the current situation, a more fitting way to recognize the company’s commitment to the planet is to talk about the things the company is doing as our world – together – confronts the coronavirus pandemic.
As the crisis in the U.S. continues to unfold, Starbucks is serving communities in ways that demonstrate the very best of its company and its people.
They are caring for each other. Starbucks partners (employees) are the foundation of Starbucks fundamental Mission to inspire and nurture the human spirit. They have led through this crisis by caring for each other, including providing emergency benefits such as catastrophe pay for those who are not working, introducing Starbucks Service Pay for those who are, providing mental health benefits and offering backup childcare through Care@Work.
Credit: Starbucks
They are nurturing first-responders and nurturing spirits. Daily, first-responders and other front-line personnel can receive a free hot or iced coffee in Starbucks stores through May 31. It’s a small gesture on a grand scale; and it’s kindness and warmth when we need it most. Over 1M cups have already been given to those serving our communities! The Starbucks Foundation has also provided a grant toOperation Gratitude to deliver 50,000 care packages and handwritten letters to first responders and health care workers. You can join in to write letters at https://www.operationgratitude.com/starbucks/. On its Good Things are Happening blog, the company has chronicled ways its partners (employees) are doing incredible things to spark joy and help others. In Cleveland, Ohio partners threw a “prom” for a colleague whose prom was cancelled. In Barboursville, West Virginia a Starbucks partner took in a regular customer’s dog when her owner got sick. In Beverly, Massachusetts, partners converted empty café space into a mask-sewing station. And there are countless stories like this from across the company.
They are supporting their neighborhoods. For example, in Philadelphia, The Starbucks Foundation is doing some important work to help slow the spread of COVID-19. We all know that handwashing is the most effective way to prevent becoming sick. But for homeless men and women, that’s not as easy as walking down the hall to the washroom. So, together with Broad Street Ministries, the foundation has set-up 12 handwashing stations throughout the city. The stations are stocked with 40 gallons of water, soap and paper towels and are operated with a foot pump. They’re refilled once or twice per week. It’s estimated that the stations are being used by more than 2,000 people every day and are having an impact on slowing the spread of the virus in the city. In addition, The Starbucks Foundation has donated $500,000 to support U.S. front-line responders with equal donations to Direct Relief to support the delivery of personal protective equipment and essential medical items
They are mobilizing resources and supplies. In total, The Starbucks Foundation has donated more than $5.5 million dollars to nonprofit partners who are providing critical aid to vulnerable communities and supporting front-line responders. These funds address everything from the initial and immediate response to the crisis, to hunger relief efforts – including a partnership with Feeding America to support local foodbanks. Since closing its cafes in mid-March, Starbucks donated more than 700,000 meals, 62,000 gallons of milk, and 1 million cans of Teavana Craft Iced Teas throughout the U.S. and Canada. And counting.
Credit: Starbucks
They are living out its social impact priorities. Even amid the pandemic, Starbucks continues important work to support veterans, access to higher education, equity and inclusion, and the environment. Like Points of Light and so many other organizations, Starbucks recognizes that while our collective attention is on the current crisis, needs in other areas continue. Just this week, in celebration of Earth Day, the company reiterated its commitment to sustainable coffee by highlighting the men and women who produce it.
During the crisis and our planet’s continued response to it, Cameron Melcher, a Starbucks partner since 2008 and a manager for the last two years, put things into perfect perspective. He runs a high-volume, 24-hour store in Manassas, Virginia that often caters to customers working overnight or in critical roles – people like doctors, policemen, firemen or delivery drivers. He said
“With all the quarantines and social distancing, humanity is feeling some serious disconnect right now. I think it’s important that we can be there for our community and maybe even look at our role a little differently – as essential personnel – because of what we are doing and who we are serving.”
He’s right. What Cameron and his co-workers are doing isn’t “service” or volunteering in the way we typically think about them – his story and each of these stories are absolutely about serving communities and one another.
And we think that’s pretty awesome.
To learn more about Global Volunteer Month, and to find information on how you can make a difference and be a #LocalLight in your community, please visit:
on record to strike the Bahamas, 2019 was a year of devastating natural disasters.
Scientists say that natural disasters are becoming more frequent and intense because of climate change. With increasing global surface temperatures, more water vapor is evaporated into the atmosphere, which becomes fuel for more powerful storms to develop,
. Hotter air and warmer ocean temperatures can lead to stronger winds in tropical storms.
Volunteers make Mabuhay Balls, which preserve the vitality of fish and rehabilitate polluted water when thrown into lakes, streams and other bodies of water.
The Philippines got to experience the effects of climate change first hand when a tropical depression triggered deadly landslides and floods last January. More than 100 lives were lost,
Knowing that if the world continues on this trajectory, there won’t be a habitable world for future generations, Points of Light’s Global Network affiliate
, to make volunteering easily accessible for different corporate companies and organizations around the Philippines.
“In our country and other parts of the world, there are many things that the government is unable to do,” said Gianna Montinola, co-founder and president of Hands On Manila. “There’s just too much that has to be done, so we mobilize the private sector to try to fill in the gaps and do service projects in different areas.”
With the theme of “Hands on, Hearts out for the Environment,” last year’s SERVATHON brought together 1,018 volunteers on September 28 to produce $2.4 million worth of goods and services.
(ASI), Hands On Manila was able to ensure that the three volunteer projects were innovative and help create a sustainable environment.
In one corner, volunteers worked on putting together soil booster mixes that would be used for the enrichment soil and for composting. Volunteers filled over 2,000 bottles with the soil booster mix that would later be distributed to gardeners and farmers of ASI.
In another section, volunteers created educational kits that included interactive books and other teaching materials focused on the environment. The materials were placed inside a canvas string bag that was painted by the volunteers. In the end, 210 of these kits were made to be distributed by WWF to teachers and students at local schools.
A group of corporate volunteers make environmental information kits to be distributed to teachers and students at local schools.
Lastly, volunteers also worked on making Mabuhay Balls. Derived from Japan’s Bokashi Ball technology, these balls of mud are packed with effective microorganisms. When thrown into polluted lakes, rivers or streams, Mabuhay Balls help rehabilitate the water by preserving the vitality of fish, promoting the breakdown of organic and inorganic compounds, and preventing any foul odors. The volunteers produced 13,260 of these balls.
As people reflect on what they can do to help the environment this Global Volunteer Month, it’s easy to become discouraged that one’s actions won’t make a lasting difference. But from simple acts like recycling to bigger volunteer projects like SERVATHON, these efforts add up and will spark even more positive acts to save the environment.
“If we continue to do what we’re doing and are not conscious of the shape the environment is in at the moment, we only have ourselves to blame,” Montinola said. “It’s our responsibility to leave the Earth in a better place for our children and our grandchildren.”
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.
Through Kindness Walks, Community and Trust is Built for Hong Kong’s Homeless Population
Colette Aw is no ordinary assistant teacher. After hearing about the weekly Kindness Walks that ImpactHK hosts, Colette experienced her first walk, and was committed to fulfilling the needs of her community. She has become a monumental volunteer in building trust and friendship with those in need, and continues to create opportunities of change each week for more than 500 homeless individuals.
Kindness Walks provide support for people experiencing homelessness throughout Hong Kong, and are a large part of
mission of addressing the issues that homeless populations face across the country. Colette reflects the organization’s belief that kindness is always important, and that one act of kindness has the power to grow far beyond one could imagine. With a partnership alongside
, a Points of Light Global Network affiliate that empowers Hong Kong residents to serve and mobilize together, Colette has access to numerous willing volunteers who are ready to meet the needs of their neighborhoods.
Colette often leads the Tai Kok Tsui and Fortress Hill
by mobilizing groups of volunteers to spread kindness and generosity as they distribute daily necessities – including food, water, toiletries, clothing and free laundry supplies – to homeless individuals and those in need. To date, Colette has played a role in serving more than 2200 meals, housing 62 homeless individuals and helping 42 people experiencing homelessness find employment. It’s one of her favorite ways to make a difference, and these walks allow her and other volunteers to show people how much they care.
According to Colette, there are others in need who also deserve assistance from Kindness Walks, like street cleaners, the elderly and the poor. She also believes that volunteers aren’t a part of Kindness Walks to force conversation and interventions, but are a resource to counter loneliness, fear and isolation. If an individual in need is open to receiving help, volunteers can then direct them to the resources that ImpactHK has prepared to assist them in leaving the streets.
“One of my favorite things about the Kindness Walks is that you get to physically be there and reach out to the less fortunate. It’s very hands on, and I always feel connected to the individuals that we serve,” said Colette.
“It’s important to remind each other to help the less fortunate,” she continues. “Yet, it’s hard to convince someone that they should be doing volunteer work. It needs to come from the heart.”
Colette Aw (right) prepares food and supplies to be handed out during a weekly Kindness Walk with ImpactHK.
Colette has personally experienced seeing volunteers improve the lives of communities across Hong Kong. She has seen previous individuals experiencing homelessness eventually join committees that help organize Kindness Walks, and knows many parents who bring their children along during weekend walks. To Colette, this helps the younger generations understand the value of helping others and understand the needs of people experiencing homelessness. She also values the leadership of ImpactHK, where the founder continues to organize speeches at schools around Hong Kong to remind teens and teachers the importance of helping others.
One meaningful moment that Colette has experienced as a Kindness Walk volunteer was during the protests in Hong Kong in the summer of 2019. Volunteers continued weekly Kindness Walks, but to Colette’s surprise, the homeless population began to worry about the volunteers’ safety more than themselves. One of the homeless individuals even offered his umbrella to Colette while it started raining heavily on a walk.
According to Colette, volunteers are just ordinary and local people who keep the greater good in their hearts and minds. “To me, its people from all over the world celebrating and raising awareness at the same time of the importance of helping each other through volunteering,” Colette said. When volunteers from around the world share a passion for empowering their community, there is always a reason to celebrate.
Colette wants others to feel encouraged to seek out ways to make a difference. To her, “everyone is busy with their lives, but we all have a daily invitation to show gratitude and care for others.”
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.
Fidelity: Building Bigger Tables, Better Communities
It’s been said that “when you have more than you need, build a bigger table, not a higher fence.” Indeed. Points of Light corporate partners consistently and admirably demonstrate that thinking – all the time.
This
we’re pleased to recognize a few that have gone above and beyond, especially in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic. One partner that comes to mind is financial services firm
.
The pandemic is a health crisis. What follows is an economic one. This is where Fidelity’s contributions to communities stand to make a critical difference. The company is mobilizing in two important ways.
First, it is encouraging its people and its partner businesses to contribute their time, talent and dollars to those most impacted by the crisis. Over the years, the company has made massive contributions toward improving financial literacy – engaging its team members to help students and young adults learn about their finances and about how to build stable futures. The same model is in place around its response to the pandemic: organizing teams of skills-based volunteers to help communities.
This ranges from helping to ensure nonprofits can survive the crisis operationally, to ensuring the programs in place prior to it, can continue.
Second, Fidelity is supporting community and employee giving through Fidelity Charitable, and its Donor-Advised Funds, that focus on
(triage, stabilization, rebuilding and risk management) and that for the next several months, much of the world will be in the “triage” phase, Fidelity has also put a sharp focus on the immediate needs of communities through various established channels and relationships.
For example, Fidelity partnered with collaborative online learning provider
partners to ensure students at its “adopted schools,” youth organizations and other financial literacy partners to ensure students have meals while they are unable to access them at school. Fidelity also donated 120 reclaimed iPads to K-12 students in two school districts in Rhode Island so they could participate in their schools’ distance learning programs. When schools re-open, both districts plan to use the iPads school-wide to support technology proficiency goals.
Incredible.
In addition to being Global Volunteer Month, April is also
– an entire month focused on bringing attention to an issue very important to Fidelity. Though the company cannot host its planned in-person teacher trainings, it is now working with the North Carolina Council on Economic Education (NCCEE) to host a virtual financial literacy teacher training for North Carolina educators – ensuring that the pandemic doesn’t pause this important initiative for teachers and students alike.
Fidelity is living the “building a bigger table” philosophy by, first, giving back as company and, second, by encouraging their employees to get involved too – around COVID-19 and as part of its overall approach to service. This Global Volunteer Month, this is
exactly
the type of corporate citizenship we’re celebrating – and we’re working to see more of it in communities around the world!
To learn more about any of these initiatives or to learn more about Points of Light and Global Volunteer Month, please visit:
HandsOn London Fights Against Poverty and Inequality by Warming Hearts of Those in Need One Coat at a Time
During the holiday season in London, carols and twinkling lights will light up the streets, bringing a sense of cheer to both the locals and tourists. They say Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but for those who are homeless or struggling to make ends meet, the holidays can just amplify their hardships.
Knowing how harsh the winters in London can be, Points of Light Global Network affiliate
campaign. The program started off small, with 2,700 coats being collected by about a dozen volunteers.
But now, about 1,400 volunteers lead the effort to collect about 30,000 coats each year. The coats are then donated to over 100 charities that help refugees, victims of domestic violence, those who are at risk of poverty, and especially, those who are homeless, according to CEO of HandsOn London Jon Meech.
Volunteers with Wrap Up London collect coats at a subway station./ Courtesy HandsOn London
“Clothing doesn’t last very long when you’re on the street,” Meech said. “It gets worn; it gets damaged really quickly. So over the course of one winter, a homeless person may need more than one coat. What we hope to do is ensure that the homeless charities have enough coats to hand out and have enough in stock to give somebody a replacement when they need it.”
The main coat collections are held at London’s six major subway stations for three days in the beginning of November. Before the morning rush hour hits, volunteers will set up donations sites to collect coats from the millions of commuters passing through the stations.
Collections are also held at offices, shops and churches around the city so a person wanting to donate their coat wouldn’t have to travel far.
While Meech expressed his gratitude to the thousands of Londoners who have donated their coats, he said that Wrap Up London wouldn’t be where it is today without the dedication of the volunteers who collect, sort and arrange distribution of the coats.
One volunteer even travels 400 miles to London to drive around in the city’s rush hour traffic to help pick up the bags of coats other volunteers have collected, according to Meech.
“I asked him, ‘Why are you doing this?’” Meech recalled. “And he said, ‘I just love the atmosphere. It’s like you’re a part of something.’ And he lives on the other end of the country!”
A volunteer holds up a coat that has been donated at one of Wrap Up London’s coat drives./ Courtesy HandsOn London
After seeing the impact Wrap Up London was having on the city, HandsOn London decided to expand the campaign to other cities across the United Kingdom. Now, from Glasgow to Birmingham, a total of 24 towns and cities are joining in the fight against poverty and inequality by collecting warm coats for those in need.
In a world where no less than 150 million people are homeless,
, donating a single coat might not seem like a grand enough gesture to impact change.
But as people around the world reflect on what they can do help better society this Global Volunteer Month, Meech said the first thing people should remember is this:
“No act of kindness is too small. Every act of kindness is important.”
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.
After Overcoming a Difficult Past, Asylum Seeker Advocates for Human and Civil Rights for Refugees
Once Owodunni “Ola” Mustapha arrived in Ireland after seeking asylum from an abusive environment in Nigeria, she became a force of inspiration for her community. She is currently a resident of five years at the Direct Provision Centre in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, and is committed to building herself and her community up to ensure human and civil rights to all. Ola quickly became a leading volunteer at her local asylum seeker centre, and continues to help others rise in her community and throughout Ireland.
Direct provision centres make up a system of asylum seeker accommodations in Ireland that aim to meet basic needs, such as providing food and shelter to individuals as they wait for their claims of refugee status to be completed. The intent of the direct provision centres is to shelter asylum seekers for a period of six months, but according to Ola, some individuals stay for eight to nine years.
In the midst of uncertainty and vulnerability in these shelters, Ola chose to volunteer. Her commitment to empowering others to claim their basic human and civil rights is relentless; after several attempts to mobilize women with similar backgrounds and adversities in her shelter, Ola succeeded. She brings together groups of women who live in the Ballyhaunis centre to plan inclusion and integration projects within their centre and to build bridges between asylum seekers and the local community.
, which has grown to empower the lives of women beyond Ola’s personal centre. “People find relief in coming together as one group,” said Ola. “We face one struggle, the same situations, and we can discuss our issues as an empowered, solidified family-like unit.”
One of her goals is to give people the flexibility to live the lives that they want instead of living in the mindset of being a prisoner. According to Ola, you don’t have to live in the Ballyhaunis centre to volunteer. People from the community have opportunities to get involved, like coming to the shelter to give asylum seekers free English classes.
Ola Mustapha begins her day at the Ballyhaunis shelter by spending time with her children before meeting with her center community.
When asked how she found her voice and passion for inclusion, Ola reflects on the strength she found while overcoming domestic violence. When she arrived in Ireland, she uncovered a breath of fresh air that was inspired by the new life she wanted to create for herself and for her children. In fact, one of Ola’s first experiences with a volunteer involved her children. Ola’s two-year-old son has special needs, but she had never heard of autism prior to arriving in Ireland. She met a volunteer who helped her understand autism, and they changed her perception of volunteering. Ola realized that such interactions create a sense of belonging, appreciation and value.
In addition to spearheading volunteer efforts at the Ballyhaunis centre, Ola volunteers with
, an organization dedicated to promoting the positive effects of interculturalism in Irish Society. Here, she works towards creating a society where human rights and cultural differences are respected and valued. Ola is also a major link between asylum seekers at her shelter and valuable refugee policy information that Mayo Intercultural Action provides. She keeps individuals updated on the evolving policy that refugees must know once they arrive in Ireland.
Ola’s mission-oriented heart has not gone unnoticed. A fellow volunteer at Mayo Intercultural Action introduced her to
affiliate helping individuals contribute to building resilient communities, where she was nominated for multiple awards that honored her dedication to social inclusion. Due to her prominent voice in her community, Ola was named the
, an award that celebrates her resilience and tremendous compassion.
One of Ola’s favorite experiences as a volunteer has been the simple, yet immensely significant, role of spreading the news. “So many women and individuals don’t know what the system is about. It’s easy to assume that initially being housed and funded will last, but there’s so much more that we need to know,” Ola said. She continues to advocate that seeking asylum is a foundational human right, and that asylum seekers are not responsible for the institutional systems that may not operate efficiently.
She believes that it’s important for people around the world to give back because if knowledge and skills are kept hidden, there is a missed opportunity to pass valuable wisdom to other people in need. Ola acknowledges that there are many stereotypes and prejudices around people going through the asylum seeker process, but she knows that life should not be lived in such a way.
“Do not follow the stereotypes people create for you just because you are a person of color or a migrant,” said Ola. “Do not kill your passion just because someone told you that this job is the only thing you can do after arriving in the country.” Because of advocates like Ola, perceptions of refugees are slowly improving across her community.
When asked what she has learned as a volunteer, Ola reflects on her personal journey at becoming self-sufficient. People cannot always stand alone and sit behind closed doors, Ola highlights. Becoming stagnant is never a solution to creating a positive change.
Ola’s future is nothing but radiant. “Do not give up on yourself,” said Ola. “Be an example, and constantly rediscover your capabilities as a difference maker.”
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.
Fulfilling a Childhood Dream, Volunteer Uses His Life Savings to Transform a Community
There are few people in the world who would willingly use their entire savings to help those in need, but Arup Kumar did so eagerly. In 2011, the Purulia, West Bengal, India native used all of his financial resources to create Puncha Nabadisha Model School for children of the Sabari tribe. Over the course of a few years, the school has grown tremendously, providing educational resources to more than 120 tribal children. What started off as a group of 20 has transformed into a source of hope and opportunity for an entire community.
Arup not only created the Puncha Nabadisha Model School for fostering education, but to also offer children clothes, toiletries, decent meals and contribute to a reduction in crime rates in his neighborhood. Through his generous investment, Arup gives children a chance at a life full of stability, hope and encouragement.
When Arup was a child, his grandfather told him that the Sabar tribe was blamed for local theft crimes. When he asked his grandfather why this was a reality, Arup was told that many people were poor, uneducated and unemployed.
“I told my grandfather that we would make a school for them and work for the livelihood of their generations to come,” said Arup. When he started his first job, he immediately began saving his money. After ten years of work, and the generosity of friends and family, he had enough to apply for a loan.
Finally, Arup’s childhood dream and promise to his grandfather came true, and he purchased a school building. He eagerly began to enroll the children of parents who were i
Arup Kumar spends his day at the Puncha Nabadisha Model School, a community-oriented educational resource he created for children in 2011.
nvolved in theft and crime in their community. “The Sabar tribes now call me ‘Police baba’ and ‘Sabar’s father,’” Arup said. “The Sabar tribes of the Purulia districts love me, and I want to help them in any possible way I can.”
According to Arup, all communities deserve quality education. Additionally, he believes that people should have food and shelter, but “education makes us better humans and helps the livelihoods of generations to come.” Education has the power to encourage others to do more for society. He wants to inspire everyone to stand with the motive needed to make positive changes and show the world that anyone can do what they set their mind to, even if you originally believe you are alone.
Arup never imagined winning awards for his service, but he has received more than 60 awards and honors from various organizations, including Points of Light Global Network affiliate
, which recognizes individuals who celebrate, reward and promote volunteering across India. Arup continues to embody the excellence in individuals that are transforming the lives of communities across his nation.
Arup wants others to learn that instead of solely focusing on wanting your children to become doctors or engineers, families can teach them to be humans first. He believes that if we teach our youth to be genuine human beings with emotions and motivation to help others, more tribes similar to Sabar will find support.
“Helping others is beyond an experience,” said Arup. “I want to do this as long as I’m alive.”
In light of COVID-19, nonprofits, companies and individuals are adapting the ways in which they serve their communities. Visit
