Verneda White

Verneda White is a young fashion designer that uses her talents to create awareness and raise much needed funding for charitable causes. Living in New York, this young lady started her brand, Human Intonation, because of life changing experiences. In 2006, after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, White was a student studying fashion design. Her volunteer experience with HandsOn New Orleans that year inspired her to design custom t-shirts entitled “KATRINA IS STILL HERE.” Proceeds from the t-shirts sales went to HandsOn New Orleans. Six years later, White and her team continue to support HandsOn New Orleans through their t-shirt sales, and they have adopted three more charities that benefit HIV/ AIDS, Darfur Peace & Development Org and Yele Haiti.

As a result of her service, White has raised thousands of dollars for these causes. Her efforts have been recognized in magazines and on runways. The Levi's Corporation recognized her as one of 16 inspirational women. Visit her website to learn more: www.humanintonation.com

Fern Johns

Fern Johns is a hospital and hospice volunteer for the Grand Lake Health Systems in St. Marys, Ohio. At 82-years-old, she is a retired first grade teacher who keeps herself young by helping others.

Johns helps in the office so that staff can tend to the needs and wishes of families and patients that are going through the hospice program. Her help allows nurses to spend more time with patients rather than waste time with everyday tasks like paperwork. She also volunteers with the community outreach program by helping with health fairs and other actitivies.

Johns is a favorite in the community and adored for her positivity and devotion to others. When most would be relaxing and enjoying their retirement, she is dedicating her time and energy to improving the lives of others.

Johnna Switzer

Kelli and Micah Fagala

Kelli and Micah Fagala are devoted to combating homelessness and hunger. Kelli has raised more than $25,000 for a new facility for homeless families in Union County, N.C. through talent shows, dinners, raffles and love offerings. She also secured a grant through Leon Levine Foundation. Her efforts have already helped her get 20 percent towards her goal of $125,000

Micah started a food pantry at Benton Heights Presbyterian Church and is feeding more than 45 families every month and has impacted more than 175 families since the food pantry began in September.

Together they have raised awareness through newspaper articles, television appearances and events. They feel a special call to help others and will not stop until enough has been raised to build homes for their homeless neighbors.

Micha started a food pantry at Benton Heights Presbyterian Church which feeds more than 45 families each month. She’s impacted the lives of more than 175 families since the food pantry began. The sisters raise awareness for their caueses through local press, TV appearances and events. Their selfless devotion to their community makes them both Daily Points of Light.

Keith Lee

Keith Lee has lived in three of the biggest cities in the United States: Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. Each city is uniquely diverse in resources, citizens and geography, but he found that the hearts of the American people are similar and filled with compassion to serve one another. Lee had the importance of service instilled in him at an early age by his mother and local community. The community surrounded his single mother with compassion and support.

Years later while still in high school, Lee remembers riding a bus filled with eager community members to the state capital to join a protest and lobby for change in the school system addressing achievement gaps, resource allocation and more. After 600 miles, long days, and a lot frustration, nothing happened. He understood that change was gradual, but something had to be done.

At 16-years-old he began to tutor at an after school program to elementary and middle school students in the areas of math, science and reading. He became a peer mentor to a youth at a community center, visited soup kitchens and volunteered as a videographer filming community events. In 2008, he extended his volunteer commitment to make a personal pledge to volunteer 72 hours a month. Three years later, his pledge became a lifestyle as he served as an Americorps member at West Suburban PADS in Maywood, Ill. Lee is a big believer in by sharing talents and time unselfishly the community becomes strong and is able to function better.

Tracy Thomas

Natasha Colkmire

On April 27, 2011 the small town of Ringgold, Ga. was torn apart by an F-4 tornado. Natasha Colkmire and her family came face to face with the large storm and braced themselves for impact beneath the crawl space of their house, praying for their own safety and the safety of their neighbors.

When the storm finally passed and Colkmire’s family assessed the damage they saw in their community it was like nothing they had ever seen before. Even though their house was still intact, their community was mangled as if it was just a piece of paper that had been balled up and thrown away. The next few days, weeks and months were completely devoted to restoring their community. They helped cut down trees, remove debris, provide warm meals and pray for the emotional and physical healings of their neighbors and friends. Colkmire believes you can always find something good out of the bad and that’s what her community did following the devestating tornados.

Karen Groves

Zachary Watson

Peggy Flynn

Peggy Flynn feels fortunate to have grown up in a family where both her parents valued the importance of volunteering in the community. She was one of seven children, and now looking back as a mother herself, realizes how much time and energy her parents devoted to providing for their family.

Reading was another big part of Flynn’s life and she happily studied journalism at George Washington University where she was surrounded by voracious readers interested in all aspects of life. Not being able to read was something that never even crossed her mind. A few years after college, Flynn started working as a volunteer literacy tutor for local Vietnamese and Cambodian communities. It was an eye opening experience as she realized how difficult it was for adults to learn a new language and the difficulties associated with relying on children as inerpreters and the isolation of a new culture. She also saw how much her students value education – they treated her with so much respect and were so grateful for her willingness to teach them.

Volunteering, specifically working with literacy, is a big part of Flynn’s life. For more than thirty years she has been devoted to helping others gain important language skills. She knows that once you can read, the world opens up to you in so many ways.