When Riley Gantt of Sherman Oaks, Cal., was 10 years old, she and her classmates visited a school with high numbers of students from low-income families as part of a book drive and reading program. Gantt was shocked to hear kindergarten students at the school tell her they couldn’t do their homework because they didn’t have crayons or pencils at home.
“Art is a big part of my life, and I couldn’t believe that these kids didn’t have crayons at home,” says Gantt. “I wanted to make a difference.”
Gantt discussed the issue with teachers and learned that the problem is widespread and that a serious achievement gaps exists between students who have homework supplies and those who don’t. Children with homework supplies have more success in school and a lower drop-out rate, and are more likely to progress to higher education.
In 2010, Gantt founded Rainbow Pack with help from her parents, teachers, and five classmates. Through Rainbow Pack, Gantt and student volunteers raise money to purchase homework supplies, which they deliver in brightly colored backpacks to students in need. From its very first donation drive, Rainbow Pack was able to purchase and distribute 360 new backpacks filled with supplies. In the four years since, Rainbow Pack has provided 5,560 full packs to students from grades early-K to 5.
The group has a website where supporters can volunteer, donate, or purchase Rainbow Pack merchandise, and more than 200 people follow the group at Facebook. Gantt, now 14 and in her first year of high school, devotes more than 100 volunteer hours per year to Rainbow Pack, and does everything from writing grants to supervising backpack distribution at an annual fair. Ten kids volunteer for Rainbow Pack throughout the year—with many more joining in at the start of the school year, when packs are distributed.
By working closely with officials from the Los Angeles Unified School District, Gantt was able to target four schools in a high-poverty area for Rainbow Pack distribution. Many students in this area are homeless, and many are first-generation US residents whose parents are struggling to navigate through a large public school system. Gantt and her fellow volunteers have won praise for their efforts from the L.A. City Council and the county Board of Supervisors. Rainbow Pack now receives donations and support from the L.A. Police Department, Fire Department, and Public Library, as well as from area businesses such as Target. In 2013, Gantt won a Build-A-Bear Huggable Heroes award for her work with Rainbow Pack.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Gantt says about working with the group. “It’s so rewarding to know you’re making a tangible difference in people’s lives.”
Gantt says her favorite experience as a volunteer took place when, during a Rainbow Pack distribution, she met a woman who was enrolling her five grandchildren in school, but who had been able to afford only one backpack.
“When she learned that all her kids were going to get backpacks, she broke down in tears,” says Gantt. “That was one of the best moments for me. But it’s always great when the kids open their packs and see the supplies. It’s like Christmas. It’s amazing.”
When Americans learned of the school shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in December 2012, one of the first and most gripping accounts came from first-grade teacher Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis, who told her story to Diane Sawyer of ABC News.
Roig-DeBellis, whose classroom was next door to the shooting, huddled together for safety with 15 students in a bathroom measuring 4 feet by 3 feet. She explained to her students that they had to “wait for the good guys,” and fearing the worst, added that she loved them.
In the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, Roig-DeBellis sought a way to teach children kindness, empathy and a genuine concern for the well-being of others. In 2013, she launched a website and organization, Classes 4 Classes, that encourages K-5 students to undertake kindness projects that meet specific needs of students in other classrooms.
A sponsoring class and teacher select a receiving class from anywhere in the nation and identify a gift that will benefit that class. Gifts, typically ranging in cost from $250 to $2,000, might be school supplies, technology, books or a field trip.
“Starting the nonprofit was initially my way of healing; it was my way to find purpose once again,” says Roig-DeBellis. “After enduring this tragedy, there was a lot of time spent searching for answers – of which there were none – seeking a new normal, and trying my best to heal. Classes 4 Classes was my way to come out on the other side, a way to acknowledge that this happened, but not to let it define my or my students’ futures.”
Each kindness project is posted online at Classes 4 Classes, where donors can pledge support. Once a financial goal is reached, the gift is delivered to the receiving class – on the condition that the receiving class will “pay it 4ward” by starting its own Classes 4 Classes project for another classroom.
Now in its second year, Classes 4 Classes has grown rapidly. The website is now fully interactive, enabling donors to browse and pledge money for any kindness project they choose, and more than 2,500 people follow news of the group at Facebook. The organization has achieved national recognition and drawn high praise from, among others, the president of the National Parent Teacher Association.
Roig-DeBellis, who has taken a leave of absence from teaching in order to devote herself full time to Classes 4 Classes, has been featured in People Magazine and was a commencement speaker for the University of Connecticut education department. She is also writing a book, “Choosing Hope: Moving Forward from Your Life’s Darkest Hour,” which is scheduled for release in 2015.
Roig-DeBellis says her ultimate goal is to spread Classes 4 Classes kindness projects to every classroom in the nation.
“It is at the core of everything I believe; it is so important to me that I spread this mission far and wide,” she says. “At a much more personal level, I choose now to live every day of my life in honor of the 26 angels who lost their lives because I am acutely aware that it could have been my own life. And I would want someone to have done the same for me.”
When first responders spring into action following a disaster, there is a volunteer organization that works at the scene to serve up quality meals for victims and rescuers alike. While first responders are busily using their tools of the trade to saw through fallen tree limbs in the wake of a tornado or dig out from a flood, volunteers from Mercy Chefs work dutifully nearby with spatulas in hand, scrambling eggs and flipping pancakes to fuel the response effort.
The idea for Mercy Chefs was born while R. Gary LeBlanc, an exec who made a career in the hospitality industry, was leading a team of responders in his home state of Louisiana in the days after Hurricane Katrina. He saw the need for an efficient, mobile, sanitary, professional setup to provide food onsite.
Mercy Chefs is a non-profit ministry that trains food service volunteers, recruits chefs and provides equipment. The faith-based organization sends "mobile kitchens" to disaster areas and has established a network of highly skilled volunteer chefs in Virginia, Wisconsin, Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Arizona.
According to Gary, "There is something about a shared meal that brings people together. When we hand someone who has lost everything a hot meal, it blesses us. To see them take a moment of pause … mentally, emotionally and physically … and eat a delicious meal in the midst of devastation, we feel that we’ve made a difference that day."
Since 2007, when Mercy Chefs put its first mobile kitchen on the road, the group has been on the scene at disasters ranging from tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma to flooding in New York after Superstorm Sandy, serving a total of 1,000,000 meals.
Who's working behind the scenes to make your community stronger? Tell us about the difference-makers you know so we can help shine the spotlight on their exceptional work. Submit a nomination for the Daily Point of Light award now at https://www.pointsoflight.org/programs/recognition/dpol/nomination
Hanaeleh
Humorist and entertainer Will Rogers once quipped, “You know horses are smarter than people. You never heard of a horse going broke betting on people.” Indeed, it is sometimes the choices their owners make that put these majestic creatures in jeopardy of having their lives ended too soon. One volunteer organization in southern California is working to rescue horses whose owners have neglected them or chosen to have them sent to slaughterhouses.
Hanaeleh – pronounced “Hah-nah-lee” and named after the fictional land in the renowned folk song “Puff the Magic Dragon” – is a grassroots organization run by volunteers that takes in horses who are abused, abandoned or in danger of being put down. The organization helps find new homes for horses when their owners are unable to do it themselves, due to circumstances ranging from divorce and bankruptcy to the death of an owner.
In its 10-year history, Hanaeleh has rescued and rehabilitated more than 50 horses, and has helped match more than 100 horses with new homes via courtesy postings. The organization offers a clinic every month at its Trabuco Canyon ranch so the community can learn to work with horses. Hanaeleh's leadership also does advocacy work to push for more stringent legislation that protects against equine cruelty.
Hanaeleh started with one horse, housed in a public stable. The cause has now grown to host 12 horses, three chickens, three sheep and four feral cats on-site on a private, two-acre ranch, maintained by a steady volunteer base of more than 20 individuals who perform duties ranging from data entry to grooming horses. The organization receives support from area tack and feed shops, equestrian teams, ranch suppliers and others united in their passion for horses.
Susan Garcia Treischmann
A longtime volunteer and food services entrepreneur, Susan Garcia Treischmann merged her passion for food and service by starting Curt's Cafe (Curt is shorthand for Cultivating Unique Restaurant Training), a non-profit restaurant in Evanston, Illinois that provides life skills and on-the-job training for at-risk youth. Susan was recognized as a L'Oreal Woman of Worth in 2013 for her innovative charitable work.
As an original member of Restorative Justice Evanston, a non-profit that helps criminal offenders and their victims make peace with each other and return to society, Susan learned the best way to prevent repeat offenses was to help offenders find employment.
Curt's Cafe is how Susan carries out the vision to break the cycle of crimes committed by youths ages 15-24, giving them work experience so they can succeed. The work these youths do at Curt's Cafe gives them the opportunity to redefine themselves and participate in their community through mentorship and ongoing support.
Snake River Community Clinic
When uninsured and low-income families in Idaho’s Lewis-Clark Valley need basic medical attention, they have a place where they can get help. The Snake River Community Clinic (SRCC), run completely by volunteers, provides access to health care, mental health care, and dental care for uninsured and under-insured families. The non-profit clinic exists in region of the Pacific Northwest that faces a continual shortage of providers and has a high rate of low income persons.
Staffed by volunteer doctors, nurses, pharmacy techs, dental care providers, social workers and other medical professionals, SRCC has provided free medical and dental services to more than 8,500 patients in the clinic’s 15-year history. The clinic has created partnerships within the community that have yielded sustained support in the form of volunteers, donations, grants and sponsors. Open only on two nights each week, the clinic has managed a total of 33,500 patient visits while eliminating the need for more than 9,500 emergency room visits through preventative care.
All told, the many volunteer professionals at SRCC have collectively put in nearly 230,000 volunteer hours to care for low-income and uninsured people. And according to SRCC, most of their volunteers have been helping at the clinic for more than ten years.
The important work being done at the Snake River Community Clinic helps ensure healthy outcomes for families in need, strengthening the community and embodying what it means to be a Daily Point of Light.
The need for exceptional community leaders has never been greater! Expand your knowledge and gain hands-on experience with a certificate in Community-Engaged Leadership. To learn more, visit http://www.k-state.edu/leadership/academics/pointsoflight/Index.html
Mark Burke
While offering tips to improve a military veteran’s golf swing, golf pro Mark Burke suggested the older student shift his weight to the left.
“All of sudden, he smacks himself in his own leg with the club,” Burke recalls. “I could hear that it was wood. I hadn’t known that he had a prosthetic leg.”
The two chuckled and carried on with the lesson.
“I often really don’t know what someone’s facing, and it’s usually better not to pursue,” explains Burke, who has run the Golf for Injured Veterans Everywhere (GIVE) program from his patriotically themed, nine-hole Warrior Run course in Norwalk, Iowa, for a little over a year. “So we basically cover it all by telling participants that if we try to get you to do something uncomfortable, just tell us.”
The GIVE program started about eight years ago in Iowa City, about two hours away from Burke, who began volunteering as an instructor there on Saturdays. His involvement grew as the popularity of the program – free to veterans who want to learn the game – soared. Three years ago he got involved full time; he’s now director of the state’s second program and helping to get another launched in northwest Iowa.
As Burke is awarded today with the Daily Point of Light Award, so is a pair of golfers from Surrey, England. Tristan Crew and Zeno Gomes (UK awardees 118 and 119) provide equipment, coaching and opportunities for military heroes recovering from life-changing injuries.
The Daily Point of Light Award, created by President George H. W. Bush in the United States in 1989, celebrates the power of individuals to spark change and improve the world. Prime Minister David Cameron started the daily award in the UK earlier this year to recognize outstanding individuals who are voluntarily making change in their communities and inspiring others.
In Iowa, about 500 veterans – with injuries ranging from amputations to post-traumatic stress disorder to blindness – have taken advantage of the GIVE program, and the benefits go far beyond learning the game.
“Well, there’s just nothing like it for vets,” says Burke, 59, who served four years with the Navy Seabees himself before a career in the construction industry and taking up golf at age 30. “They’re smiling, they’re finding reasons to get up and get moving and doing things with other people.”
“I’m truly grateful for what they’ve done for us – for being selfless enough to put their lives on the line for our country,” says Burke. “I want to let them know that we thank them – especially the older vets, who maybe were not thanked enough.”
Jerry Alton feels that sense of appreciation.
Even after losing most use of his left arm when caught in a grenade explosion in Vietnam, he stayed active, walking a daily mail route for the U.S. Postal Service. But pulmonary problems, and eventually diabetes, took a toll. Alton’s weight soared to more than 400 pounds, and he had to retire early. In 2011 he enrolled in a fitness program, which helped him lose weight. This spring he decided to try the GIVE program.
“I feel so much better,” says Alton, 66. “Mark just made it all so comfortable. He’s a really caring, exceptional guy. The program has been a real godsend.”
Jeff Skowers, a recreation therapy assistant for the VA Central Iowa Health Care System, went through the program last year to see whether it would work for the vets he helps treat.
“It does a lot to lift the spirits of veterans,” says Skowers, noting that participants receive free set of donated golf clubs they get to keep – and can golf for free at Burke’s course for life. “It’s what they look forward to every week now.”
Iowa National Guard Capt. Katherine Barton, who served in Iraq, went through the GIVE program after seeing the benefits it had for her younger brother, Staff Sgt. Aaron Amos, who injured his back in Afghanistan.
“I didn’t have any physical injuries,” says Barton, 32, “but I think everyone comes back from tours different, mentally and physically.”
Barton says she was impressed with Burke from the first day of her six-week program. “You know, there’s a saying in the military that `veterans take care of veterans,’ and Mark is doing that – giving back in the most grand way possible,” she says.
Burke, who grew up on a farm, the oldest of 11 children, says his volunteer spirit came from his parents: “My mom and dad were generous beyond their means. If any family in town needed help with anything – baling hay, harvesting – Dad would be there, and making a plan for all of us to help.”
Now Burke is making a plan for GIVE.
“The long-term goal is to make this happen all across the country,” he says. “This is a good start.”
Laura Graham & Riley Glasson
Having a bedroom with a closet full of clothes is something most teens could easily take for granted. But in northern California, a population of youths have no homes or bedrooms, let alone closets, yet they attend school just like their peers. Laura Graham of Oakland, California made it her mission to provide homeless teens with gently used clothes, helping disadvantaged youth raise their esteem and fit in at the schools they attend.
Laura founded 1Closet in 2011 with support from her mother, Sue, organizing clothing drives through a partnership she created with local public and private high schools, collecting gently used teen clothing for youth living in the Alameda County and Contra Costa County Region. The collected apparel is then made available through boys and girls clubs, youth shelters, foster children organizations and county programs focused on helping teens. Laura and her team at 1Closet have collected more than 30,000 garments to outfit more than 8,000 teens.
“Once I started collecting clothes and donating them I saw how my small efforts significantly impacted others,” Laura explains. “It just felt right to continue giving and doing all I could to make the community a better place.”
Laura set the foundation for her cause. And when it was time to head to college, she developed a plan to sustain the efforts of 1Closet, seeking out a capable successor to carry the torch.
When she learned that 1Closet was searching for a new director, Riley Glasson jumped at the opportunity to continue the work of the Grahams. Since taking over as director in September 2014, Riley has created a permanent donation site, forged an ongoing partnership with a teen consignment store in addition to holding a clothing drive at a local college – as a result, individual donations have increased, creating room to support additional teen focused organizations.
According to Riley, “The most rewarding part of my experience doing volunteer work has been knowing that teens who struggled with confidence because of their lack of clothing can now feel more self-assured than they did before.”
Volunteer work has been an integral part of the lives of both of these teenage changemakers. Laura and Riley both urge others to find meaningful volunteer opportunities. “I would encourage everyone to find something they’re interested in or are curious about and get involved by doing anything, big or small to help with a cause,” Riley says.
Laura agrees, adding, “Volunteering is a very easy thing. To get involved you don’t have to start an organization or commit to anything. Just find something you feel passionate about or would be able to help with and look for people with the same interests.”
Who are the people in your community making a difference through exceptional volunteer work? Nominate someone today for the Daily Point of Light Award at https://www.pointsoflight.org/programs/recognition/dpol/nomination
Dominic Goggin
There may only 24 hours in the day in Greenville, Illinois, but Dominic Goggin’s schedule is filled with volunteer activities that address the needs of his community. Whether it be the Bond County Humane Society, Greenville Hospice, Meals on Wheels, or The Reading Link, Dominic finds time for all of these worthy causes. It’s incredible to think how one volunteer can give so much of their time … especially while maintaining a 4.0 GPA as a junior in college.
Dominic cares for as many as eight dogs at a time through his work with the Bond Humane Society. After delivering meals to twelve different individuals who cannot leave their homes, Dominic has formed lasting relationships by offering his friendship as well as a hearty meal. He also helps at the Reading Link, where he teaches any subject matter to adults wishing to further their education.
Dominic has also taken initiative at the Greenville Hospice by creating a marketing plan that has led to increases in patients and funding. Not only does he help with administering the hospice center’s website and general marketing strategies, he also gives patient care to multiple individuals each week.
Dominic juggles all of these activities while attending Greenville College, where he majors in chemistry, and hopes to one day become a neurosurgeon so he can help people through medicine. For now, his community is truly fortunate to have such a dedicated volunteer who makes every hour count.
Feeling inspired to make a difference in your community? Sharpen your skills with a certificate in Community-Engaged Leadership. To learn more, visit http://www.k-state.edu/leadership/academics/pointsoflight/Index.html
Lauren Book, center, participates in a walk her organization founded to raise awareness about child sexual abuse.
When Lauren Book was 11, her nanny started routinely sexually abusing her. The torment lasted six years.
Book was ashamed and embarrassed, but eventually she found the courage to tell a friend and a guidance counselor what was happening. With support from her father, Book was able to see her abuser successfully prosecuted.
Book also learned she was not alone. There are an estimated 42 million survivors of child sexual abuse in the U.S. By their 18th birthdays, one in three girls and one in five boys are victims of sexual abuse.
In 2009, armed with the knowledge that most childhood sexual abuse can be prevented through education and awareness, Book created Lauren’s Kids, a South Florida nonprofit devoted to advocating stronger sexual abuse laws and to developing curricula for school children aimed at stopping sexual abuse. The group also provides counseling to abuse victims in crisis.
“As an advocate for the prevention of sexual abuse, I face a lot of challenges,” says Book. “Some stem from the fact that sexual abuse – especially child sexual abuse – is a taboo subject and difficult to talk about. I myself had to get to a place in my own recovery where I could let go of the shame, blame and embarrassment, so that I could share my story with others.”
Lauren Book
Since its founding, Lauren’s Kids has won passage of more than two dozen laws to fight sexual abuse. And with assistance from a child psychologist, Book developed an anti-abuse curriculum for elementary school children that is taught throughout the Miami-Dade County school system.
Lauren’s Kids also holds an annual 1,500-mile walk across Florida – Walk in My Shoes. The walk brings together victims of abuse and supporters to raise awareness of the issue and promote stronger legislation. Walk in My Shoes is now in its sixth year, and tens of thousands of Floridians have participated.
Book has also authored a memoir, “It’s Okay to Tell,” to shed light on the sensitive topic of child abuse and empower people to address abuse in their own lives.
Book says her inspiration for devoting herself to public service is her father, Ronald Book, who was an active community volunteer when she was growing up. He now serves as president of Lauren’s Kids.
In her role as Lauren’s Kids CEO, Book works daily with advocates, teachers and volunteers to educate Floridians about abuse prevention and healing. She also meets with lawmakers, raises funds and talks to abuse survivors.
“As much as we like to think that protecting children is a simple commitment, addressing the issue is extremely difficult,” says Book. “We’ve changed this in Florida by raising the voices of survivors who were conditioned to be silent. … Change is happening and lives are being saved.”
Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis
Lauren Book, center, participates in a walk her organization founded to raise awareness about child sexual abuse.