Paul Langenfeld

Paul Langenfeld has always had a heart for service. His St. Paul, Minnesota-based nonprofit, The Langenfeld Foundation, provides opportunities for people with disabilities to fish and hunt, as well as participate in sporting activities. The organization also funds music camp scholarships.

“I give back because I have received so much – from others and from above,” Paul said. “My father was a World War II veteran, and my mother lived a life with epilepsy. Two of my brothers each did 20 years of military service, and my other two siblings have learning disabilities. Since day one, I have known that people with disabilities can have amazing lives, all they need is the opportunity.”

Paul is constantly out on the frontlines, speaking to people about The Langenfeld Foundation’s work and advocating for people with disabilities. Several times a week, he can be found fundraising or rolling up his sleeves and working alongside the nonprofit’s volunteers. Paul also volunteers with a number of organizations that serve veterans and people with special needs, including The American Legion and the Special Olympics.

“The most valuable thing I’ve learned through volunteering is that the world is filled with really good people,” Paul said. “I meet so many folks who are happy to help others.”

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Paul? Visit All For Good to find local volunteer opportunities.

Sanjna Das

When it comes to volunteering, high school senior Sanjna Das wears many hats. The teen is co-president of the Cradles to Crayons Club at her school, which fund raises for local kids in need; donates half of the proceeds from her homemade jewelry business, The Pink Flamingo, to a women’s homeless shelter; volunteers at a therapeutic riding facility, BINA Farms; serves as a CTS (central transport services) volunteer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital; and acts as an international ambassador for Postcards for Peace, an organization that promotes peace through organized postcard exchanges.

Sanjna believes it is important for people to volunteer because it helps them develop empathy for others and utilize their own special talents and skills for good. “The most important lesson I’ve learned through my volunteering experience is that volunteering is most impactful when it employs your own skills,” she said. “There’s no need to […] try to build a house if all you’ve ever been interested in is medicine. Instead, you can take advantage of your own skills and interests, and use them to create greater change in the communities around you.”

One of Sanjna’s talents, beading, has become an activity that not only fulfills her creative side, but also generates funds for homeless individuals. “I was inspired to give back by coming face to face with the disparities present, not only during my travels to India, but in my own community,” she said.

“During my trips to India, I saw countless artisans sitting by the roadside, which inspired me to create The Pink Flamingo, because I wanted to use my own passion for beading to improve the lives of others. We currently support the guests at Rosie’s Place, a local homeless shelter for women, and plan to expand this initiative to include disadvantaged women and artisans from the developing world.”

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Sanjna? Visit All For Good to find local volunteer opportunities.

Volunteers of Music Starz Studios

Students of the Flower Mound, Texas-based Music Startz Studios are using their talents for good by performing for seniors residing in assisted care facilities.

Karen Lim-Smith, co-owner and artistic director for the music program, believes volunteering helps shape young people into becoming responsible global citizens. “Volunteerism [helps] young adults to discover, acknowledge, engage, and take on critical issues in society that need to be addressed,” she said.

Every Sunday, the students can be found playing instruments like the violin, piano, or guitar in front of an audience at Avanti Senior Living, The Oaks Assisted Living and Memory Care, Hollymead Skilled Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center, and Arbor House Assisted Living and Memory Care. The dedicated team of kid volunteers—including Sanjana Gokul, John Christian Dacunos, Brianna Poon, Sanna Sisoutham, Kennard Wong, and Chelsea and Ellie Heredia—encourage the seniors to sing along to tunes from the Beatles catalog like “Hey Jude,” patriotic songs, and religious hymns. Each year, the students perform around 150 concerts.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like the volunteers of Music Starz Studios? Visit All For Good to find local volunteer opportunities.

Using Pageant and Fashion Show Experience, Teens Launch ‘I Strut for Autism’ Awareness Movement

Thea Ward Jorgensen

Thea Ward Jorgensen is well-known around her Bismarck community for doing whatever she can to help others. The active volunteer hosts clothing drives in her fitness studio, organizes charity ruck marches for local food banks, and even supports the arts by providing space for local artists to showcase their work.

Thea is heavily involved in the Bismarck chapter of Team Red, White & Blue, a nonprofit that works to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity, and she has traveled across the country with the organization to raise awareness for veterans’ causes.

Thea is today’s Daily Point of Light, and she spoke with Points of Light about why service is an important part of her life.

Describe your volunteer role(s).

My primary volunteer role is chapter captain for Team Red, White & Blue in Bismarck. We provide weekly workout opportunities and other events, such as Tea with the Team and SkyZone Fitness. I also volunteer regionally with Team RWB to help develop other leaders and keep our current volunteer force engaged.

Two of my favorite Team RWB events have been being a part of the support crew for our Old Glory Relay and hosting a two-day ASIST workshop on suicide intervention training. During the relay, I was in the van for a seven-day stretch while members from all over the country ran a flag from Seattle to Tampa over 2 months.

As a business owner, my [fitness studio] is a part of the Missouri Valley Homeless Coalition. I have hosted drives at my studio to help supply local food pantries, and invited community members to make bags filled with much-needed winter items that we can hand out.

I am also active with a local nonprofit called the 31:8 Project, which focuses on educating, advocating, and raising awareness for human trafficking. And, I am a board member for the Erickson Merkel Foundation, where we provide scholarships to students working to put themselves through collage with little to no student loan debt.

Most recently, I have become a field advocate for the American Foundation on Suicide Prevention. My focus will be on legislation and education. I will be going to schools in the state and presenting the More Than Sad program to students and their parents.

What inspired you to give back?

I have always believed in giving back. My mom taught me from a young age the importance of being kind. We have never been a family that is able to provide a lot of financial support, but have always been able to give our time. Once I became a business owner, I realized I had an incredible opportunity to help the community in some way. I still am not always in the position to donate financially, but I can open up my studio, offer my time, and get a team together to do what we can.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned through your experience as a volunteer?

I have learned that inaction is not an option. Awareness is great, but action is better. I have also realized that everyone has a story and how impactful it is to share our stories and to save space for others to share theirs.

Why do you think it’s important for other people to volunteer?

This is an extremely difficult question for me to answer for some reason. I want to simply say “why not?” Why not give what you can when you can? I truly believe in serving others, in any capacity that you can. 

We never know what tomorrow brings – and we never know when we will need someone to help us. 

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Thea? Visit All For Good to find local volunteer opportunities.

Abigail Brown

Minister, Ohio, teen Abigail Brown volunteers with the Red Wagon Campaign (RWC), which supplies hospitalized children with toys, arts & crafts supplies, and other donated materials. As a RWC volunteer, Abigail contacted local businesses for donations and was able to raise enough money to purchase 14 wagons. The wagons are used to collect donations, deliver items to the hospital, and provide rides to children in the hospital as they are transported to treatments.

“Abby helped triple donations for RWC,” said the organization’s founder Rosie Westerbeck. “She even conducted [our] first promotional video, and lead a group of six underclassmen in uniting a community of 3,000 for this meaningful cause.”

Abigail believes that volunteering brings communities together, which is why she was inspired to serve. “If we all join forces, we can make this world a beautiful and inclusive place to live,” she said.

Abigail also volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Monnier Carnival Fundraiser.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Abigail? Visit All For Good to find local volunteer opportunities.

Kayla Kaczorowski

Kayla Kaczorowski founded the C-FC Backpack Meals Program in 2016 to help combat hunger in her community. The program provides food-filled backpacks to around 50 kids in need every weekend. Kayla handles all food orders, formulates meal plans, and manages publicity and partners.

“Community service is very important to my family,” Kayla said. “So, I have been involved in volunteer work for as long as I can remember.”

Kayla started C-FC Backpack Meals after learning that 1/3 of the children and teens in her school district qualified for free and reduced lunch, and that the local food bank was only open one day per week. Her program aims to help kids through the weekend, when they are not able to eat in school. Kayla also volunteers at the Winona Area Humane Society and fosters kittens in her home.

“My service activities have taught me the importance of community engagement and social responsibility, putting service above self to create a stronger community,” Kayla said. “In particular, my success with the backpack program has proven to me and others that one person, with a passion and persistence, can make a difference.”

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Kayla? Visit All For Good to find local volunteer opportunities.

Nishka Ayyar

Nishka Ayyar is an avid volunteer with a number of organizations, including the Nike Animal Rescue Foundation and Sunday Friends, but the cause nearest and dearest to her heart is serving the elderly in her community. In 2015, she launched Music Buddies, which places student volunteers in retirement communities and nursing homes to provide fun, engaging performances for seniors. Nishka is today’s Daily Point of Light, and Points of Light spoke to her about how volunteering allows her to share her love of music and honor her grandparents.   

Describe your volunteer role.

As founder of Music Buddies, I manage all aspects of the program – from contacting the senior centers and scheduling performances to reaching out to student performers and enlisting them to perform. Additionally, I also maintain the website, upload photos and videos of the performances and emcee all the performances including any interactions we have with the seniors.

What inspired you to give back?

Service to the community is a big focus within my family. My mother [left an executive position] in a Fortune 500 company to lead a nonprofit organization. She often took my sister and me along with her on service learning trips to work with marginalized communities. From a very young age, we experienced first-hand the impact of giving back.

Inspired by my love and deep respect for my grandparents, I started Music Buddies in 2015. My four grandparents have been with me since I was born, and each of them have enjoyed and encouraged my sister and me to pursue the arts. Unabashedly, they clapped and cheered for me even when my clarinet squeaked or I missed the beat with my dance steps. Their encouragement and love created a unique connection between us every time I performed, making me realize the enormous therapeutic value of music and the benefits of this inter-generation connection. I felt compelled to bring this connection and joy to others who didn’t have the opportunity to experience them like my grandparents and I did.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned through your experience as a volunteer?

In the last few years, especially through my experiences with Music Buddies, I have learned that volunteering benefits not just the [people being served] – but the volunteers as well. Every time I have volunteered in a senior center and spent time with the older adults, I have come back more cheerful, confident, and caring. Although the seniors thank me profusely for spending time with them, I feel I benefit just as much!

Why do you think it’s important for other people to volunteer?

I believe volunteering is important for everyone but especially for young kids like myself, it is a wonderful way to engage with the community, to interact with a wide spectrum of people, and become aware of issues within [the] community. It [helps us] to think beyond our own needs and problems and become more selfless.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Nishka? Visit All For Good to learn about local volunteer opportunities.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.