Volunteering in Grandmother’s Memory; Atlanta Teen Improves Youth Dental Health
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Siya Kalra. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
As a child, Siya Kalra spent each summer in India with her grandmother, Nani. The 17-year-old Atlanta, Georgia high school student says she was able to observe the kindness her grandmother extended through her service to impoverished people, as the pediatrician provided healthcare to Indian children living in the slums. After her grandmother’s death from oral cancer in 2015, Siya decided to devote her time to improving youth dental hygiene and preventing deaths associated with oral cancer.
Launching “Help a Child Smile” (HCS) in 2017, the organization is dedicated to raising awareness about oral cancer and dental disease, the most common chronic disease in children, as access to dental care can be limited and costly. By conducting dental health seminars in elementary schools and distributing more than 5,000 dental hygiene kits thus far to children across Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, Ohio and in Delhi, India, Siya and HCS volunteers are tackling the silent epidemic of poor oral health in children by providing critical care and resources to low-income communities.
What inspires you to volunteer?
Watching my grandmother serve others with compassion taught me a lot about the spirit of giving back to the community. I am motivated to serve others to continue the legacy my grandmother left behind.
Describe your role with “Help a Child Smile”.
As the founder of HCS, which originally started as my Girl Scout Gold Award project, I support our organization’s three pillars: early childhood education about dental disease, free dental supply distribution and connecting low-income families to low cost dental healthcare. Through regular screenings and early detection, we are working to decrease the high death rate associated with oral cancer and offer children resources for good oral hygiene and early treatment.
Siya Kalra has distributed more than 5,000 dental hygiene kits thus far to children across Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, Ohio and in Delhi, India./Courtesy Siya Kalra
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
I presented a dental health seminar at a daycare center in a low-income area in Georgia, and I was really nervous, because I wasn’t sure how the children would react to me. I wondered if they’d like me, if they would ask questions. During my presentation, their hands were popping up and they had so many questions for me. They wanted to know more about the tooth fairy, and told me that they brush their teeth twice a day. I gave them supplies and taught them how to use a toothbrush properly. It was a rewarding moment for me, and a memory I’ll never forget.
What’s one way you hope to inspire others in your service?
You don’t have to be super old to make a difference in the world. That is one of the main things I want people to take away from my service. No matter your age or resources, there’s always something you can do to make a difference in the world.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your service?
Teaching young children here in the United States and India how to use dental supplies and the importance of brushing your teeth and flossing. I’ve been blown away by how friendly these children are, and how willing they are to learn. Knowing that I’ve made a difference in their lives has been very rewarding.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
I would never have thought that I could make such a big impact. My goal when I started this project was to educate 200 kids about dental health, but I ended up talking to more than 5,000 kids. I’ve doubled the amount of supplies I originally planned to collect.
Siya Kalra pictured distributing dental health supplies to the impoverished in Delhi, India./Courtesy Siya Kalra
Why is poor dental hygiene such an issue for children?
I’ve found that people are most interested in how to brush and floss correctly, because even though a lot of people brush and floss twice a day, they’re not brushing their teeth the correct way. Most people brush up and down versus side to side.
What do you do for fun?
I’m very involved in sports including fencing, and an Indian classical dance form called Kathak. I am also very involved in scientific research.
How can readers help?
I encourage people to visit my website to donate supplies and learn more about how they can get involved. https://www.helpachildsmile.us/
Teen Pays it Forward Volunteering for Hospitalized Children after Sister’s Health Scare
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Spencer Rhoten. Read his story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Spencer Rhoten was four-years-old when his sister was hospitalized in the ICU with a sudden illness during a family vacation to Disney World. “I remember being terrified,” Spencer says, “I’d never been in a hospital before and I remember not knowing if she was going to die.” His older sister, Katharine, was eventually diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and is healthy today. Realizing how calm and comforted his sister would become after receiving an item like a stuffed animal whenever she had to go through a difficult procedure, the two siblings decided to pay the kindness Katharine received forward by sharing that comfort with other hospitalized children.
Creating Katherine’s Wish in 2008, the two Eau Claire, Wisconsin siblings volunteer to comfort and bring cheer to pediatric patients hospitalized around the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Initially donating gifts and currently soliciting financial grants for close to 100 hospitals and clinics, 16-year-old Spencer has helped to provide hospitals with over $250,000 in donations to bring joy to thousands of hospitalized children.
What inspires you to volunteer?
I am inspired to reassure and comfort sick children by the memories we still have of Katharine being sick. It feels good to know I’m helping kids going through a difficult time.
Describe your role with Katharine’s Wish.
As the co-founder of Katharine’s Wish, I do a lot of public speaking locally to raise awareness about our volunteerism and solicit donations. The mission of Katharine’s Wish is something I dedicate my time to: “the heart of healing, one smile at a time.”
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
We receive pictures and letters from families of the children who receive our donations, and it makes all of our service worth it. The letters will explain how thankful these families are to us for helping them during a hard time in their life, and how comforted their child is by our donation. We’ll sometimes hear from families years after their child has received a donation, saying that their child still has the item we gifted them.
What’s one way you hope to inspire others in your service?
Anyone can give back, no matter what your situation. If you’re passionate about a cause you can start a charity and pay it back just like we have.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your service?
Turning such a personally traumatic experience into something so positive. You can live as a victim or an advocate. We chose to be advocates.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
Everybody wants to be loved and wants to know that someone is thinking of them, and that is what we accomplish through our service.
Does Katie have any toys left from when she was hospitalized?
Yes! Rufus the bear, who has diabetes. He has a medical ID bracelet and patches on him that show where he can receive insulin shots.
When you are not in school or volunteering, what do you do for fun?
I’m really, really into music. I just released an EP called “Princess Charming” under my recording name, Spencer Douglas. The majority of our proceeds will be donated to Katharine’s Wish.
Victor Ye doesn’t volunteer to raise money for a favorite cause. He devotes countless hours instead to motivating and teaching teenagers the skills they need to rally change in their communities and beyond. Although he’s only 17 and a high school senior, Victor is instilling a leadership drive in as many members of his generation as he can.
Victor and his team of more than 50 teens across 15 states in six countries lead workshops and conferences at middle schools and high schools and in public places. Victor estimates his innovative leadership curriculum has reached at least 9,000 students since 2018.
Although many teens express the desire to make a difference, Victor noticed that schools typically aren’t teaching the hands-on, practical skills needed to lead change. Victor believes words of encouragement from adults aren’t enough. Kids need to learn how to identify and connect with the influential people in their communities, figure out where the funding might be, learn how to generate publicity and awareness, and how to recruit volunteers to work for a cause.
So, he decided to teach them himself. Victor researched and created an original curriculum to teach leadership. The curriculum includes three core areas: research, collaboration and communication.
His motto: “Think globally but act locally.”
“We needed to make a space, a specific area or community, where students can come together and really find their passion and take ownership of that,” says Victor, “whether it’s starting a small initiative at school or creating a small community or social impact project. We wanted to really inspire and empower them to really become community change-makers.”
Victor approached the staff at the community center in his hometown of Hacienda Heights, a suburb of Los Angeles, to ask about holding a workshop. “The first response we got was, ‘You’re too young. You won’t be able to do this. Just go back to school.’ But that just motivated me more,” he says.
Victor had noticed by scanning social media that nonprofit groups seemed to succeed in supporting good causes, so he researched how to start and register a nonprofit organization. He named his nonprofit InnovaYouth. He and another student, Sara Ketabi, created a professional-looking website and fine-tuned their “curriculum.”
“A few months later, we came back to the community center with official 501 (c) (3) nonprofit status, and they gave us the opportunity to hold our first workshop,” says Victor. Although the first event drew just a handful of people, which included Victor’s parents, brother and closest friends, subsequent workshops and events have drawn dozens or even hundreds of youths. InnovaYouth also holds online webinars.
Sarah Chen, a high school senior from Yorba Linda, California says at least 50 youths attended a “Gen Z Summit,” held in July by InnovaYouth in Hacienda Heights. “It was really cool to see that it was completely student-run,” says Sarah, adding that the audience seemed very attentive, “especially since it was during the summer.” When Sarah and other students were invited to the stage to share leadership ideas and experiences, hands shot up to ask questions.
“Victor is one of the most ambitious people I’ve ever met,” says Sarah. “To see him so enthusiastic is very inspiring.” She adds that InnovaYouth has reached an impressive 900 followers on Instagram.
Victor belongs to a nationwide student organization called Future Business Leaders of America. In addition, he’s enrolled in an International Baccalaureate Program at his high school. These provide connections to other bright, ambitious students across the United States and in other countries.
Victor Ye presenting at the girl’s summit workshop.
Aryan Raigangar, a fellow IB high school student in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was inspired to start an InnovaYouth chapter there. “High school students either don’t know the skills needed to be successful in the future or if they have the skills, they don’t have the opportunity to practice these skills,” he says in an email. “Therefore, I decided that to resolve this problem here in UAE, I should try to work with InnovaYouth and Victor — trying to do a similar thing (in Dubai) that he does in L.A.”
Olivia Perea, recreation services manager in Hacienda Heights, says she now gladly offers the use of the community center to InnovaYouth at no charge. Last year, she also asked Victor to lead a session as part of her department’s annual Girls’ Empowerment Conference, held at a nearby community college.
“Victor presents himself very professionally,” says Perea. “He truly cares about his community and he relates to the kids because of his age. He tells them their voices matter. He talks to them about voting and what to do if something needs to be addressed in your community — how to make that known to public officials and how to get people to listen.”
After he graduates from Glen A. Wilson High School, Victor plans to study economics and public policy in college. He’ll be a first-generation college student in his family. He plans to train younger students to lead InnovaYouth on a day-to-day basis, but will continue as a mentor and supporter.
To learn more InnovaYouth’s curriculum and workshops, visit InnovaYouth on social media.
Maryland Youth Raises Funds and Awareness for Endangered Mountain Gorillas
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Addy Barrett. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Addy Barrett has always loved animals, but became especially passionate about mountain gorillas after learning about their endangered status while in first grade. Throughout the years, the Maryland resident would raise money to donate to conservation groups through lemonade stands and bake sales. In 2018, she decided to take her service a step further by creating her own website, Gorilla Heroes, to share mountain gorilla information and organize fundraisers.
Now twelve years old, Addy has raised over $11,000 with Gorilla Heroes, which she donates to The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, a charity for the protection of the mountain gorillas, as well as The Ellen Fund, which supports global conservation efforts for endangered species. Addy raises the money through a few fundraisers each year, including an annual Gorilla Gala, and also creates social media campaigns to raise further awareness for the mountain gorillas’ plight. She said she dreams of becoming a primatologist to study gorilla behavior, as well as start a rescue, rehab and release to help protect the mountain gorillas and one day remove them from endangered status.
Points of Light spoke with Addy as well as her mother, Sarah, who volunteers alongside her daughter to save the mountain gorillas with Gorilla Heroes.
Addy Barrett poses with the toys she made for the gorillas at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., as part of a fundraiser that raised $2,600 for gorilla conservation groups./Courtesy Addy Barrett
Describe your volunteer role with Gorilla Heroes.
Addy:We do fundraisers like the Gorilla Gala and we just did one where we made toys for every $50 donated to The Dian Fossey Fund or The Ellen Fund. We made the toys out of old t-shirts and then we gave them to the gorillas at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. We do fundraisers and all the money we get through those goes to The Dian Fossey Fund and The Ellen Fund. We also do projects where we don’t just collect money, but we try to get people’s attention through it. We did the “high five challenge” where you would post a picture of yourself giving a high five, and then it was a “#GorillaHi5 challenge.” We also make little gorilla canvases and we give them to supporters and people who have helped us along the way.
Sarah: We know that sending the money directly to those established gorilla conservation groups is the best way to make the funds that we collect go the furthest. We don’t keep any donations. We’re not a nonprofit ourselves, so any money that comes to us, we turn directly over to those already-established gorilla conservations groups.
What made you want to start Gorilla Heroes?
Addy: I’ve always had a love for animals. In first grade, I read a book about mountain gorillas and it talked a lot about how they were endangered, and that made me so upset because they were already one of my favorite animals. I just knew that I should do something, so I came home and I asked my mom, can we do something about this? She didn’t really think much of it, and then I made a poster and she posted it on Facebook. Ever since then, I would do lemonade stands and bake sales and make posters, tell my friends about it, my mom would tell her friends through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram and Twitter. I wanted to do something more so I made a website and Gorillas Heroes basically started there, because the name of the website is Gorilla Heroes. We started a Gorilla Heroes Facebook and a Twitter and an Instagram. It just took off from there.
Can you describe the Gorilla Gala?
Addy: The Gorilla Gala was an idea that we came up with. It was the summer after Gorilla Heroes officially started and we were trying to think of another fundraiser. We had the idea to do a party to have people learn about the importance of protecting gorillas, but then also as a fundraiser. We thought about school parties we have and what they did for those, and games and things that would get the attention of people.
Sarah: We tried to make it informative but also fun, so the games and crafts and activities we had were gorilla-themed. We reached out to pretty much any company or organization we could think of that had any affiliation with gorillas to see if they might be interested in sponsoring the event or making a donation we could use for the raffle. We were thrilled that companies like Gorilla Glue and some zoos and The Ellen Fund and The Fosse Fund [supported the event], and from the first Gorilla Gala to the second, we had even more companies.
Addy: They were great. They were very nice and they sent us our products and they were very supportive. I was so thankful that they contacted us back and agreed to help us. It was very, very great.
Addy Barrett, left, speaks at one of the Gorilla Gala fundraisers she and her mother Sarah, right, have thrown through Gorilla Heroes./Courtesy Addy Barrett
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
Addy: I am very fortunate in my day-to-day life and I get so much from the people that I care about, but I know some people aren’t as fortunate and that some animals aren’t as fortunate. Obviously to us it seems like they’re not at all fortunate, because they don’t have the type of life we do, but in their own life, they’re not as fortunate, because they are in a world where they are being attacked everyday by poachers. I think it’s important to help them have the life that I would want if I was in their situation.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
Addy: Some people think that gorillas are very mean and aggressive, but I think that is definitely not true. People call them gentle giants and I love that, because they can look intimidating but they are very, very gentle. They are very sweet and they will not hurt you unless you very much try to threaten them. They are very, very amazing creatures and they are not evil and they are not mean. They’re very, very kind.
Sarah: It surprises me because I work in an elementary school and whenever I wear my Gorilla Heroes shirt and it says ‘Save the mountain gorillas,’ I’m always surprised — I guess because we are in this world, Addy and I, doing Gorilla Heroes, we talk to a lot of people who know a lot about animals — so it surprises me when a little kid will look at me and be like, one, ‘Why do we care to save the gorillas?’, and two, ‘Aren’t they scary and mean?’ There is still this misconception out there about the way that gorillas are and their aggressiveness. I think that’s something that’s always a good takeaway. We want to save them because they are close relatives to humans and like Addy said, they’re just gentle giants.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
Addy: I’ve had a few young kids tell me that they have been inspired by what I do. I think that satisfies me so much, knowing that young people are inspired by what I do, because that is one of my goals — to have young people realize they don’t have to be an adult to do things. That just makes me feel so good to know that I am impacting the lives of young kids like me.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
Addy: I have learned you just have to have confidence. I have talked to many people and it’s scary, but you have to be confident that you can do what you want to do and you can accomplish what you want to accomplish, and not to be scared of your dreams. Well, it’s ok to be scared of your dreams because if you’re not scared of them, then they’re not big enough. But definitely have confidence when you’re doing what you love to do. Have confidence in your passion.
Illinois Woman Builds Community and Volunteers for Neighbors in Need
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Tricia Ponicki. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Tricia Ponicki says she was an “independent” volunteer for almost a decade, and called herself and her supporters Ponicki’s Angels, extending support wherever it was needed in places outside her community. But when the 45-year-old Burbank, Illinois resident turned her attention to her own backyard, she realized how much assistance her own neighbors needed.
Dedicating her time to offering resources and help within her community and surrounding towns, Tricia launched The BCA Hub Youth and Resource Center in 2017. Focused on providing resources to children and members of the community with the intention of “Building Communities across America,” the center offers programs aimed to inspire and empower children to become well-rounded and successful adults, and provide assistance to adults in need. Connecting with over 700 in-need individuals across her community thus far, Tricia is fostering community awareness and initiating improvements to unite and improve her community.
What inspires you to volunteer?
For me, it’s a calling. I am passionate about serving and caring for others. I don’t judge people on their current situation, whether they are struggling with addiction, homelessness or something else, I simply focus on their wellbeing. They are just as human as you or I and they still need love and support.
Describe your role with BCA Hub Youth and Resource Center
As the founder of the Hub, I innovate where we have gaps in our community and find ways to unite people behind a common goal. You really don’t know what’s happening behind closed doors, but when neighbors help neighbors, we are able to form a bridge and connect people. It’s my job to get people engaged, and serve as a friendly neighbor that is lending a helping hand.
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
We recently we held a Thanksgiving drive, and it wasn’t until then that I realized how many people in our community are really in need of help. I had moms coming up to pick up food baskets, and one was crying happy tears that the Hub was there to help. As a mom of four children who was on an assistance program myself as a young mother, that is really touching to me, because we are really making an impact on people who need the help.
How does your volunteerism empower families, children and mothers?
Most of these mothers and families are working, but they just can’t get over that bridge. We are bringing kids and families together, helping those in need and empowering women and children to build up their confidence and teach them that anything is possible. We initiate projects such as collecting backpacks and school supplies for those in need.
What’s your life motto?
To be the change, it starts with you. I plant the mustard seed, and then encourage others to help it grow. I want others to be good examples for the next generation, and encourage youth in our community to grow with service and have compassion for others.
As founder of The BCA Hub Youth and Resource Center, Tricia Ponicki (Right) has connected with over 700 in-need individuals across her community./ Courtesy of Tricia Ponicki
Tell me about your Secret “Hub Angels”
We recognize and in a way relate to the struggles these individuals face, because you do share some common ground. Some people don’t want to ask for help, but they need it. Our secret angels are first responders – sometimes you overhear a conversation about how someone just lost a job, or something like that. We’ll huddle together and figure out how to help. We’re currently fulfilling the Christmas wish lists of 50 children as a surprise.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your service?
The smiles and the hugs from people we help. They’re genuine.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
The impact that I’ve made through my volunteerism has been huge. My hidden talent is compassion and a deep caring for people, and I am realizing that I can utilize and share this talent with others.
What’s in the future for the Hub?
We are planning a gathering place with a coffee shop for people to join together, to connect others and provide job opportunities for youth and members of the community. It will also act as a Clothes Closet and food pantry. We are currently fundraising for the center.
How can readers help?
We always need more volunteers and funding. Please check our website for more information about how you can help: https://www.thebcahub.org/
Texas Adolescent Volunteers for Children with Kindness and “Kare”
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Kadence Ann. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
12-year-old Kadence Ann describes life at home as sometimes “crazy and hard”, while living with her veteran father, a man who served in the Marine Corps all over the world for his country, and her grandfather, a Vietnam War veteran, both of whom grapple with PTSD. But according to the Austin, Texas child, the sometimes turbulent situation at home has motivated her to help others going through difficult times, through kindness, care and compassion.
Launching Kadence Kares in 2019, the 7th-grade student is on a mission to spread kindness to those in need, including children of veterans with PTSD, foster kids, the homeless and more. Helping 1,000 families in the Austin, Texas area and counting, Kadence is serving by example by being kind and supportive of others.
What inspires you to volunteer?
It feels amazing to know that I’m helping other kids. I am inspired by giving back to children and seeing them feel better.
Describe your role with Kadence Kares
As the founder of Kadence Kares, I work with several community organizations to connect with children and others in need, including the Ronald McDonald House, the Cpl. Chad Eric Lance Oligschlager Foundation for PTSD and more. We provide activities and other fun items for siblings of the children at the Ronald McDonald House.
You offer something called “Kindness Krates” – explain them to me.
Kindness Krates are bags filled with goodies and fun surprises to brighten a young girl’s day. They are a mix of toys, stickers, a journal, arts & crafts and always a personalized Kadence Kares Kindness teddy bear.
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
I gave toys to two children of a veteran suffering from PTSD. I let them choose which toy they wanted, and they said thank you so much, we love you. I explained that I know how hard life could be at home, and they started crying, and they all thanked me, including their dad. I don’t know how to describe the moment, it was surreal. I hope that my kindness changes their lives for the better.
Kadence Ann creates Kindness Krates for girls in need at the local Ronald McDonald house, which are filled with fun surprises and activities designed to brighten their days./ Courtesy of Kadence Ann
What’s one way you hope to inspire others in your service?
I want people to be kind in any way. Also, I hope that I inspire others to not be judgemental, because you never know what’s going on in their home, or how they’re feeling on the inside.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your service?
Being able to help others and make them feel better, even if it’s just a little bit. You don’t have to wait to be an adult to make your dreams happen. Make an impact now.
What do you like to do for fun?
I like science and doing theater. I also like singing.
California Teen Starts Nonprofit to Help Underserved Students Find Fulfilling Careers
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Crystal Chan. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Crystal Chan, 17, knows all too well of the struggles that many children of immigrants face. Her parents had moved to the United States in hopes of creating a better life for their family, but they had dropped out of school in China to help their own parents and weren’t able to speak English. Crystal’s father works as a hotel maintenance worker and her mother used to work as a waitress, but she suffered an injury a few years ago and is now unemployed.
“I remember there was a kid in my class who was saying, ‘Oh, I’m just going to intern at my dad’s law office this summer,’” Crystal said. “But for me and a lot of my friends, we don’t have that luxury and we don’t have the guidance at home to help us learn about these different careers and get access to these connections.”
Instead of resenting her parents or the situation she was in, Crystal decided to start a nonprofit organization called Space 4 Us to help other underprivileged students explore different job options so they could eventually pursue fulfilling careers.
Crystal, a senior in high school, started Space 4 Us last year, but has already helped more than a hundred students from middle school to college participate in career workshops, connect with mentors, tour corporate facilities and hear from panels of professionals who explain what they do and how they got there.
Crystal (fifth from left) and Space 4 Us students at Cloudfare’s office. /Courtesy Crystal Chan
“I remember this girl who after the event came up to me and she gave me a huge hug and said, ‘Thank you so much for the work you do,’” Crystal said. “She immigrated here at a young age and didn’t really know how to break into the world of tech. And during the event, we learned about UX design and other careers in design and she said she didn’t even know this entire new world of tech existed. She said she learned so much and it really warmed my heart.”
Trecia Cruz, a program specialist at a college and career program at a middle school in San Francisco, says Crystal reached out to her first about providing her students with career panels.
“The guest speakers Crystal brings in come from different backgrounds,” Trecia said. “Like our most recent one, one of them was a nurse, and then over the summer, we had people from the symphony hall. We’ve had people working in nonprofits and school psychologists. That really exposes the youth to different types of jobs that are out there for them.”
Crystal will be moving on to college next year, and that means even more homework, classes, and other duties piled onto her plate, but she says that won’t stop her from growing Space 4 Us.
“I want to expand the chapter system to colleges as well so whatever campus I go to, I do hope to bring Space 4 Us with me,” Crystal said.
To keep providing these resources for students in the San Francisco area, Crystal is training high school freshmen and sophomores on how to organize these events so after she leaves, they’ll still be able to continue Space 4 Us in the place it started.
Crystal says all the hard work is worth it because she believes students who come from low-income backgrounds shouldn’t be limited to having access to resources or knowledge of career options.
“There are so many different jobs out there and I think every person has a different passion that they can find a right fit for them,” Crystal said. “Being able to give these opportunities for underprivileged students helps level the playing field and makes sure that the career they pursue is fulfilling.”
Teens Start Film Organization to Help Combat Climate Change
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honorees Charlie Abrams and Jeremy Clark. Read their story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
For the past seven years, teens Charlie Abrams and Jeremy Clark have been passionate about environmental activism, working on and lobbying for bills related to clean energy and carbon cap and trade programs, and testifying before their school board in order to get climate change taught as a man-made fact in Portland Public Schools. Now, they are combining advocacy with another passion of theirs — film — in order to spur change within their Portland community and beyond.
The two have created the organization Affected Generation in order to produce documentaries and short films that not only explain climate change but also provide solutions for the crisis. Along with a team of about four others, Charlie and Jeremy create youth-focused environmental and climate change documentaries in order to inspire others, especially other young people, to join the fight against climate change. Outside of their own organization, the duo also continue to participate in other environmental organizations, lobby legislature and participate in climate protests.
Describe your volunteer role with Affected Generation.
Charlie: We’ve been environmental activists for about seven years now. Affected Generation is our organization that we just started in the last year to have our activism be a part of an official organization and to expand that more. … A large part of it is being an environmental film organization and focusing on youth-created and youth-focused environmental and climate change films and documentaries.
I would say the reason we wanted to start Affected Generation was originally to have it be a youth climate organization. However, we’ve been a part of a lot of youth climate organizations and there’s a lot of them in Portland. We decided it would be best to focus our attention on something that was passionate to us, which was a film organization, and then to just keep supporting and keep working with all the other climate organizations in Portland and Oregon. Affected Generation has just been one step of our advocacy and all our work through climate and other social and humanitarian issues.
When did you first become passionate about climate change?
Jeremy: When I was in fourth grade, I saw this photo of the Statue of Liberty up to her waist in water and it was kind of a striking image. It made me want to take action because I knew that wasn’t the kind of future I wanted.
Charlie: After hearing Jeremy speak to our class about climate change, we got involved together and started working on smaller actions that we could take, because at this point we were nine years old. We had small actions at that point like starting a blog, joining a climate organization, and then over the past seven years it’s grown to working on carbon pricing bills across the nation, working on a lot of different projects, getting in the field of documentaries and film, and traveling across the world for a variety of different conferences and awards. We’ve done a lot of activism since then.
Why is it important for more people to learn about climate change?
Jeremy: I don’t think enough people realize the true severity of the climate crisis. I don’t think enough people realize that we need to take action now. Because film is such a common medium for people to get their information in this day and age because of the Internet, I think using film is really powerful to inspire people to take action and to help to convey important information about this crisis.
How are you using film to further your activism?
Charlie: We’re working on a carbon pricing documentary. Carbon pricing is something extremely passionate to us. We’ve worked on bills for clean energy jobs and carbon cap and trade programs for I think five years now, so it’s been something we’ve grown up learning about and fighting for. Bringing film into that is something that we’re really passionate about because that’s a large way to bridge the gap between people who don’t know the complex parts of carbon pricing, how it’s implemented, who’s pushing for it. To put that into film is a way that people can connect with, and is an easy way to get information across, and especially in a creative way that can focus on the youth voice and on other issues we’re really passionate about.
We had the largest youth lobby day that Oregon had ever seen for an environmental bill. That was a short film we made and it was something that could teach other youth about and inspire and motivate them. Inspiration has been a large part of any movement, so that was a good way to incorporate film. Now we’re working on a number of other films and documentaries, one about tracking plastic which is a film called ‘Plastic Planet,’ where we’re tracking how plastic is circumnavigating across the globe in different recycling systems, and exposing the ones that aren’t doing their part in recycling and how that correlates to climate change.
Throughout all our work in film and documentaries, we notice that once we combine it with our activism, it is something very strong in itself. Although we would be doing all our advocacy whether or not we made a documentary about it, shooting a documentary and adding film to that just gives another level of inspiration and outreach to people who wouldn’t hear about it in the first place.
Along with his friend Jeremy, Charlie Abrams founded the film organization Affected Generation in order to continue their advocacy work against climate change./Courtesy Charlie Abrams
Are there any future partnerships, programs, or events that you are excited about?
Charlie: There’s a lot going on right now. We’re working on a project called Supporting Santiago which is raising medical supplies for the protesters and the injured down in Santiago and other Chilean cities. Because of our friend down in Santiago, we wanted to work with them in creating this project. The largest thing they needed was a lot of media attention and medical supplies, so that’s what we focused on doing.
Another one is ‘Plastic Planet’ which we’re working with a lot of other organizations … That’s a documentary and project about exposing the waste management systems across the globe and how recycling correlates with climate change.
We’re also really working on passing Clean Energy Jobs this year, which is a policy that we’ve been working on for about seven years. We’re also working on getting climate change taught in the PPS [Portland Public Schools] curriculum and trying to expand that into school boards across Oregon and even further, to get climate change a core subject. We’ve worked on that before, to teach over 60,000 kids in PPS the core subject of climate change in in their school curriculum, which has been an ongoing process from our school board’s resistance against passing and education bill funding, and a lot of reasons correlated around climate change and the science behind it.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
Charlie: A large part of it I would say isn’t really the awards and prizes and stuff we won. I would say it’s more what we get to learn from those. … We were finalists for the Children’s Climate Prize, and they flew five other finalists from across the globe to Stockholm. Throughout the process of being a finalist for that award, we were able to meet youth from across the globe who were doing similar things and who were having their own affects on the climate crisis and having their solutions being taught throughout the world and seeing what they were doing, working on the same crisis but finding a solution in a completely different way since climate change is such a large issue. Throughout all these awards, conferences and events, we’ve been able to meet all the youth activists who have been bringing their passion to the fight of climate change. I think that’s been the most rewarding thing, meeting those youth and coming up with solutions together and seeing that when we are working together on a crisis like this, it’s easier to get a lot more done, to have large projects with youth from across the globe. That’s what I want to see happen in the future — more youth stepping up and doing projects with each other.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
Jeremy: I think the main thing that I’ve learned is persistence. We’ve done a lot of work around policy, especially on this one bill that we’ve been pushing for several years called Clean Energy Jobs. It keeps on failing every year to pass, so I think from that bill especially we’ve learned that in the political world, things don’t always get done as quickly as you would like them to, and with the climate crisis it’s crucial that we do get these things done quickly. It’s also crucial that when things fail, we come back the next year and get it done.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
Charlie: I think something we want people to learn is, on the topic of climate change, not necessarily the science behind climate change but the solutions behind it. Once you start learning and focusing on the solutions, you can implement your own and get creative and inspired to work on the positive side of climate change. Something we’ve done is only really work on the solutions through policy and through affecting the legislature. We’ve been able to work on the solution to the crisis which has been hopeful and inspiring for us over the past few years.
Jeremy: We used to focus a lot on the effects and causes of climate change, but at this point, everyone kind of knows how serious [climate change is]. All the headlines are all just really negative, and the only news that most people get about climate change these days is just another headline about ‘this effect is happening’ or ‘we just discovered another cause for climate change.’ When you keep on hearing those same things over and over again, it’s demotivating and that’s not when change happens. Change happens when people are inspired by seeing solutions for an issue.
For Over 40 Years, Cancer Survivor Brings Fun to Service, Helping Improve the Lives of Residents in her Georgia Community
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree LaVerne Gaither. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Motivation, purpose and inspiration all unite in the form of LaVerne Gaither. The Fayetteville, Georgia, native has volunteered for over 40 years in her community, striving to show others that service is fun. Despite having a difficult past of grief and loss, she finds purpose and hope in using her gifts for the betterment of society. The 65-year-old volunteer needs no words to show people that her official motto is to live life to the fullest and have fun by volunteering and helping others; she naturally exudes it.
LaVerne volunteers with a variety of organizations, even while working as an international flight attendant. As a cancer survivor herself, her volunteer service has a focus on cancer survivor networks and helping seniors see the new possibilities of their future. She wholeheartedly believes in the magic of volunteering, and has no plan to let age slow her down.
What inspires you to volunteer?
16 years ago, beginning in June of 2003, I went through a unique six-month period that began with graduating with my master’s degree in psychology. I wanted to help people as a therapist, but after two months, my father passed away. Shortly after that, my 25-year-old daughter passed away from pneumonia. My joy turned to grief, and then grief turned into excruciating pain. My doctor then told me that I had stage four-breast cancer, and back in those days, that meant that you didn’t have much time to live.
At that time, I decided to pray and ask God to save me. I had other children to take care of, and I asked Him to let me help other people, especially with my degree. I started talking to patients in the oncologist office and waiting rooms, praying with them and empathizing with them. It’s one thing to talk to your doctor who hasn’t had cancer themselves, and it’s another to talk to a fellow patient who knows what you’re going through. 16 years later, I’m still cancer free and still helping people.
Volunteer service seems to keep you busy. Describe your role with the various organizations you are a part of.
I use my professional experience as a counselor with the Breast Cancer Survivor’s Network, which gives patients free counseling services in person and online, free mammograms, prosthesis and distributes free wigs. I assist with the online support groups, like our community pink hotline, talking to patients newly diagnosed with cancer. The patients on the other end are near and dear to my heart. I also help out as a Board member.
I’m also involved with AARP of Georgia, helping retirees fulfill their goals and dreams. Now people are living way later, in fact the fastest growing age group is people over 85. Just because you turn 50 or 60 doesn’t mean you don’t have life to live. Retiring doesn’t mean you don’t have purpose. I’m a part of the AARP Life Reimagined program where I help people explore ways to improve their lives, and I encourage people to spark new solutions to fulfill their dreams. I’m also a volunteer on a movement called Disrupt Aging, which challenges outdated beliefs about people who are 50 plus years old.
I’ve volunteered for several years with the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, an annual college football game hosted in Atlanta, which raises money for a variety of charitable causes, like cancer survivors. During the bowl, I volunteer with committees like media operations, parade, VIP hospitality, but this year I will be on the 50:50 Raffle team. This program raises money for various charities, but also awards one lucky winner half of the funds.
I want to show others that while you’re having fun you can also help people. When you’re helping others, you’re helping yourself. I want to encourage everyone to live life to the fullest every single day.
A cancer survivor herself, Laverne Gaither volunteers with the Breast Cancer Survivor’s Network as a professional counselor and pink hotline respondent. /Courtesy LaVerne Gaither
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
You know, just helping people. I also love sharing stories on social media to encourage people and inspire others. It’s like a ripple effect, especially when people reach out to me and ask how they can get involved.
You’ve had a full life of volunteering. What have you learned through your experiences?
I’ve learned that volunteering is just magical, and that helping someone can give you purpose. Everyone can help someone be an inspiration to someone else. It’s also so much fun! You get to meet so many people, and it never feels like you’re working.
I’ve also learned that as a senior, it’s never too late to do something that you’ve always wanted to do. You don’t have to worry as much about income – it’s not about the money anymore, it’s more about fulfillment and purpose.
Is there anything coming up that you’re excited about?
Next week I start programming for the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, which will be held this year on Dec. 28. This year there will be a new 50-50 raffle, where 50 percent of the money raised for the philanthropy will go towards children fighting cancer, and the other half will go to one winner. We’re anticipating $100,000 in funds, so one person may win $50,000! But it really is a win-win for everyone.
I’m also excited about the future of the younger generation and older generation finding solutions to problems together. I think that more companies will recruit people who have retired, which will help bring wisdom to the younger generation so that bridges are built and solutions are sparked.
Why do you think it’s important for other to give back?
Again, just because its magical. If you need a purpose in your life, helping others will help yourself. Giving back just helps you and helps the world become a better place.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
That I truly live by my motto: live life to the fullest and have fun by volunteering and helping others, and that others can too. People don’t realize that it’s so much fun.
Powered by Spirit and Strength, Volunteer Empowers Others with Muscular Dystrophy
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Angela Wrigglesworth. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Angela Wrigglesworth never walked as a baby. At 16-months, she was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy. But the Houston, Texas resident has been powered, not restrained, by being wheelchair-bound nearly her whole life. Raising awareness and working to eliminate stereotypes, Angela has dedicated her life to empowering others with disabilities.
Angela is currently a volunteer with the Houston Advisory Board for Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), an organization the 42-year-old has been connected with since her diagnosis as a toddler. Receiving her first wheelchair at age 5, Angela has achieved many of the same milestones reached by individuals not wheelchair-bound: working as a public school teacher for 20 years, marrying just last year – and even more achievements less can claim, including serving as Ms. Wheelchair Texas. And that, says Angela, is by design as she works to change the landscape for people with disabilities: “I don’t want to be a surprise to anyone. I want all people with disabilities to be incorporated into society.”
What inspires you to volunteer?
I want to live in a time where it’s not shocking that I’m a school teacher, and when seeing someone on TV that has a disability isn’t a rarity. As a volunteer with the MDA, I am working to change the landscape for people with disabilities, especially for those of us that use wheelchairs.
Describe your role with the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
As a Houston Advisory Board member for MDA, I guide the organization by creatively engaging our community to contribute to and learn more about MDA. We also raise awareness and advise the association with regards to fundraising activities. Cures are being discovered today for my disease that didn’t exist when I was born, and that is an example of the lifesaving discoveries we are all pushing for.
You’ve served in a number of other volunteer roles in addition to MDA, including as a pageant queen. Explain.
As Ms. Wheelchair Texas 2004, a part of my mission was to eliminate architectural and attitudinal barriers. I wore a crown and a sash so people could see me as an accomplished woman, and not just someone who was in a wheelchair. I am also the founder and former executive director and board member of Ms. Wheelchair Texas Foundation, a former member of the MDA’s National Task Force on Public Awareness and I am on the advisory board for MDA’s Camp for All.
Angela Wrigglesworth (right): “As Ms. Wheelchair Texas 2004, a part of my mission was to eliminate architectural and attitudinal barriers. I wore a crown and a sash so people could see me as an accomplished woman, and not just someone who was in a wheelchair.”/Courtesy Angela Wrigglesworth
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
One woman was competing for Ms. Wheelchair Texas, and she had a severe speech impediment which meant she communicated with a device. She wanted to say her speech aloud by herself, and before she delivered her remarks, I talked her through it. She said to me “I just want to be understood,” and I told her, ultimately, that’s what we all want in life, we just want to be understood. This woman going up on the stage and doing her very best not only helped her to be understood, she helped all of us to understand each other.
What’s one way you hope to inspire others in your service?
MDA covers over 40 neuromuscular diseases, and I’m one of those. I want to inspire anyone who has a neuromuscular disease with my story. I want anyone to know that they can overcome any challenge they want, whether they have a disability or not.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your service?
When young girls participate in Ms. Wheelchair Texas, or when I attend MDA’s Camp for All, and I get to see the next generation. I can see more confidence in young people and that confidence means that minds are changing. That’s the bottom line for me, because it means that somewhere along the way, the challenges I faced as a child are slowly going away.
What’s your life motto?
It’s a quote made famous by former UCLA basketball head coach John Robert Woode: “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
The act of giving of yourself through volunteerism is so much more filling than anything else you could ever do.
