Teen Supports Dreams of Others through Health and Education Volunteerism
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Christine Mao. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
17-year-old Christine Mao was traveling in Xinjiang, China with her family when they visited children in a small town who shared the challenges they faced accessing resources for reading and writing. Realizing the happiness she felt in helping others, the South Pasadena, California teen decided she would dedicate her volunteerism to supporting the dreams of these students and others like them.
Launching Crescent Gateway Association in 2018 to advance charity and education globally, Christine is offering lasting and meaningful impact through her volunteerism. Offering education and health resources and programs including tutoring and book donations, the high school senior has helped hundreds of children and adults in need within her community and internationally, lighting the path to success and helping others to achieve their dreams.
What inspires you to volunteer?
I’m inspired to volunteer to apply the skills we acquire to make an impact. It’s meaningful to give back impactfully and memorably to the community with your time.
What does the name “Crescent Gateway” come from?
The name “Crescent” in our organization’s name signifies the vast, starry night that holds our dreams and wishes for the future. Our organization, in that manner, strives to live up to its name and be a doorway to achieving our dreams. We hope to leave a lasting, meaningful impact, as well as to bring these opportunities of finding and giving happiness to you.
Describe your volunteerism with Crescent Gateway Association.
As founder, president and CEO, I coordinate our approximately 50 youth and adult volunteers. We also look for community sponsors to work with. We host different events, including our biannual health fair, and I manage our various projects including tutoring in our community and collecting donations for books to donate to people in need.
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
During our free biannual health fair which was held in partnership with the city of Monterey Park, California and the UCLA Asian Pacific Health Corps, we offered flu shots, medical testing and other resources. The day of the fair, we had hundreds of attendees, and as it was really busy, it was hard to keep track of everything and all sorts of issues came up. It was chaotic, but a few minutes into the chaos, I realized how amazing it was to connect with so many people, even amid the challenges. The blend of people who attended were all really different, made up of all ages and races, and in connecting, suddenly all the chaotic workload didn’t feel chaotic, and instead, with each issue, we were uniting everyone to work towards better health.
Christine pictured at the 2019 biannual community health fair held in partnership with the city of Monterey Park, California and the UCLA Asian Pacific Health Corps. /Courtesy Christine Mao
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
We’re always receiving from our community. No matter if it’s from our parents, teachers or friends, we’re always receiving kindness and learning new knowledge. The point of learning new things is being able to apply those skills in the real world through volunteering.
How have you continued to volunteer throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?
Virtual learning has been a hard adjustment during the pandemic, and when people have difficulty with virtual learning, they may need a tutor, but with financial issues that people are facing, that extra help may be out of reach. Our free online tutoring is offered to financially disadvantaged students in South Pasadena, Los Angeles and New York and includes a range of topics to help students who have fallen behind during remote learning.
In one word, what does volunteering mean to you?
Connecting.
When you’re not busy volunteering or in school, what do you do for fun?
I really like to spend time with my family and hang out with my sister.
How can readers help?
Please visit our website for more information about how you can help.
Delivering Hope and Compassion, California Volunteer Serves At-Risk Population Amid Pandemic
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Paige Wheeler Fleury. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
In mid-March, with her state’s mandated shelter in place looming, Paige Wheeler Fleury says she realized there were at-risk individuals in her community that were going to need assistance obtaining essentials during the COVID-19 pandemic. The busy working mom of two is now leading life-saving efforts to help connect seniors and other vulnerable populations with critical resources.
As a co-founder of Oakland At Risk, the Oakland, California resident is helping her neighbors in the greater Oakland area to cope by coordinating delivery of supplies, such as groceries and prescriptions, and oftentimes, going above and beyond to help those most in need. Serving hundreds of households including seniors, low-income, individuals with disabilities or otherwise immunocompromised, Paige is offering hope, compassion and a meaningful connection to the outside world during a time of increased isolation.
What inspires you to volunteer?
The pandemic has revealed a lack of a security net for so many. There was no one stepping in to fill that void, it needed to be done.
Describe your volunteerism with Oakland at Risk.
As co-founder, I manage communications and marketing for the program, in addition to connecting with other organizations across the country who are doing similar services. I take in referrals from family members, medical case workers and social workers, and even the individuals themselves will sign up for help. I connect them to volunteers who speak their language. We are primarily helping seniors to stay safe by shopping for them and picking up food bank boxes and prescriptions, but we will help anyone at-risk. In some cases, this means connecting them to other services, including for food stamps, social services and in-home assistance. We’ve paid for and delivered groceries to elders and high-risk households who suddenly found themselves quarantined, COVID-19 positive, sheltering in place, or suddenly without any access to food or any means to pay for it. Our volunteerism helps people navigate the spectrum of services available. We’ve had 1,500 volunteers since March, who help with grocery store shopping, medication pickups and other essential errands.
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
I work with a woman who was recently widowed and feeling overwhelmed. Because of our volunteerism, she now feels a connection. She says we’re her guardian angel. She has someone to call to help her navigate services, but also, she has someone who can listen to her. This woman has a lot of anxiety and fear, as many of us do. It fills my bucket knowing there is someone who would be otherwise alone and because of our volunteerism, now isn’t.
Paige helps her neighbors in the greater Oakland, California area to cope by coordinating delivery of supplies, such as groceries and prescriptions, and oftentimes, going above and beyond to help those most in need./Courtesy Paige Wheeler Fleury
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
Giving back not only helps the recipient, but it is a way for all of us to manage our own anxiety and emotion during what is an unprecedented time in our country and around the globe.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your service?
It’s rewarding knowing that we’re helping hundreds of people avoid having to choose – whether to put themselves in danger or to have medication and food. We help a lot of low-income people. Because of our assistance and the donations we receive to purchase food, we are making sure they don’t have to choose between starving or having life-saving medication.
You’re being recognized for going above and beyond. How does that make you feel?
It’s incredibly meaningful to receive the recognition, primarily because I hope it encourages others to take a step forward and find what will give them fulfillment in volunteering. In addition to my volunteerism with Oakland At Risk, I also volunteer with Mercy Brown Bag Program and Soccer Without Borders.
What’s in the future for your volunteerism?
Our service currently includes helping people with essentials, but it also extends beyond that – from replacing a toilet to helping with electricity, car repair to taking out the trash. We are hoping to continue our services beyond the end of the pandemic. We want to evolve to make sure we are serving the most vulnerable in our population who face income or health inequities.
In one word, what does volunteering mean to you?
Love. That’s how I feel. I feel like I am giving and receiving love. Everytime I am able to serve someone who is in need of help, that’s what it feels like.
How can readers help?
Oakland at Risk relies on donations to buy food for our low-income population. We are also in need of volunteers. Please visit our website for more information about how you can help.
Aiyana Castro, who just turned 12, has been service minded since she was a little girl, concerned especially about the homeless community in her city. Whether handing out food and water in the blazing desert heat or working at food banks to package family meals, she’s at it, without fail, sometimes several times a week. But the pandemic was her tipping point. At the end of April, as the virus raged, frontline workers and those most at risk in the community were finding it difficult to source face masks. Aiyana refused to see that happening. She was able to collect more than 1,000 double layered masks for Candlelighters Cancer Foundation. Concerned about hospice patients isolated from their loved ones because of Covid-19, she wrote more than 500 handmade cards to comfort these patients and make them smile.
What inspires you to volunteer?
Since I was little I have always loved helping others. Since the pandemic the need has just gotten greater. I love knowing I have helped make a difference in someone’s life even if it was in a small way. The smiles and the thank yous truly makes my heart happy.
Aiyana Castro surrounded by the socks she helped source for the sock drive for local homeless folks./Courtesy Aiyana Castro
Describe your volunteer role?
I like to get out in the community, whether it’s delivering boxed lunches to hospital staff or handing out water to homeless folks, the interaction is what gives me happiness.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
The most rewarding experience is when I was out in the neighborhood handing out waters, snacks, blankets, socks and pillows to the homeless community. There was this gentleman who was homeless and when I handed him a pillow he hugged it and his face lit up like a kid at Christmas! It was so emotional seeing how much that pillow meant to him. Simple things we take for granted.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
I have learned it’s the simple things people value most, like a conversation and a smile. I do a lot of work with the homeless community and I have been told over and over “Thank you for making me feel NORMAL.” Acknowledging them as a fellow human with a smile and a few words, just letting them know they aren’t invisible. We need to be kind to each other because we don’t know what someone else is battling. Your kindness can make a HUGE difference and you may never even know.
Are there any future partnerships, programs, or events that you are excited about?
I’m super excited for what’s coming up next, which is stuffing stockings for our service men and women and working with Wreaths around America, for which we’ll be placing wreathes on veteran’s graves. It’s a way to show our appreciation for all they do.
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
Change begins with you! Just small random acts of kindness can really make a impact on someone. We may not change the world but we can make a huge difference one person at a time.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
That age doesn’t matter when it comes to giving back! Anyone can make a difference in the community and people around them. The joy you bring to others, the reactions on people’s faces, just knowing you had a small part in making someone’s day brighter or easier is something that fills me with extreme happiness. Change starts with you! I challenge you to be the reason someone smiles today!
Cuban Immigrant Pays It Forward in Retirement by Teaching Vulnerable Youth
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Milagros Betharte. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
As a young girl in Cuba, Milagros Betharte says she dreamt about becoming a teacher one day. Arriving in the U.S. as a young woman, Milagros worked to realize her dream, but says she was not alone on that journey.
“The fear for me was being brand new in the U.S,” says Milagros. “The college system was completely new, I was also learning English. It seemed like an immense task. I had people who helped me. They showed me the steps and broke it down for me, and I was able to follow those steps, register for classes, and become a lifelong teacher, which I’d wanted to be since I was a little girl.”
Retiring several years ago after a long career as a bilingual math teacher, the 70-year-old New Rochelle, New York resident says she’s now fulfilling a promise to pay forward the kindness shown to her all those years ago as a new immigrant, and in turn, is helping to make the dreams of other young New Yorkers come true.
“I always said when I had the time I wanted to return those favors. Now that I am retired, I have the time to help people in the community. This is the same community I taught math in during my career. It takes a community to raise a child. I think all of us have to work to help these children.”
As a volunteer with the Community Service Society of New York, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), Milagros has helped dozens of students as they study for the High School Equivalency (HSE) exam. Supporting children of incarcerated parents or juveniles who have faced an interruption in their education, the mentoring and tutoring Milagros is doing is critical to the future success of these students, some going on to college and many securing jobs so they in turn can positively contribute to their community. Calling her volunteerism a “beautiful circle” where she is able to strengthen her community, Milagros says in supporting these students, her skills as an experienced educator is motivating them towards goals they might not have worked towards otherwise.
A retired bilingual math teacher, Milagros is volunteering in the same community she taught during her career, even continuing her important work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic virtually./Courtesy Milagros Betharte
“They have this fear, and as mentors, we help them stay on track for their goals. Because they don’t have a connection with older adults, some of them could drop out (of school) again. We encourage them and work with them to keep them connected, stay working towards their goals, so they see they can do it. Volunteering is how you build a community. If those students can become professionals, and then work in their community, this is how we build it.”
Milagros is helping to supplement skills and knowledge for these students, who often need more individualized time, as they study for the HSE. Taking students from frightened to confident in their skills is a process of encouragement, says Mary Anne Flanagan, Project Director, RSVP – Community Service Society of New York, that is life-changing not just for the students, but often, for their families as well.
“By meeting one-on-one with young people, she’s able to provide inspiration, motivation and skills for them to use in the future,” says Mary Anne. “In simple terms, she provides support so they can get past the (HSE) exam and go on to college. For many, they’re the first in their family to be able to go to college as well as provide skills so they can apply for jobs or get jobs. She has worked in the last five years with 35 young people, and this past year, (one of her mentees) got into Columbia University. To get into an Ivy League school was a huge win. We were all crying.”
Her impact is matched only by her energy, says Mary Anne, as Milagros puts her skills to action in lifting up students with caring service.
“Her energy and laughter is contagious. She lights up a room, I’m not exaggerating. Everybody walks away knowing Milagros. She really listens to the young people before she even worries about what their goals are. She has incredible empathy and she always sees potential and possibility in every young person she meets. She never gives up on any of the young people she works with.”
Milagros, who is also a volunteer with the Next Door Project, where she helps adults with conviction histories to request, read and repair their rap sheets, which can help to open doors to employment, housing, and stability, is continuing her important work even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, by focusing on keeping these vulnerable young students on track despite not being able to meet with them in person. When asked what she’d tell the 20-year-old Milagros, newly arrived to the U.S., now, given her tremendous life experiences, she says she’d encourage her young self to never give up, a sentiment she echoes to all of her students as well.
“Never give up. That’s what I’d tell the 20-year-old me. Something may look difficult but it’s not necessarily so, and there are people out there that can help you.”
Mobilizing Meals for Frontline Workers, Georgia Volunteer Comes to the Rescue during COVID-19 Pandemic
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Brooke Peak. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
The coronavirus pandemic was touching “everyone,” says Brooke Peak, but sheltered at home trying to keep her family healthy, the 41-year-old Columbus, Georgia mom says she felt helpless. Wanting to show love and support to healthcare heroes and others on the front lines, Brooke decided that the best way to meaningfully help was to do what is often done in difficult times – send food.
Brooke started mobilizing meals by launching BWP Cares, a project funded with seed money from Brooke’s employer, Butler Wooten & Peak LLP (BWP), getting food delivered across the state in Atlanta, Columbus, Savannah, Macon and LaGrange. Pointing out that it wasn’t just hospital workers showing up every day risking their lives to protect the health of others, but also essential workers like pharmacists, department of health workers, EMTs and firefighters, Brooke has helped to deliver more than 22,000 meals across the state, helping to support locally-owned, struggling restaurants in the process, with nearly $100,000 donated to support frontline heroes.
What inspires you to volunteer?
Volunteering is so fulfilling, and makes my heart happy. We have four young children and they get involved with it as well. It’s nice to be able to give to others, and help in any way we can. I know my children have enjoyed this as much as I have and hope it will have a lasting impact on their lives.
Describe your volunteerism with BWP Cares.
As founder of BWP Cares, I solicit donations and promote our service, primarily online. At the peak of the pandemic, I was spending hours on the phone each day coordinating deliveries for meals to be sent to healthcare workers and others across the state. We have a handful of volunteers, and we also got youth involved. All four of my children jumped in to help with deliveries, and as more and more learned about BWP Cares, we signed high school volunteers up as it was a perfect opportunity for teenagers to deliver meals and contribute.
Through BWP Cares, Brooke Peak has helped to deliver more than 22,000 meals across the state since the COVID-19 pandemic began, showing love and support to healthcare heroes and others on the front lines./Courtesy Brooke Peak
Share a personal story about your volunteerism.
The meals have been the perfect avenue to let our heroes on the front lines know they are not forgotten, we love them, support them, and appreciate them. I will never forget some of the kind words people have shared with me over this past year. One conversation will always stick out in my mind from a nurse on one of the COVID floors. She said, ‘We all have family members at home. I have elderly parents I have to care for, and every time I see them, I worry about exposing them to COVID. I have kids at home who we are trying our best to homeschool because schools are closed; I, like so many others, are all juggling so much, the last thing we have time to do is think about making lunch or dinner to take to work with me as I am hurrying out the door. If it hadn’t been for the meal you all sent us today, I wouldn’t have eaten. Thank you, thank you, thank you!’
What’s been the most rewarding part of your service?
When I first had the idea, I knew it was going to be big and grow quickly, but I am not sure if I knew exactly what a huge impact it would end up having on so many involved.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
In a tiny way, when someone is so stressed, worried about their own health and still going in to do their job, you can bring a ray of sunshine to their day. My small act could have such a profound impact on them.
As they fed essential workers risking their lives to keep others safe, BWP Cares sometimes brought meals to workers for months at a time. Staff pictured at MercyMed in Columbus. /Courtesy Brooke Peak
What’s in the future for your volunteerism?
I would like to continue to show healthcare workers and other heroes within the community our support. In addition to delivering meals, we organized a successful blood drive for the American Red Cross and collected over 200 pints of blood. I’d like for our service to expand as other needs arise.
In one word, what does volunteering mean to you?
Fulfillment.
How can readers help?
We are dependent on donations, please visit our Facebook page for more information.
After Overcoming Adversity, Colombian Immigrant Gives Back to Women in Need
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Martha Alvarez-Taylor. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Point of Light.
The spirit of giving back was instilled into Martha Alvarez-Taylor at a young age due to her mother, who was always helping others in their native Colombia. Her mother’s acts of kindness are why Martha is currently driven to volunteer herself to support those going through hardship. However, the path to getting to where she is wasn’t without hardship of her own. Over two decades ago, Martha immigrated to the United States with her one-year-old son. She took hours of English classes each week for a year in order to learn the language, and worked multiple jobs, from nannying to working in a warehouse, in order to make her way back to her previous career as an engineer.
After working tirelessly to achieve her goals, Martha is now giving back to women in need. She is a committee member for Women2Women, which helps women in Berks County, Pa. foster career advancement and leadership. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Martha helped plan events as well as work as a translator for the area’s Spanish-speaking population. Martha has since moved from Pennsylvania to Texas, but due to the pandemic forcing Women2Women to work virtually, she is still continuing to help out with translation and the motivational conversations that the organization is hosting online. Martha also continues to volunteer virtually for Schuylkill Women in Crisis, a nonprofit that helps those impacted by domestic violence or sexual abuse within Schuylkill County, Pa. Martha is on the Board of Directors and also chairs the organization’s Diversity Committee.
Describe your volunteer role with Women2Women.
I’m a committee member. Across generations and people, we’re trying to educate them, promote them, teach English to them, give them an opportunity for them to succeed. We have a lot of small business owners and — we used to do this in person [pre-COVID] — we mingle people so they can connect, and help them with loans or banks or education or certifications they may need. We are an outreach between all of those sources for them. As a part of the committee, we work together to finalize any details of any activity we do. We used to have a monthly meeting where we invited a [guest.] It could be a motional speaker, or someone teaching how to do a resume. We coordinate those activities and the logistics to get that event done successfully. Then my role within the committee was sometimes to translate the communications from English to Spanish, because we tried to cover all the populations. In Reading, Pa., there are a lot of Spanish-speaking people. Then if that was the case, [translating] was my role on the committee.
When did you start volunteering here and what inspired you to do so?
That was in 2017. Initially they contacted me, because I went to another meeting and somebody heard my story [of how] I came to this country. I left my country and have had ups and downs to get my life back. Somebody invited me to go to the meetings, and later they invited me to be a speaker for them. After speaking, they invited me to be a part of Women2Women. I went once and I liked what I saw, and I started from there. I raised my hand to be part of the committee to try to do more than only be an attendee or just go to participate as a guest. I always liked to volunteer. I always saw my mom giving away the little things we had to others. I thought to myself, if I can give something back after I restarted my career, [then I want to do so], because I had to start my life again here in this country. I didn’t know English, and 20 years ago it was hard for the immigrants, unlike nowadays where you will find everything easier for them to translate something into Spanish. I went through a lot, going through English school and getting my degree and starting my career again in this country. That was part of what we liked to do, giving back, so ever since I was motivated to participate.
Martha Alvarez-Taylor, right, helps run a registration table for Women2Women with a fellow committee member./Courtesy Martha Alvarez-Taylor
Describe your volunteer role with Schuylkill Women in Crisis.
I am part of the Board of Directors. I was motivated to lead the Diversity Committee because the area of Schuylkill County is more white people, but a lot of Hispanic people have been moving into the area. Once again, because of my struggles, I wanted to give back. I was in a meeting also and somebody approached me if I wanted to participate with them because they saw my career. I got involved with them because I saw a lot of Hispanic women in the area being abused. Don’t get me wrong, [abuse can happen to] any race, but we saw a lot of the Black community and Hispanic community struggling. I said OK, I will be able to do that. I started the Diversity
Committee to see if we could do more especially for getting resources to help the women. That group is 90 percent women in the area, but we also have 10 percent men. Abuse is not only for women. We have a little bit of men who we help also.
[I helped] look for contacts to get money. … Then [helped with] any contact, going to talking to lawyers, and helping to translate for them. If they needed company if they went to a judge, I can keep them company. Not legal advice, because we don’t offer that, but at least be with them for a sense of comfort when they go to present to the judge with their case work. That was my role.
Why was volunteering in a way that helps empower women important to you?
I went through all of those things … restarting my life, and I didn’t have anyone to help me. I do this because of my mom. She was a very giving person and I saw her satisfaction by giving back. I think that grew out of me, that if I was able to help somebody, any little, tiniest change in somebody’s life, even if just for a moment, it is very satisfying for me. I wanted to give back. If I’m fortunate enough now to work in my profession and have some stability and be OK, I think it is important for to me to give back. I was in another organization in Colombia and Philadelphia when I used to live in Philadelphia, doing the same types of activities. To have the opportunity, that’s the reason I do it. If I can change or help somebody, that would be good.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
My most rewarding part is after I help somebody and they say “I made it,” whatever “made it” is — maybe understanding English, or getting into a class, or getting their GED. That is very rewarding to me, that they can do it. That moment when people realize, Oh, with all the hard work I did, I was able to accomplish whatever it is they wanted to do at that moment.
Martha Alvarez-Taylor, left, attends an event for Women2Women, which offers resources to empower women in the Greater Reading, Pa. area./Courtesy Martha Alvarez-Taylor
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
You learn through the people who you help. Everyday you can learn something. Even if it’s small — maybe to cook something, “Oh, I never thought I could cook something like this,” or this [legal] process a lawyer taught me. I think that the learning process is daily, if you are up to that. You have to open your mind to see what is out there and see how the people are struggling. Even the people you are [volunteering] with in those organizations can bring something and teach you something. That’s the way I see it.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
My message I always say is with perseverance, you can do whatever you want to do in life. For me, it was to come to this country, work different kinds of jobs until I was able to work as an engineer again, and learn the language. It’s important. We left our home countries and we need to live and learn English to become whatever we want to become. I always say perseverance helps you to bring yourself whatever you want. It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it at the end.
Volunteer Helps Hurricane Victims Rebuild After Storm Damage
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Bill Hess. Read his story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
The most powerful storm ever to hit the Florida panhandle, Hurricane Michael made landfall on October 10, 2018. Just 2 mph short of a Category 5 storm, the hurricane’s extreme winds and storm surge caused catastrophic damage. After the school he taught at was destroyed by the hurricane, 44-year-old Bill Hess answered the call for help in his community.
As a volunteer with ToolBank, an organization which responds to natural disasters to offer critical tools for community-based organizations at no cost, Bill helped community members as they rebuilt in the wake of the hurricane. Empowering people to recover and reclaim their way of life, Bill provided equipment to dozens of individuals and used tools to make real change in his home.
What inspires you to volunteer?
There were people in our area that needed help (after Hurricane Michael). We were fortunate enough to have very little damage, and afforded the time and opportunity to help other people.
Describe your volunteerism with Toolbank.
As a volunteer with ToolBank, I would issue and receive tools to nonprofit organizations for storm damage repair. I would also clean the tools and conduct maintenance on them. I was known as the librarian of tools.
Bill’s volunteerism included distributing, receiving and maintaining tools to keep them operational for customers./Courtesy Bill Hess
What were the most common tools being borrowed?
Chainsaws and generators.
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
We were doing a community clean-up event at a cemetery in Lynn Haven, Florida which had been destroyed in the hurricane, and a retired Navy captain came up to us. The man explained that his wife was buried there, and he was quite emotional as he thanked us. As we worked to get the area back to pre-Michael conditions, it gave us a sense of pride. (Volunteering), it’s not about the tools, it’s about the emotional connection that made somebody’s day better.
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
A lot of us are fortunate. It’s our duty to give back and help people to make our communities better and stronger.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your service?
It’s rewarding when we tell someone that we can help them, and it looks like a huge weight has been lifted off their shoulders.
Known as the “tool librarian”, Bill says the most common tools loaned included chainsaws and generators. Bill Hess: “A lot of us are fortunate. It’s our duty to give back and help people to make our communities better and stronger.”/Courtesy Bill Hess
How have you continued to volunteer throughout the pandemic?
We’ve continued loaning out tools, and followed the CDC recommended precautions in issuing out tools and equipment. The area is still hurricane ravaged and we’ve seen side effects in local areas from other hurricanes as well.
In one word, what does volunteering mean to you?
Pride.
How can readers help?
There’s still quite a bit of damage to repair and we’ve seen a decrease in volunteerism because of the pandemic. For more information on how you can help, please visit ToolBank’s website.
Pintsized Giver packs a powerful punch for kindness
Meet Daily Point Award honoree Daanya Saraff. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Daanya Saraff noticed that there were homeless people on the streets in Washington D.C. when she was five. Her dad owns stores downtown and Daanya was alarmed to see so many people on the street in the cold. Of course there had to be something she could do to make a difference. Her first project was to give Christmas presents to kids at the Katherine Hanley Center, a gift of kindness that’s become a tradition for her, and her younger brother, Devansh. Her next move was to organize bake sales when she was seven, raising $250 for Ellie’s Hats. And the momentum kept growing, as she made a difference by distributing care packages to folks on the street, raising money for the No kid Hungry organization and distributing more than 2500 face masks, face shields and head scrubs to essential workers. Her rallying cry? Be Kind and Rise, the non-profit she co-founded with her parents to create volunteer opportunities for kids of all ages to give back to the community.
What inspires you to volunteer?
My mom and dad are my inspiration. They are always finding ways to give back to the community. Watching them do kind acts made me realize there is a huge need for kindness in the world. When I started helping others and saw how even small things can make a big impact, that keeps me motivated.
Describe your volunteer role with Be Kind and Rise?
I have been volunteering since I was five. I started sharing my birthday gifts with children at the Katherine Hanley shelter home, and now it has become our holiday tradition. Because of my dedication towards helping others, my parents helped me start my own non-profit, Be Kind and Rise. I plan different events with my mom and host them to raise funds to help and give back to the community.
When her six-grade class at Navy Elementary started school after being fully virtual, Daanya helped organize a thank you campaign for all of the school’s teachers and staff. /Courtesy Daanya Saraff
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
Seeing people smile and feel warm and joyful because of an act of kindness makes me feel content and happy. This is by far the most rewarding part of the work. This is a way for me to bring joy to myself, as helping others uplifts you and makes you a better person.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
First, that it’s a lot of fun helping others. I have also realized that there is so much poverty, homelessness and helpless people out there…more than we can imagine. I also have learned that there are lots of people who are willing to help others and bring positive change in their communities. I’ve gotten better in my people skills for sure – and I’ve ever learned some sewing skills from my grandma.
Are there any future partnerships, programs, or events that you are excited about?
Currently I am working on an appreciation project for teachers and staff in Navy elementary school. I am leading my Girls Scouts troop to create thank you bags for teachers to let them know that we appreciate that they all are working so hard and are so patient with the whole new virtual thing and we all love them! I am also working on thanksgiving meal prep bags for underprivileged families with kids in our area.
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
It’s very important because if even one person does something good, it creates a positive impact in someone’s life that could bring him joy. Tomorrow that person might be kind to others and this chain continues. If there are more kind people in this world, it will be a better place filled with love and peace.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
That it’s very easy to help others! There are million ways of giving back no matter how old you are or how much money you have. By helping others you are making yourself a better person, and the joy you experience is amazing!
Volunteer Supports Thousands of Families in Michigan Community
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Brenda Hughes. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Point of Light.
Brenda Hughes grew up watching her mother struggle to provide for her and her siblings. But she still remembers her mother always taking care of them — sewing clothes when they had nothing to wear, and making sure they at least had something to eat, whether it just be rice and beans.
Growing up with hardship and coming out stronger on the other side is what led Brenda to want to take care of as many people as possible herself, in the form of her nonprofit, Jackson Michigan Giving Back to the Community.
Over the past ten years, the organization has helped thousands of families in the Jackson area by providing food, clothing, personal hygiene items, and other necessities, along with a friendly face to offer them comfort and an ear to listen to.
“Seeing so many beautiful faces and the experiences of what they went through in life, it makes me want to continue to go on and let them know I’m someone who you can call home,” Brenda said. “Everybody can come in here. I call them family, so I treat them as though they were my family.”
Brenda was first inspired to take the next step in helping her community in 1992, when she started attending the Jackson Interfaith Shelter. Her experiences volunteering there made her want to help out on her own outside of the shelter, so she started asking people to donate clothes and food for her to give out to those in need.
For years, Brenda would tell those in her community that she would one day turn her donation collections into something bigger, and even have a building of her own to run her organization out of.
“Some of them would smile,” she said, “but my mother always said, ‘Brenda, you can be whatever you want if you put your mind to it.’”
Brenda Hughes, second from left, shows her support for the oncology unit at Henry Ford Allegiance Health as part of her pop-up We Care program./Courtesy Brenda Hughes
After running the nonprofit out of her basement for several years, Brenda was able to relocate Jackson Michigan Giving Back to the Community to its own building in January. Achieving this goal came at the perfect time for the community, right before the country was hit with the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic began, Brenda has helped an average of 300 families each week.
“I try to let people know that I’m here, and I continue to be here,” Brenda said. “I always tell people in darkness, light always wins. I’m here and I will continue to strive to make it better for them.”
Britany Marcia, the nonprofit’s treasurer, said it has been amazing being able to see Brenda expand her nonprofit’s reach even farther over the years. Britany said prior to having their own building, if Brenda was contacted by someone in need of food, she would go out to the grocery store to purchase the meals herself and personally deliver them.
With the renewed storage space, Brenda was able to hand out boxes of food to the community from her nonprofit’s building each week. She has since partnered with the South Michigan Food Bank in order to open a full food pantry, along with giving out the boxes every Friday.
If someone is in need, Brenda will find a way to help them no matter what, Britany said, adding that they have even helped pay people’s bills. She said Brenda never turns anyway away, either, and has supported people outside of Jackson who travel to Jackson Michigan Giving Back to the Community for help.
“I want people to know that she has the most amazing heart,” Britany said. “She would give anybody the shirt off her back. … I feel like if people could be a little bit more like her, the world would be a better place.”
Aside from offering food and clothing year-round, Jackson Michigan Giving Back to the Community also holds multiple events throughout the year. Before the start of this school year, the nonprofit held a fun event for kids, where 400 backpacks as well as outfits were given out to those in need.
Brenda’s favorite event would be at Christmas, when she makes a meal for anyone in the community to come eat, and gives away gifts for kids who are less fortunate than others. She said this event particularly resonates with her due to her own experiences growing up.
“When I was younger, I went through the same things that they did,” Brenda said. “I want to be able to bring joy and peace and happiness to someone else’s life.”
Brenda said she believes she’s seen a change in her community since starting her nonprofit and providing a place for people to go when they’re in need. She recalled a homeless young woman who came to Jackson Michigan Giving Back to the Community in January, looking for clothes to wear while she was trying to find work. In October, she returned to the nonprofit with a thank you card for Brenda, telling her that her kindness had changed the young woman’s life. Since receiving the clothing donation, she had found a job and a place to stay.
Brenda Hughes stands in the food pantry she was able to open for her community after partnering with the South Michigan Food Bank./Courtesy Brenda Solis
“I just cried,” Brenda said. “I still have the card. I said, I’m changing lives, and it’s a beautiful reward.”
Brenda collects the cards she receives, as well as the paintings and drawings given to her by the children she has helped. She hangs them on her building’s wall, and she said she is filled with joy when she looks at them.
As for her mother, Brenda said she is extremely happy to see what her daughter has been able to accomplish.
“She said, ‘Brenda, I knew she was going to be the one to change the world,’” Brenda said. “I said, ‘Yeah, Ma, I learned from your struggle, and I thank you for allowing me to go through those struggles to be where I am today.’”
Volunteering Teen Dynamo Sews to Serve Humans & Animals
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Ashley Nevison. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
13-year-old Ashley Nevison says her pet cat, Sargeant, was always happy and loved to play. Calling the kitty a role model for her own life, when her beloved Sargeant died, Ashley decided to give back by helping animals and humans in her furry friend’s memory.
Launching Sargeant’s Army in 2018, the 8th-grade Phoenix, Arizona student has focused on offering hope to those in need, whether it’s through her homemade cat toys and blankets which go to foster homes for cats and kittens who are waiting for their forever home, essentials for the homeless or most recently, masks for hospital personnel and essential workers. Connecting with more than 1,000 people across greater Phoenix and beyond, Ashley is following in Sargeant’s footsteps, by acting as a service role model to others.
What inspires you to volunteer?
I’ve volunteered ever since I was 8-years-old. The feeling I get whenever I volunteer is so warming, and it makes me so grateful that I’m helping someone in need. Sometimes, volunteering means you don’t know exactly what the individual needs or who you’re helping, but what you are doing is making a difference.
Describe your volunteerism with Sargeant’s Army.
As CEO and founder, I sew the cat toys, blankets and masks. I also create our Hope Bags, which are filled with hygiene items and distributed to homeless youth and adults across the state of Arizona. I also manage our social media accounts and produce instructional videos for Sargeant’s Army on TikTok, showing people how to make cat toys. Lastly, I write grants with the help of my parents, as grants are our primary source of fundraising. I’ve raised over $12,000 to date.
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
I was volunteering at an outreach program for homeless youth and I’d brought over 200 Hope Bags with me. It was such a rewarding experience to see their faces when they received these supplies, they were very grateful. These essentials, like toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, shampoo and comb, are items that you or I need on a daily basis to stay clean and maintain hygiene and be ready for the day. If you don’t have that stuff, it’s harder to start your day. Because of our service, they have more of what they need to help them get through the day. Moments like these encourage me to continue my service.
Ashley sews to serve humans and animals as she follows in her beloved cat’s memory to spread love and happiness./Courtesy Ashley Nevison
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
If everyone volunteered, the world would be a better place. No matter what you do, if everyone gave back to their community and was grateful for what they have, everything would be much better.
How have you continued to volunteer throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?
We have multiple sewing machines at home because my mom is a costume designer, and we use her fabric scraps to make the cat toys and blankets. When COVID happened, we wanted to help healthcare workers. Since then, we’ve donated more than 500 masks to hospital staff and essential workers. These masks have been sent across the country including to states like Hawaii, Florida, New York. In the summer, my friend reached out saying homeless youth were in need of masks, and I realized I wanted to do more for the homeless population, so we started donating Hope Bags, and we’ve donated more than 1,500 just in the last few months. I’ve continued to make cat toys as I’ve had a lot more free time on my hands. I am also making Kindness Rocks to spread inspirational messages or brighten someone’s day.
In one word, what does volunteering mean to you?
Hope. Whenever I’m volunteering, it’s my hope that I’ll put a drop in a pool, and then the droplet will make a wave around me, and everyone will be inspired to volunteer, and go on to make a bigger impact in the world, one step at a time. Also, I am serving people and animals so that they get a chance at hope for a better situation and to have everything they need.
When you’re not busy volunteering or at school, what do you do for fun?
I want to be a professional ballerina when I grow up, so I dance 20 – 25 hours each week at a pre-professional program. I also enjoy traveling around the world and learning about different cultures. I am also the Royal International Miss Arizona Preteen 2020.
How can readers help?
I am currently applying for grants to build a greenhouse to grow catnip to sell and donate to cats in need, and will use extra space to grow vegetables to donate to food banks. Please visit our website for more information about how you can help.
