Superhuman Service: California Man Does Good for Thousands After Personal Loss
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Yuri Williams. Read his story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
After a years-long battle with cancer, Yuri Williams lost his mother. And with that loss, his world darkened, the Long Beach, California resident says.
“I was in a five year depression,” says Yuri. “I work with children that have mental illness, and recognized (my own) depression through the work I do each day. I used to call my mother every morning to wake her up before I’d go to work. When she passed away, I’d talk to people during the day and then go home and cry for no reason, just thinking about my mom.”
Yuri, who by day works as a corrections officer with mentally ill juveniles, decided he couldn’t continue on living his life in a state of depression. As he was getting ready for work, he scrolled through Instagram, and spotted a post that intrigued him. That post was from Officer Tommy Norton, a veteran police officer in Arkansas who famously encourages positive community policing to his more than one million followers on social media. Next, Yuri came across the page for Hip Hop Trooper, a man known for dressing up in a red Stormtrooper costume and making a positive social impact.
Yuri Williams pictured with his mother, Lynda, at his high school graduation. After Lydna’s death, Yuri committed to helping others through volunteerism, connecting with tens of thousands of adults and children in need across the country./Courtesy Yuri Williams
“I saw these guys out doing this, helping others, and I thought I should be doing that too. Growing up in the 1980s, it was a loving time for me. People loved each other and they looked out for each other. I used to have leaders that I’d looked up to. I wanted to be the leader for kids so they could see how to do positive things and uplift their neighbors.”
At the time, Yuri had done homeless outreach and other volunteerism, but in the wake of his mother’s death, Yuri supercharged his service, launching AFutureSuperhero And Friends. Donning superhero costumes like Spiderman to Star Wars characters like the Mandalorian, Stormtrooper, Kylo Ren and Baby Yoda, even Marvel Comics’ Deadpool, Yuri has brought smiles to the faces of tens of thousands of children and adults in need across the United States. His volunteerism knowing no limits, Yuri has infused his service with superhero fun, improving quality of life and restoring the dignity of those he serves. Connecting with people in all 50 states on his ‘50 States Blessing Tour,’ an outreach tour he did not once but twice, Yuri is uplifting people by providing clothing, food and school supplies and raising awareness about underserved populations including the homeless, disabled, children sick with cancer and elderly veterans in need. Yuri says he’s not in the game for fame or fortune, rather, empathy is what feeds his desire to help others, his compassion and ability to relate to others growing after the loss of his mother.
“Anything I can do to uplift people in need, whether they’re rich, poor or just to bring a smile to someone’s face and uplift you. Kids really love interacting with the hero they see on TV. When they see me, the first thing they’ll do is smile. When I’m visiting children in the hospital, a lot of times I’m glad I have this mask on, because under it, I’m crying. But for the ten to fifteen minutes I’m there, I’m able to temporarily relieve that pain and make a difference. It’s that medicine of love being generated to them and being reflected onto me and carrying me onto the next day.”
Yuri continued giving back while many were shuttered in their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, giving away toy Baby Yodas for Christmas to disabled, sick or special needs children. /Courtesy Yuri Williams
More than a decade later, that desire to give back is still driven by the loss of his mother, says Officer Norton. The two have volunteered together in California and also in Arkansas. Yuri’s volunteerism, says Tommy, whether disguised in costume or not, is making people realize they have hope for a better life.
“His impact came on the heels of his mom passing away,” says Tommy. “He wanted to do something to honor her. When you have people that have a life threatening illness, or they’re down on their luck, and they see Superman come to their door, it makes other people realize they have a chance in life.”
While many were shuttered away in their homes in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic , Yuri was digging even deeper to make a superhuman impact in communities, including visiting Veterans Row in downtown Los Angeles to provide a hot meal and essentials to homeless vets and giving away 200 Easter baskets and 165 toy Baby Yodas to children.
“During the pandemic, a lot of people were hurting. I raised money to help people that lost their jobs. One child needed 21 different medications, and his mom didn’t know where to get that money from. On Veterans Day, we visited Veterans Row in downtown Los Angeles to provide a hot meal and essentials to houseless vets. There’s no greater feeling than giving somebody relief where they don’t have to wait until the next month.”
Like his outsized personality as a superhero, Yuri’s volunteerism knows no bounds, including his dream to one day establish a facility to host programs and activities for kids and adults in need, including an after-school program and free technology resources.
“I want kids to see they can make it in this world, no matter what people tell you. I come from the era of gang banging and a lot of kids didn’t make it. I want kids to see there’s more positive in this world than the negative that you get to see all the time.”
Through his volunteerism with AFutureSuperhero and Friends, Yuri is serving as a larger than life role model and leader for underserved kids and adults. Yuri pictured with his Kylo Ren and Deadpool helmet./Courtesy Yuri Williams
Yuri says he believes his mother would be proud to see the work he’s done in her absence, but that she’d be right by his side, encouraging him to do even more. That spirit lives within her son, as his mind never stops thinking about how he can make the world a better place.
“I stole this life motto from my mom (laughs). ‘If you’re breathing, you can’t complain.’ If I’m alive today, I’m able to get out and make a difference in someone’s life. Every day I’m alive I should be able to make a difference and make someone happy. You don’t have to be a big organization to help someone. You can hold a door open and say ‘good morning.’ You never know how that good morning could help save someone’s life that day.”
Student Pays It Forward through Hundreds of Hours of Service
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Jarrett Vitiritto. Read his story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Jarrett Vitiritto says the adjective he’d use to describe his service is ‘generous’, an accurate description for the hundreds of hours of volunteerism the 17-year-old Ankeny, Iowa student has committed in the last few years across countless projects and initiatives.
Giving back in ways big and small, the high school senior volunteers through the National Honor Society (NHS) and Silver Cord at Saydel High School in Des Moines, Iowa, a state-wide program that recognizes students for completing 200 hours of community service during their four years of high school. Lifting the spirits of sick children to serving patients with brain injuries and helping out at his local Animal Rescue League, Jarrett is making a difference in his community, one act of kindness at a time.
What inspires you to volunteer?
I’m inspired to volunteer because of all the hard work being done in the community around me. I attended lots of community programs as a child, programs and services which helped guide my future. Watching other kids participate in those programs now means a lot, because we’re successfully building community. That makes me want to give back.
Describe your volunteerism.
I began identifying opportunities to volunteer through the Silver Cord program as a freshman in high school. My volunteerism projects have helped the old, young and many in need, including:
Planning community carnival
Wooden Cross Project: I make handmade wooden crosses with my grandfather and donate them in gift bags to NICU patients and their parents at MercyOne hospital.
On With Life: Helped patients with brain injuries and neurological conditions, and honored healthcare staff by providing cookies and snacks and writing appreciation cards for Christmas and New Years.
Animal Rescue League of Iowa, Inc.: I’ve washed food bowls for the shelter and also initiated a towel drive to collect towels to be used as bedding for the animals.
In addition, I started volunteering through the NHS this year, my senior year. I primarily help with high school activities for other students, and am on the fundraising committee at our school. We raise money for programs and activities hosted for our school district.
Jarrett pictured with On With Life Executive Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator Ann Lenaghan. Jarrett has helped patients at the organization and honored healthcare staff by providing food and writing appreciation cards. /Courtesy Jarrett Vitiritto
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
When I was born, I was in the NICU for the first several months, and my mom received a cross from my grandpa during that time, so I thought it would be really cool if I did that for other moms. That’s how my Wooden Cross Project for NICU moms began. My grandfather and I handmade wooden crosses, and then put those in a gift bag plus a baby blanket, hygiene essentials, a head cap for the baby, stuffed animal, coffee mug and card. We got to speak with the coordinator at the hospital who was actually a nurse when I was in the NICU as a baby. She told us the mothers said our gift completely changed their attitudes, that the gifts were the positivity these mothers needed to help come up as their babies received care.
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
It’s important to give back because it shows gratitude. I am grateful for everything I was given when I was born. It’s good to go back to origins and where we came from to give support and encouragement to others.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your service?
It’s rewarding putting a ton of work into a big festival or any project, and seeing it be a success at the end. To see everything come together, and make a good thing happen, the feeling is just incomparable.
How have you continued to volunteer throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?
We started the Wooden Crosses Project around the start of the pandemic. When the pandemic first started, I hung a positivity banner outside my school building that said “We are all in this together.” I thought it’d be a cool reminder for people and families would be encouraged as they drove up to get their grab and go meals during the pandemic. I’ve also made fleece tie blankets for hospitalized children, and did several volunteer projects for On With Life. Our school has been in hybrid learning so in my free time when I am not working at my part-time job, I find ways to serve my community.
Volunteer Jarrett Vitiritto pictured with his grandfather, Steve. The two make wooden crosses to support mothers of NICU babies at MercyOne hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. Born premature, Jarrett is giving back to the facility that cared for him as a baby./Courtesy Jarrett Vitiritto
In one word, what does volunteering mean to you?
Meaningful.
When you’re not busy with school or volunteering, what do you do for fun?
I hang out with some friends. I’m into lifting weights. I’m also in a running club and a speed and agility club.
How can readers help?
I’ve helped my school district in many ways, including the technology, food and nutrition departments. Please visit the Silver Cord website for more information, or ask your school district how you can help.
First-Generation Teen’s Passion for Crafts Translates Into Help for Kids in Need
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Risha Manga. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Unfamiliar with food insecurity in her own community, 16-year-old Risha Manga says when she took a tour at a local food bank in Memphis, Tennessee with her mom, she realized there were many kids in the area that lacked access to food.
Volunteering to alleviate the greater issues underprivileged children face, Risha launched 901PLEDGE in 2014 alongside her younger brother, Krishnav, the two just elementary school students at the time. Turning her personal passion for crafts into compassionate service for others, Risha began making earrings and donating the profits to support community members in need including children and refugees. Bridging inequities and raising awareness about food insecurity and education inequalities, the high school sophomore is driving youth-led service to engage with children and give back to her community and beyond.
What inspires you to volunteer?
My family is from India and I am a first-generation American. I’m very fortunate to have access to education and food, but whenever I visit family in India, I see how kids are not as fortunate as me. That inspires me to help others, because I’m in a position where I can give back.
Explain how you turned your passion for crafts into service.
My brother and I learned about giving back to our community in school, and we were really touched by that. I first came up with the idea to start selling earrings and donate the profits back to our community. I’ve made more than 400 pairs of earrings, plus other jewelry like bracelets and necklaces. I make all the earrings out of paper by a process called ‘quilling’, and shape the earrings into cultural indian designs.
Describe your volunteerism with 901PLEDGE.
As co-founders, we fundraise through events held throughout the year, donating those profits to Mid-South Food Bank to help fight childhood hunger, and have also held donation drives including books and back-to-school which benefit refugee students through Asha’s Refuge Next Generation, which is an organization dedicated to helping refugees and asylees to achieve successful resettlement in the Memphis area. My brother loves reading, so part of our service is dedicated to helping refugee children achieve academic success through literacy. Next Generation helps to build cultural sensitivity and friendships across teens and college age refugees, and I’ve also offered ACT tutoring for those students. In addition to our own service, we’ve recruited more than 10 families to help us with hands-on service and to host various fundraisers. Together, we’re serving with the bigger goal of helping our community.
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
It can be very expensive to buy school supplies for children, and during our back-to-school drive, we met a single mom of five who had to buy supplies for all of her children. She was struggling to pay her rent and electricity, and our help meant her kids would have the pencils, erasers and more they needed for school. It was inspiring to see how we could help her so much. She just had the biggest smile on her face and tears in her eyes. Even without words, I could tell how much she appreciated our service. That was really heartwarming and humbling.
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
We don’t realize how we take things like food or education for granted. If you have food on your table and you’re able to go to school, you should do something as simple as giving a book to a book drive. Every little action will in turn make a difference in someone’s life.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your service?
It’s been rewarding to know how many people I’ve helped, and that I’m also inspiring other youth in my community to do the same. It’s amazing to see how excited people are to contribute towards various causes.
901PLEDGE volunteers pictured with the local fire department to thank them for their service. Risha volunteers alongside her younger brother, Krishnav./Courtesy Risha Manga
How have you continued to volunteer throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?
We’ve had to postpone some in-person activities, but as a result of the pandemic, we’ve also developed some new ideas to continue connecting with and helping people. We’re still making jewelry and selling them at local gift shops. In addition, we’ve held virtual baking classes and are donating those profits to Mid-South Food Bank. I’m also continuing to tutor online with Asha’s Refuge. Lastly, when many schools were forced to close their libraries due to the pandemic, I helped to organize a book drive to stock at-home libraries of kids from our local refugee center.
In one word, what does volunteering mean to you?
Inspiring.
When you’re not busy with school or volunteering, what do you do for fun?
I do dance and karate. I also like hanging out with my family and my brother. We’re really close.
How can readers help?
We’re always looking for new volunteers. Please visit our website and Instagram page for more information about how you can help.
Teen Provides Over 135,000 Meals to East Tennessee By Selling His Homemade Vanilla Extract
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree William Cabaniss. Read his story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Point of Light.
Like many who have explored new hobbies while in quarantine, 14-year-old William Cabaniss and his family decided to get into baking when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. He was making vanilla brownies, after having recently watched a news segment on how overwhelmed food banks were due to the pandemic, when it occurred to William that he could start making and selling his own vanilla extract to help raise money for those in need.
This led William to start the nonprofit Vanilla Feeds Tomorrow, which sells homemade vanilla extract and donates the proceeds to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, which serves William’s hometown of Crossville, Tenn. William makes much of the vanilla extract himself along with help from his friends and family. To date, the nonprofit has donated $45,000 to the food bank, which has been turned into over 135,000 meals.
Describe your volunteer role with Vanilla Feeds Tomorrow.
Vanilla Feeds Tomorrow is a nonprofit I started during the quarantine. I saw the need the pandemic was bringing upon people in east Tennessee and how food banks couldn’t meet the growing demand. I really wanted to help, so I got to work and I launched Vanilla Feeds Tomorrow. To date we’ve been able donate $45,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, and they’ve turned that into over 135,000 meals for residents.
What made you decide to sell vanilla extract to raise the money?
I’ve always liked vanilla extract and how it can bring flavor to baked goods, and I have a recipe I like to make called vanilla brownies. It was during the quarantine when my family really decided to get back into baking. I was making those one day after recently watching a news segment on hunger in our nation and how overwhelmed food banks are, the incredibly long lines, drive-thru food pantries, all these things. When I was pouring the vanilla extract into the brownies, I realized I could make my own and sell it and then I could help these people in need.
What inspired your interest in helping to fight food insecurity?
I grew up in a small town in Tennessee and when I was in kindergarten, there were kids in my class I would sit next to who didn’t have the luxury of going home to food. They would show up to school hungry. They were dependent on the free lunch, free breakfast, and backpack programs to get through the time away from school. Seeing the effects that hunger comes with really bothered me. I started donating my favorite fruit, bananas, to a local food pantry, and over time it has progressed to where I’m running a nonprofit to help east Tennessee. It really has just bothered me because no one should be hungry in the first place.
Why did you choose to donate to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee?
There’s three main reasons I choose to donate to Second Harvest, the first being their range. They effect so many food pantries, food banks, and other organizations throughout Tennessee, and they support so many different counties that they really can make a large difference in my community. They have programs dedicated to children, to seniors, to backpack programs. They have so many different ways they are giving back actively and you can really tell. The people there are so kind and they genuinely want to help, so it’s a great organization to donate to. For every dollar you donate, they can provide three meals.
In 2020, William Cabaniss donated $45,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, which translated to over 135,000 meals, with proceeds made by selling his vanilla extract. /Courtesy William Cabaniss
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
The most rewarding part of the work is knowing that this actually makes a difference and that it actually helps people in need. The satisfaction is from helping and seeing how grateful some people are.
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
I feel it’s important for people to donate and give back because before the pandemic, all these people were financially secure and they were set and they were stable, but when they got furloughed or lost their jobs, that all changed for them. It could have been you. They need your help so it’s important to volunteer and give back because it’s nice and the right thing to do.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
Whatever you want to do, make a difference. Small or big, it’s still a difference.
Artful Service: Teen Empowers Underserved Youth Through Fine Arts Education
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Miriam Yampuler. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
17-year-old Miriam Yampuler says art and dancing balances her life, but when the Houston, Texas teen was unable to afford her dance classes, she decided to dedicate her service to making art accessible to all youth.
Founding Inspiration Fine Arts (IFA) alongside friends and classmates from Carnegie Vanguard High School, Miriam is offering free arts education that emphasizes the importance of youth empowerment, inclusivity and diversity in the arts. Offering access to a top-tier fine arts education, the high school senior is helping students locally and has connected with more than 1,000 youth across the United States through online activities since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, spreading the positive influence of arts to members of her community and beyond.
What inspires you to volunteer?
My parents both had really hard lives, they are immigrants from the Middle East, and came to the U.S. for their education. Raised as a low-income student, I have witnessed people who are struggling, whether it’s from a lack of food or a lack of creative outlets. I’m inspired to volunteer everyday because I want to help struggling people and give them the same experiences I’ve been privileged to have.
As a co-founder of Inspiration Fine Arts, Miriam Yampuler is volunteering to offer free arts education that emphasizes the importance of youth empowerment, inclusivity and diversity in the arts. /Courtesy Miriam Yampuler
Describe your volunteerism with Inspiration Fine Arts.
As co-founder, I support youth underrepresented in arts by spreading awareness of the importance of arts and advocating its benefits. Through example, we’re teaching kids that they can enjoy art and be a good artist at any age, you don’t have to wait until you’re 40 or 50. I connect with organizations to offer our activities to more students and work with local student volunteers and teachers from across the state of Texas that help to facilitate our various activities and host online classes. We recently partnered with Women Inspiring Social Harmony to facilitate writing classes as part of our online curriculum, and we maintain partnerships with local and national organizations including the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
We host an annual dance camp where teachers from around Houston give completely free classes to kids, including underserved youth, and one student who attended had never danced before. I remember seeing this girl light up with joy when she experienced the joy of art for the first time at our camp. A year later, I ran into her at the grocery store and she told me she’d been taking dance lessons because we’d inspired her. Hearing that made me feel amazing, but also pushed me to help more students and increase our reach. If we can help one student so dramatically, then what is in store for us if we help more?
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
Everything is connected in community and you can be that beam of hope for someone. If you are privileged enough to have time, you should give back to people, because someone was gracious enough to help you get to where you are, and you should pay it forward.
Explain how your service builds communities.
We practice cultural awareness and offer chances to experience activities across various cultures like Bollywood, traditional chinese, Latin dance. Dance and arts is a method of communication, and if you provide a platform for people who are underserved, they feel they have a voice to share the things they care about.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your service?
It’s rewarding that we are making an impact and inspiring these students. A lot of our classes are taught by youth, for youth, so the students recognize they too have a chance to be an artist in the future.
How have you continued to volunteer throughout the pandemic?
I upload and edit videos that we then put online for students. Thus far, we’ve produced more than 150 hours of free online content, which is almost 70 videos, offering content and synchronous classes with artists around Houston so that students can learn the basics of art including dance, painting, theater, and more at home. In the future, we hope to expand our efforts and establish IFA chapters in high schools across the country.
Miriam Yampuler: “Dance and arts is a method of communication, and if you provide a platform for people who are underserved, they feel they have a voice to share the things they care about.”/Courtesy Miriam Yampuler
In one word, what does volunteering mean to you?
Connection.
Tell me a little bit more about your own interest in dancing.
I personally do mostly contemporary and lyrical dancing, but through IFA we showcase every single type of dance. My favorite dancer is Martha Graham, she is a modern dancer.
How can readers help?
We are planning a virtual speakers series this spring where we’ll host featured artists. We rely on donations to offer free activities to underserved youth. Please visit our website for more information about how you can help.
Ten-Year-Old Founds Nonprofit to Bring Light into the Lives of Foster Children Across the World
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Amelia Lisowe. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Point of Light.
When she was just eight years old, Amelia Lisowe was searching for a way to volunteer, but kept getting turned down by organizations due to her age. Not content to wait until she was older, Amelia started thinking of ways she could volunteer by herself.
Her brainstorming ultimately led to the creation of Lisowe’s Lights — a nonprofit started in 2019 that has donated over 6,000 nightlights to foster children in all 75 counties of her native Arkansas, all 50 states in the U.S., and three European countries.
Amelia, now 10, was inspired to start Lisowe’s Lights after her mother, who volunteers with foster children, told her that when the kids are removed from their homes and placed in foster care, many of them have to leave in the middle of the night without their things. Amelia figured having a nightlight could help the kids who are finding themselves in an entirely new situation to feel less alone.
“Whenever you’re in a new home or you’re in the dark, you feel kind of scared,” Amelia said. “The foster kids may not know who they’re with, and they’re in this completely new house they don’t know. I feel like a nightlight would help them feel less scared of the dark and more comfortable at night.”
Amelia’s mother and the nonprofit’s president, Lauren Lisowe, said she wasn’t surprised when Amelia told her she wanted to start Lisowe’s Lights because volunteering has been in her DNA since she was young. Lauren often brought Amelia and her brother along while she was volunteering, and the trio volunteer at the Arkansas Food Bank’s monthly family night. Additionally, Amelia performed at a local assisted living facility a few times a year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amelia Lisowe packs items to be sent to foster children by her nonprofit Lisowe’s Lights, which has donated over 6,000 nightlights and raised $50,000 in product donations./Courtesy Amelia Lisowe
“She understands the kids on a kid level, because she’s a kid,” Lauren said. “To her, the fact that they are foster kids doesn’t carry the same stigma that it does with some adults. They’re kids who are hurting, and she wants to go help them feel better.”
Lisowe’s Lights hosts packing parties every couple of months where friends, other volunteer organizations, and sometimes even other foster children will get together to pack the nightlights into their boxes and make handmade cards to go with them.
“It’s really fun to see all the people who come to volunteer,” Amelia said of the packing parties, which is the most rewarding part of volunteering for her. “Sometimes they come as families, and it’s really nice to see a whole family want to volunteer.”
The nonprofit’s goal this year is to hold ten packing parties and send out 5,000 nightlights. Amelia would also like to expand to more countries internationally. In February, Lisowe’s Lights received a KPMG Youth Grants grant from Points of Light to support a socially-distanced packing party, one of 35 grants given out to youth civic engagement projects across the country.
In addition to donating nightlights, Lisowe’s Lights has received over $50,000 in product donations. At the start of the school year, they donated duffel bags, backpacks, and lunch boxes to foster families. In May, they received a grant to help with COVID-19 relief, and used it to create “Brilliance bags” that they filled with themed activities and snacks to help foster families struggling to support kids while they were out of school due to quarantine. Amelia and Lauren delivered the bags door to door across Arkansas each week for a month.
Last year, Lisowe’s Lights held a princess tea party for girls in foster care. Amelia hosted the party, which included cupcake decorating, dancing, and an American Girl doll for each attendee to take home. The nonprofit hopes to hold another tea party this year, as well as an outing to a fire station for boys where they will receive Lego sets.
Amelia Lisowe serves as the founder of Lisowe’s Lights, a nonprofit to bring nightlights and support to foster children internationally./Courtesy Amelia Lisowe
“Seeing the reactions of the foster kids make me really happy inside, and I like being happy,” Amelia said. “Whenever I get those reactions, it makes me feel really nice, and volunteering just does that.”
Anyone interested in helping out Lisowe’s Lights can shop their Amazon wishlist or donate on their website. The nonprofit is also always looking for new foster care organizations to donate to and encourages anyone to send them recommendations.
“I’ve had a lot of people who have asked me, ‘How can I help?’ or ‘How can I do what you’re doing?’ and it makes me feel like I’m inspiring them by being a leader and showing them that they can really do anything if they put their mind to it,” Amelia said, adding, “I just want people to know you’re never too young to make a difference.”
From Florida to India, Teen Joins Fight Against Period Poverty
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Anagha Talluri. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Point of Light.
At just 14-years-old, Anagha Talluri is traveling the world to help fight period poverty — the inadequate access to menstrual hygiene products and education, as well as the shame attached to menstruating, that prevents girls from attending school. She is an active volunteer with PURE — People for Urban and Rural Education — a nonprofit that promotes empowerment through education on multiple issues including period poverty. Anagha travels to India every summer with PURE to participate in workshops that educate girls in rural villages on their periods and menstrual hygiene. Anagha has donated items to girls in Ethiopia and Uganda as well, and plans to travel to those countries with PURE in the future.
Through PURE Youth, the organization’s youth leadership program, Anagha established and fundraised for a period pantry in her hometown of St. John, Fla., that supplies pads, liners, tampons, bras, and underwear for Title I schools in the area. Anagha’s charitable acts don’t end at empowering fellow girls — last year, she led fundraising efforts to buy food and clothing for a family of four who lost everything in a fire during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Describe your volunteer role with PURE.
I work in a focus group called PURE Youth which focuses on empowering women and advertising our causes. I also started a period pantry which involves fundraising for pads, liners, tampons, etc., for schools that are in need of supplies. We have webinars every month. I also travel to India every summer, except for this one because of COVID, and I participate in workshops which involve speaking to young girls in India in rural villages who are misinformed about periods and menstrual hygiene. … [The] workshops include showing diagrams of the menstrual cycle and the system in our uterus. We also talk about stigmas and the prevention of using products that are seen as less-than sanitary, such as socks, plastic bags, and tissue paper.
PURE volunteer Anagha Talluri poses with a box of period products she helped collect to fight period poverty./Courtesy Anagha Talluri
What made you want to get involved with PURE?
It started during my summer trips to India where I got to meet in person these children who were so bright and were my age, but didn’t have the same resources that I had and the privileges that I had. I wanted to give them the same opportunities that I had and the same products for their health to stay healthy and continue their education further.
Why is it so important for these girls to be educated on their periods and menstrual hygiene?
In India, there’s a lower rate of girls attending schools because when they’re on their period, they feel ashamed to go to school. If we destigmatize their periods, they will feel more empowered to pursue their education and take care of their bodies and make sure that they can go to school.
Can you describe what you’ve done with your period pantry?
The period pantry involves us fundraising, usually through Facebook, and getting money around our local community to get donations for pads, liners, and tampons, and also bras and underwear, for girls who are in our local community in America, to get them the products they need. I started the period pantry just last year. We are sending them to Title I schools [in Florida] who are in need of them. We are thinking of starting in the nurse’s office or a place on-campus where students can get what they need.
For anyone reading this who might be from a place of privilege where accessing products may not be difficult or something they think twice about, what would you want to tell them?
We all understand that certain things in nature are inevitable. It’s not something that we should look down upon or look up upon. We should understand that this is natural. We need to help others who are silenced and who are marginalized and who are unable to get these products and this medical need. This is a medical necessity that people need. I want people to understand that this isn’t just some feminist movement or some radical idea. This is nature. This is life.
Are there any future partnerships, programs, or events that you are excited about?
Sometime next month or the month after that, I’m starting a Youtube channel called Period Talks, which involves me speaking to other influential creators and charitable people who are fighting period poverty hands-on just like me. … I wanted to find a more public place to discuss period poverty because it’s been so stigmatized and the more we talk about it, the more able we are to support and help others.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
I think the most rewarding part of my work has been going to India and seeing these girls in person and in the workshops asking questions and being so perceptive to our cause and our mission.
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
It’s important to give back not only to better yourself and better your connection with the world around you, but also to help others come to your level and be on the same playing field, because then that’s when individuality sprouts and grows and blooms.
During COVID-19 Pandemic, Teen’s High-Tech Service Facilitates Health Access for Seniors, Vets
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Arjun Verma. Read his story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
As the COVID-19 outbreak worsened in the United States, all but essential hospital visits were cancelled or postponed, physicians transitioning care to telehealth in a matter of days. At the same time, 17-year-old Arjun Verma began to contemplate how he could help those temporarily cut off from their routine in-person medical care, as his parents, both healthcare workers, described how the pandemic made it harder for patients without smart devices to access telehealth.
Co-launching TeleHealth Access for Seniors in March 2020, the Orlando, Florida teen joined volunteer forces with two co-founders, his older sister Hannah, and her classmate, and more than 400 student volunteers to connect seniors, veterans and low-income communities with repurposed smart devices to ensure access to physicians and healthcare and combat social isolation. Providing rapid response volunteerism amid a global emergency, Arjun has helped to provide digital connectivity and wellness to thousands across the United States.
What inspires you to volunteer?
I am inspired to volunteer because I knew there were a lot of people who didn’t have access to healthcare because of the pandemic. Our goal is that no matter their age, socioeconomic status or race, everyone who wants access should have access to telehealth.
Your sister calls your service inspiring. What does that mean to you?
As my co-founder, we get to collaborate and work together on specific things. Volunteering has made us closer in a way given that we get to work together so much.
As a co-founder of TeleHealth Access for Seniors alongside his older sister, Hannah, Arjun has helped to connect thousands across the United States to telehealth and wellness care./courtesy Arjun Verma
Describe your volunteerism with TeleHealth Access for Seniors.
We knew there were unused devices that could be donated to help others, so we decided to help connect communities in need to telehealth and wellness tools. As co-founder, I collect and keep track of donated devices including smart phones and tablets, solicit funds, write grants and help to manage our finances. I also help lead regional and national meetings with our volunteers. We’ve connected hundreds of teens for a common purpose to support those in need, and have raised more than $180,000 thus far, donating over 3,000 devices to seniors, low-income patients and veterans at more than 100 clinics across the U.S. including in Florida, California and Connecticut.
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
In my grandparents case, on one side, they both have diabetes and need constant medical checkups with doctors. I know they sometimes struggle with technology, and during the pandemic they were relying on essential virtual healthcare. I realized that someone else’s grandparent could be in a similar situation. We primarily donate smart devices and tablets to health and VA clinics, and many clinics have told us stories of patients who are grateful for our help, as they didn’t otherwise have access to devices.
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
We all take something from society, whether that’s education or getting from our parents. We have an obligation to reciprocate and give back to the community as well.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your service?
It’s rewarding knowing that we’re helping to save a life or conduct essential health care with a device that maybe wasn’t even being used or was useless, making a meaningful impact.
Arjun pictured dropping tablets to a local health clinic that serves underserved populations./Courtesy Arjun Verma
What’s in the future for your service?
Inevitably, virtual healthcare is going to be a part of our future. Telehealth is much more convenient and connects many rural patients who don’t receive routine care. We hope to reach a total of 5,000 donated devices by the end of 2021.
In one word, what does volunteering mean to you?
Rewarding.
When you’re not busy with school or volunteering, what do you do for fun?
I am part of the debate team at my school. I follow the NBA and I root for Orlando Magic.
How can readers help?
We can make local pick-ups or receive donations of smart phones and devices. We also welcome monetary donations. Please visit our website for more information about how you can help.
Volunteer Spreads Love for Learning with Students Across Arizona
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Suraj Puvvadi. Read his story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
As a middle school student, Suraj Puvvadi’s love for learning was encouraged in part by a dedicated calculus teacher who played a significant role in the Scottsdale, Arizona teen’s learning experience. The now 17-year-old is volunteering to highlight the value of education and motivate other students to reach their goals.
Focusing on various educational initiatives, Suraj tutors and serves as a role model to students K-12, including at his own school, BASIS Scottsdale. Volunteering hundreds of hours and making connections across the state of Arizona, Suraj is getting kids excited about education and inspiring students to reach their academic and personal goals.
What inspires you to volunteer?
Learning, being curious and engaging with others is how to be a powerful attribute to society. I am motivated to teach other people, regardless of age and demographic, because through the powerful tool of learning, you are a part of someone’s educational journey.
As a student leader who loves learning, Suraj Puvvadi volunteers to reciprocate his passion for education and to help students reach their academic goals./Courtesy Suraj Puvvadi
Describe your education-focused volunteerism.
My service is centered around helping others to reach their goals. I am a high school senior at BASIS Scottsdale, where I also currently volunteer as a teaching assistant and peer tutor. I previously volunteered at KUMON to tutor students in advanced math and reading.
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
As a calculus teaching assistant, I work to get students interested in academics by using personal experiences or anecdotes. Many students I tutor want to get better grades, and I help make that process go from tedious or boring to more enjoyable by making it fun, and giving these students a new perspective on subjects as they continue their educational journey. Through my volunteerism, these students can elevate their grades, but it’s also very heartwarming to pay it forward. I’ve been given a lot of great educational resources, and by making an impact one-on-one, I can in turn be a role model to kids.
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
Everyone should embrace the volunteer attitude and give back in whatever way they can. Service is a civic responsibility, even if it’s as simple as helping someone with a math problem or as global as being a part of a health task force. With more volunteers, we could really make a difference.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your service?
Even more than the tangible impact, it’s been rewarding to see the personal impact I can make. Tutoring a student who once saw homework as a chore and changing their perspective so they now see it in a new light revitalizes their love for learning. It’s rewarding for me to spark that love for learning.
How have you continued to volunteer throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?
I now virtually peer tutor and serve as a teaching assistant. But the scope of my volunteerism has actually broadened as a result of the pandemic. I’m able to focus on calculus, but also help students in other topics because of the different programs students are now receiving.
In two words, what does volunteering mean to you?
Compassion and care. My service is conducted within the context that every single thing we get is because of what other people in our community are doing in turn for us, whether it’s teachers or doctors. It’s the work these people are doing that makes us who we are.
When you’re not busy with school or volunteering, what do you do for fun?
I skateboard a lot, especially during the quarantine. I recently started watching more basketball and football. I also do research in my spare time and hang out with friends, virtually of course.
How can readers help?
If you’d like to help in your own community, please connect with your teachers and school leadership to ask how you can make an impact.
From Heart Disease to Refugees, Volunteer Gives Back to Causes Across the Globe
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Mikell Reed Carroll. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Point of Light.
After growing up in an economically-disadvantaged family, Mikell Reed Carroll realized as an adult that she wanted to give back to others as much as she could, to pay forward those who had helped her family when they were in need. In the past decade, she has done just that, volunteering for numerous causes that are near and dear to her. She has been an active volunteer for the American Heart Association for over eight years, serving as a social media ambassador and organizing National Wear Red days all over the world. She has also volunteered since 2016 with Wreaths Across America, which coordinates wreath-laying ceremonies for veterans.
After her husband was assigned a work post in Croatia in 2017, Mikell began looking for ways she could volunteer there, particularly wanting to do something to help with the major refugee migration crisis in the Balkans. Her research led her to Refugee Aid Serbia, an NGO that supports refugees and asylum seekers across Serbia, as well as The Workshop, the organization’s community center which provides an educational space for refugees in Belgrade. Mikell has led multiple donation drives and collected more than $10,000 in much-needed items and supplies to be distributed to refugees. She also completed a donation drive for the Red Cross in Croatia, collecting baby items for refugee centers. Now living in Belgrade, Mikell hopes to be able to volunteer with The Workshop in person once it is safe to do so, as the center is mainly operating virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mikell Reed Carroll, bottom row, tenth from left, poses for a photo of National Wear Red Day participants in Nicaragua./Courtesy Mikell Reed Carroll
Describe your volunteer work with the American Heart Association.
I’ve been volunteering with the American Heart Association for about a little over eight years now. It’s something that I’m always involved with, both the American Heart Association in Maine where I’m originally from, and also in D.C. since I’m often in D.C. every couple of years. I do everything from being a social media ambassador with them, to organizing National Wear Red Days all over the world. I’ve organized National Wear Red Days to spread awareness on heart disease in the U.S., Vietnam, Croatia, and Serbia. I have a long family history of heart disease, including my mom who’s had two heart attacks, so that’s one of the reasons I’ve gotten involved with the Heart Association. I’ll probably be involved with the Heart Association for the rest of my life and hopefully will be able to volunteer in person with them when we’re back in the U.S. in a couple of years. When we were living in the U.S., I was always volunteering at events for the Heart Association, whether that be the Go Red for Women movement, the Heart Ball, or a number of different fundraisers they do in the D.C. area. I often get called to help them do events PR, demonstrations, and help them with different television appearances and things like that as well.
How did you start volunteering with Refugee Aid Serbia?
At the time [that I was looking for volunteer work overseas] I had been hearing quite a bit about the major refugee migration crisis going on all over the world and particularly in Europe, in the Balkans. I started researching if there were any refugee agencies in Croatia. I didn’t really find anything in Croatia that I could get involved with, and then I found the Refugee Aid Serbia website and Facebook page. They seemed really reputable and it seemed like they were doing great things. They had The Workshop that they ran in Belgrade at the time, which is where refugees almost every day of the week are taught Serbian, English, French, German, math, and any number of other subjects that they had volunteers to teach. In addition to that, at the time they were also traveling to refugee camps around Serbia and delivering needed items. I was interested after having seen the plight of refugee children. I had read some article at the time that there were a number of people sleeping in tents in the woods during the winter in Europe and it was really sad to me, so I wanted to see if there was anything I could do. … They let me know that they definitely had a need and told me a lot of winter items, clothing, blankets, shoes, boots, those types of things, as well as items for those in the refugee camps. They were also interested in items for The Workshop — games, toys, books, learning activities, art supplies, things that they were in short supply of.
What did you do to help out Refugee Aid Serbia?
I started a donation drive. I started contacting friends, family. I set up a wishlist on Amazon of items and had them ship to me, and then when we moved, we took all the items. We had brand-new winter coats, clothing, winter boots, all sorts of things like that. In addition to that, I’m from Maine, and I volunteered for a number of years at a place called the Bath Area Senior Center where my mom both works and volunteers. There is this great group of people called the Witty Knitters. They’re a group of senior citizens who knit up a storm. They’re always knitting and they do it for a number of different causes. I thought what a great idea it would be if they could knit some hats and things like that. My mom started collecting the items and then sending them to me, and when we came to visit before we moved to Croatia, we literally came home to hundreds and hundreds of items hand-knit by these senior citizens from my hometown. It was amazing.
We moved to Croatia around August 2017, and it was in October 2017 that we made our trip to Serbia. We loaded up our truck full of all the things we collected and drove to Serbia and visited the Refugee Aid Workshop for the first time. … They were so grateful for all the art materials and things for The Workshop, as well as all of the items they were able to take to refugee camps. I think at the time we had about $5,000 in donations. There were 30 brand new winter coats and of course all these amazing hand-knit items and things like that. That’s been a lot of my volunteer work with Refugee Aid Serbia. I’ve done more donation drives and of course the Witty Knitters continue to knit things. We did another big trip to Serbia in August 2019, which is about a year before we actually moved there for our post now, with more donations. We collected another nearly $5,000 worth of donations at that point. The second time it was more supplies for The Workshop, as well as items like shampoo and things like that, so people coming into The Workshop could access them. They have an area where they keep hygiene items available for people if they need them to take back to the camp. I enjoy hosting parties and events, so I hosted an ice cream party for the volunteers there and for anyone coming into the center that day.
What have you done for Wreaths Across America?
I volunteered with them in Arlington, Virginia around 2016. Being that I’m from Maine — the wreaths actually originated in Maine — and my husband is a veteran in the Marine Corps, so that’s something that stuck out to me. I went to Arlington and helped lay wreaths there. Last year while here in Europe, they were doing a wreath laying in Luxembourg at the American Cemetery there, so I flew out to Luxembourg and volunteered to lay, which was one of the most amazing Wreaths Across America experiences I’ve had. … Recently while we were back in the U.S. for the holidays, I was able to volunteer in person in Maine to lay wreaths in Portland. Of course it was very small compared to what we normally do because of COVID, but I was grateful to have any in-person volunteering experience considering what’s going on right now.
Mikell Reed Carroll is a passionate volunteer for numerous organizations, including the American Heart Association, Refugee Aid Serbia, and Wreaths Across America./Courtesy Mikell Reed Carroll
What inspires you to volunteer in so many different ways?
I personally grew up in an economically-disadvantaged family. I think one of the things I realized as I got older and finally came into my own and was in a comfortable place in my life, is that now I have so much. I feel I was given a lot and my family was helped out a lot when we were in that situation, so as a result I always wanted to volunteer and do things where I can give back, but for causes that I’m really interested in. With the American Heart Association, it’s having a passion for advocating healthy lifestyles due to my family history. With refugees, it’s something that resonated with me because of being a mom and thinking about people in those situations. I’ve been involved in a number of other organizations over the years. It’s just things that strike me as something I’m concerned about, or I know someone maybe who’s been affected by certain problems, so I want to get involved. More than anything I feel like I should be giving back. I have a lot, so why not be giving back to others?
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
I think it’s seeing how happy people are. With these donation drives, I don’t necessarily get to see the people when they’re receiving things, but even just the people at the organizations when they receive these items are so happy to see them and also happy that people care. Refugee Aid Serbia is a really small organization. They’re not a huge nonprofit. They don’t have a lot of funding and they certainly don’t have a lot of recognition nationally, so that’s something I would love to shine a spotlight on. … I encourage people to get involved especially with different organizations for the lesser-known nonprofits.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
I think especially during this time, in the midst of a pandemic, when we all sort of can’t help but be concentrated on our own families, it’s such a realization there’s a larger world out there. No matter what, things are still happening, people still need your help. I think sometimes you feel the most satisfaction when you go outside of yourself and realize what you can do for other people, especially during this time, and frankly it helps take you mind off your problems and it helps put them in perspective.
