Board Member Believes There’s No Greater Joy Than Giving Your Time
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Michelle Quisenberry. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Michelle Quisenberry wears many volunteer and leadership hats throughout Seattle. In each and every capacity that she serves in, Quisenberry is motivated to enrich her community in both big and small ways.
As a member of the Board of Directors and co-founder of two philanthropic organizations, Quisenberry keeps busy, but she’s learned that simple impacts can change peoples lives and feed her soul. Quisenberry has raised millions of dollars spread across the Seattle International Film Festival; the Museum of Pop Culture; the Seattle Women Inspiring, Rising, Leading; and Thanksgiving For All — and she has no plans of slowing down.
Describe your various leadership and volunteer roles across the Seattle community.
I’ve served on the Board of Directors of two nonprofit organizations — the Seattle International Film Festival and Museum of Pop Culture — and two grass-roots initiatives — the Seattle Women Inspiring, Rising, Leading and Thanksgiving For All.
I’ve been on the Board of Directors of SIFF for over a decade. In 2010, I founded Sip For SIFF, an annual fundraising event, and I’ve served as chair of the event each year since. It’s raised over $1.5 million since its inception. As a Board Member of the Museum of Pop Culture, I also help the Founders Gala Committee of The Founders Gala, which raises close to $1 million annually.
I helped create SWIRL in 2019 and it’s essentially an organization composed of philanthropic female community leaders. With SWIRL, we wanted to find a way to amplify the work of our network of female friends and community leaders and channel it into nonprofits we are passionate about. In the first year we threw a fundraising event and we raised $150,000 in just two hours. Our beneficiaries were the Enkosini Wildlife Conservation, which protects and preserves Africa’s wildlife and habitat, and the Children’s Global Health Guild, which supports the physicians and medical teams at Seattle Children’s hospital working to improve pediatric outcomes and healthcare systems around the world. This is a great example of friends wanting to do something together to enrich the community locally and globally, and shows that one person really can make a difference.
Thanksgiving For All began in 2010 with a group of friends in the restaurant industry. My husband, Chef Don Curtiss, cooks 30 turkeys with a team of helpers and we help feed around 400 people each year. We also help purchase new jackets, gloves, and socks for attendees with our community of friends.
How have your roles grown over time, especially at the Seattle International Film Festival?
The SIFF is a hidden gem of Seattle. I always loved attending every year and I always looked forward to it. Aside from my role at KPMG, my husband and I co-own a restaurant in Seattle. After we opened, I collaborated with SIFF’s artistic director to produce quarterly dinner and movie series events. We set a theme for each series, created a menu around the film shown and concluded with a discussion about the film. All of the money raised during these events was donated to SIFF. I joined the SIFF Board of Directors in 2010 after two years of raising money and went on to serve in executive leadeship roles including Chairman of the Board. Our next event will be in October 2022.
Michelle Quisenberry leads a Sip For SIFF Annual Fundraising Event, which she created in 2010 and has served as a chair ever since./Courtesy Michelle Quisenberry
What inspires you to volunteer?
I strongly believe that giving the gift of our time in addition to monetary support is vital to enriching our community. You get a unique sense of purpose that is life changing to those you help and to yourself. You can give back in both small and big ways, and it’s important to share your experiences, time, and talents with others to make a difference every day — even if it’s in small capacities.
Volunteering and giving back was important to my family growing up. I saw the impact that my Dad made on the youth that he mentored. I’m grateful to have a very full life and I strive to give back and make a difference- even if it’s a small one- every day.
What have you learned through your experience as a volunteer?
I’ve learned that simple impacts can change peoples lives and feed the soul. Thanksgiving For All is an example of this. It started organically with friends who wanted to host dinner and now it’s a meal event that also clothes over 400 people each year.
Why is it important for others to give back?
Each of us have unique talents and interests that we can share with others. We all have opportunities to nurture and build relationships with those who have shared passions, which can lead to life-long connections.
What would you want others to learn from your service story?
I would like people to learn that everyone individually and collectively can make a big impact in our community. Act boldly and be generous with your time. Supporting organizations that you’re passionate about not only enriches communities and impacts lives, but there’s also really no greater joy than giving. With SWIRL, a dozen women were able to raise $150,000 in just a few hours through shared passions. Nothing is too small when it comes to giving your time.
Are there any partnerships, programs, or events that you are excited about?
One that I’m most excited about is KPMG’s Partner Champion for Community Impact event for the Seattle office on August 2. Our company is celebrating our 125th anniversary with a national community impact day where every office across the country will volunteer either virtually or in person. I will be leading the efforts in Seattle and I’m very excited — It’ll be the highlight of my 2022.
Siblings Help Disadvantaged Kids Make Memories by Sending Them to Live Events
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honorees Jack, Ryan, and Marley Woods. Read their story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Point of Light.
Siblings Jack, Ryan and Marley Woods have always loved attending sporting events and concerts. After realizing many kids don’t have the opportunity to attend such events, they decided they were going to help create these memorable moments for them. When Jack and Ryan were just nine years old and Marley was seven, the Los Angeles-based trio founded Your Golden Ticket, a nonprofit that provides underprivileged children with tickets to live events.
Since 2013, Your Golden Ticket has sent kids to over 200 events that they wouldn’t have been able to attend otherwise. Each child is also given a ticket for a chaperone, transportation to the event, as well as spending money for food and merchandise. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and live events were put on pause, the Woods partnered with Netflix to provide free accounts to kids instead, and also provided multiple families with gifts over the holidays. Now teenagers, the Woods siblings are working to expand their nonprofit even further.
Describe what Your Golden Ticket does.
Marley:Your Golden Ticket is a nonprofit organization that we started many years ago. We started it to provide underprivileged children with tickets to live events. When COVID happened, it was very difficult for us to make these experiences happen. Now that the world is returning back to normal and live events are picking back up again, we’re taking that as an opportunity for our nonprofit to pick back up again as well. During COVID, we didn’t just stop with the live events. We also sponsored families during the holidays with holiday gifts, and we also partnered with streaming services such as Netflix to give these children opportunities to streaming services.
What inspired you to start Your Golden Ticket?
Ryan: We’re pretty fortunate and we’re lucky to be able to attend and afford tickets to live events. Growing up, we’ve gone to baseball games, soccer games, and football games, and we’ve had incredible experiences at all of them and had a great time going to them. To think that some kids don’t have that opportunity is really sad. One day we wanted to know if we could provide kids these opportunities they wouldn’t be able to have otherwise, and we were like, let’s do it.
The Woods siblings, who founded the nonprofit Your Golden Ticket in 2013, explain their mission./Courtesy Jack, Ryan and Marley Woods
Do you have a favorite event you were able to send kids to?
Ryan: There’s so many to choose from. Sending kids to the [National League Championship Series] games for baseball and also the [KIIS-FM] Jingle Ball was really cool, seeing those kids’ reactions and the smiles it brought them. Every experience is awesome for them.
Marley:I love concerts, so sending kids to concerts was really fun to see.
Jack: Sending kids to the World Series. They got emotional hearing about where they’re going.
How do you choose which experiences to send kids to?
Ryan: As siblings, we’ll get together and look up online events in this area, and events in that area. We’ll pick and choose which events seem cool. We’ll reach out to various nonprofits in those areas, and talk to them about the best way to choose kids to get the tickets. When we give the kids the tickets, we normally give them a ticket and give their chaperone a ticket, so they can host them when they go to the event.
Why do you think it’s important for disadvantaged kids to experience this?
Ryan: It’s something nice. A lot of these kids who we’re giving [tickets] to, they’re struggling. They have long commutes to school. They have troubles at home. They have money struggles. Being able to send them to the events gives them an escape, and a time to reset their brain, calm down, and have a positive opportunity to think about for awhile and use to push forward.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
Jack:The most rewarding part is seeing their faces and hearing their reactions.
Do you have any future goals for your nonprofit?
Marley: We want to continue to expand our network across the nation. We have a little bit, but we want to continue that across the U.S. We want to continue to get tickets in the hands of underprivileged children, because it really brings a smile to their faces and it’s so nice to see.
What is it like to be able to do this together as a family?
Ryan: It’s really special because we’re all working together. Siblings fight a lot but this is the one thing that brings us together. We get to forget about all the arguments and stupid things we say to each other during the day. We get to focus and do this together, and it’s really special.
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
Jack:I think it’s important because it gives people opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have. It’s a source of gratitude for my brother, sister and me.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
Jack: Anyone can make a difference. Put your mind to it and start doing it.
Once Homeless Himself, Business Owner Pays it Forward By Feeding New York’s Unhoused Population
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Hakki Akdeniz. Read his story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Point of Light.
Hakki Akdeniz’s ultimate goal is to remove the divide between the homeless and the housed.
The owner of Champion Pizza, a successful pizzeria with several New York locations, knows firsthand how easy it is to become homeless. When he arrived to New York in 2001 without shelter or support, Hakki ultimately stayed at a homeless shelter for 96 days. He swore that if he found success one day, he would pay it forward by taking care of others — and that’s a promise he has kept for over a decade.
“When you see 100 homeless people on the street, that to me is 100 different stories on the street,” Hakki said. “Everyone has their own story. I was one of them, I know. No one chooses to be homeless.”
After first immigrating from his home in Turkey to Canada, Hakki was drawn to New York by a friend’s offer to stay with him until he found a job. The situation fell through, and Hakki found himself on the streets of a foreign city with only $240 in his pocket and without knowing a word of English.
He ultimately ended up at The Bowery Mission, a nonprofit that provides food, shelter, and other services to those in need. With their support, Hakki was able to find a job and ultimately build a successful life, opening his first pizza shop in 2010.
Hakki Akdeniz, right, serves New York’s homeless population in the hopes of one day breaking down the barriers between the housed and unhoused./Courtesy Hakki Akdeniz
Once his business became successful enough to open a second location in 2011, Hakki began dedicating himself to those in need. He not only regularly volunteers to work in The Bowery Mission’s kitchen and donates pizza to them, he also donates to nonprofits such as City Relief and Breaking Ground.
Every Wednesday night and Sunday afternoon, he and his Champion Pizza workers set up shop around the city to hand out pizza, as well as other needed supplies like blankets and medicine, to anyone who stops by. During the summer, they may see up to 600 people in a day. They also make sure to hand out pizza for New Year’s Eve, Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July, which Hakki ensures are extra special by surprising attendees with gifts. And of course, he doesn’t turn those in need away from his pizza shop, offering a slice and a drink to anyone who is hungry regardless if they can pay.
“I thought my purpose was to make money and be rich,” Hakki said. “I found out my purpose was not about money. It makes me so happy when I go to the street and help spread assistance. It makes me feel so blessed.”
Aside from giving out pizza, Hakki gives the homeless community support. He talks to them, listens to their story, and in some cases, employs them at his pizzeria — including Eddie, a veteran, and Alex, a former TV producer who fell on hard times following the death of his daughter.
“Everyone on the street, they’re someone’s children,” Hakki said. “They have family. They are just lost. They didn’t choose to be homeless. They’re unlucky. I was lucky to find a job. If I didn’t find a job, I could maybe still be in a homeless shelter today.”
Once homeless, Hakki Akdeniz now serves his New York community by helping to feed the homeless./Courtesy Hakki Akdeniz
Susan Guzman, The Bowery Mission’s food service manager, said Hakki always comes in with a smile and willingness to help. She remembers that when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit and the nonprofit struggled to keep up with the new influx of people in need of their services, Hakki and his team set up outside and handed out pizza to every single person on line, which Susan estimated to be over 500 people.
But the biggest effect he has on The Bowery Mission community, she said, is the hope he gives them as someone who once lived there himself.
“I really feel that they’re happy he gives back, and that he gives hope the you can go from the streets and having nothing to being very, very successful,” Susan said.
Above all, Hakki’s goal is to inspire others to be kind to the homeless population, and to talk with them and listen to their stories.
“If you be kind, you guys may know another success story like me talking to you now,” Hakki said. “If we all be kind to each other, no one will be left homeless on the street.”
Volunteer Helps Keep Thousands of Low Income Seniors in Homes through “Neighbor in Need”
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Kyle Caldwell. Read his story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
When 58-year-old Kyle Caldwell started noticing changes in his Atlanta, Georgia community that put a burden on low-income seniors, he decided to offer support, street by street. “Our elderly can’t do for themselves anymore and they’re on a fixed income,” says Kyle. “Rising taxes put a really big burden on their health and wellbeing, and we wanted to be able to relieve that suffering.”
Founding Neighbor in Need, the organization helps low-income residents living in East Lake, Kirkwood and Edgewood communities make emergency home repairs. Connecting with thousands across East Atlanta in the past two decades and helping 40 to 80 families with costly home repairs each year, Kyle is helping to keep seniors in their homes and strengthening his community through service.
What inspires you to volunteer?
I’m inspired by the relief of the suffering of these elderly folks, because they’re terrified they have a roof leak, or are suffering because they have to carry hot water to the bathroom to have a hot bath. It’s very scary to own a house and have things go wrong with it and not have enough money to fix it. Through volunteering, we want to find a way to keep seniors in their houses for as long as possible without fear.
Neighbor in Need founder and president Kyle Caldwell volunteers to help low-income seniors living in Atlanta communities of East Lake, Kirkwood, and Edgewood make emergency home repairs./Courtesy Kyle Caldwell
Describe your volunteerism with Neighbor in need.
This isn’t all me. The work doesn’t happen without support from our neighbors in East Lake, Kirkwood and Edgewood. As founder and president of the organization, I keep the business running and help with different needs across Neighbor in Need chapters. My primary job is the intake of residents in certain neighborhoods. I’ll make the house visit, set the work up and ultimately, when the job is finished, pay for the work. To fundraise and raise awareness, I plan parties and social gatherings, and manage marketing and communication.
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
It’s the thank you cards. I’ll get a piece of mail out of nowhere, a lady has taken the time to write and tell me the impact [of our service]. One lady was 100 years-old, she was just spry, she’s a great lady. I knew what we did was going to help her stay in her home for a long time. We have people bake cookies for us (laughs) and do other sweet things. It takes so many people to do (the work), it’s amazing to me that we get so much support. It’s the way the community reacts to Neighbor in Need that is so humbling.
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
Nothing gets better unless we work together at the local street level to improve things. I’ve been in community service for literally 40 years of my life. We can’t wait on others to change things, we have to dig in on the street level, that’s why at Neighbor in Need we say we’re changing the world on the street.
How have you continued to volunteer throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?
We immediately had to pivot during the pandemic. We were getting calls from seniors saying they needed food and because they feared going into grocery stores, that was creating a lot of food insecurities. We assigned volunteers to families, and each month the volunteers would get food to deliver to seniors. Later when the vaccine came out, we set up vaccines for seniors, and volunteers drove their elderly neighbors to get the vaccine. We also worked with local restaurants to deliver meals to seniors, a program that supported our neighbors and restaurants.
Neighbor in Need founder and president Kyle Caldwell is helping to keep seniors in their homes and strengthening his community through service./Courtesy Kyle Caldwell
What do you want people to learn from your story?
Everyone is called in a different way. You have to be open to hear what your particular calling is. It may be sports, youth development, planting trees, or neighbors in need.
In one word, what does volunteering mean to you?
Gift. It’s a gift to me to volunteer.
How can readers help?
We would like to offer the opportunity to help people across the country. If you’re interested in starting your own Neighbor in Need program, visit our website and connect with us.
Volunteer Dedicates 20 Years to Helping Houseless Community Get Back on their Feet
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Mark S. Harris. Read his story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Homelessness can be what Mark S. Harris calls an invisible problem, even where he lives, in one of the wealthiest counties in the state.
As a volunteer for Family Promise Montco PA, formerly Inter-Faith Housing Alliance, Mark, an Upper Dublin Township, Pennsylvania resident, has spent the last 20 years providing opportunities for families in Montgomery County to achieve self-sufficiency through community-based programs designed to bridge homelessness and independence. Through volunteering, Mark has connected with hundreds across the county as he supports families in need and ultimately, empowers them to become productive members of society.
What inspires you to volunteer?
It’s very important for me to give back to the community in which I live. I have been given many blessings over the years and so I feel that it’s my obligation to now utilize some of those skills, ability and time I have to help those that have less than I have been blessed with.
Describe your volunteerism with Family Promise Montco PA.
I’ve been a volunteer with the organization for 20 years, and was previously a board member and board president. As a volunteer, I work as a fundraiser and congregational volunteer through Congregation Beth Or. I am an attorney, and also consult with Family Promise Montco PA in connection with various legal issues that may arise. Our services aren’t simply about providing families with shelter, but to help them get back on their feet, and ultimately, enable them to become self-sufficient.
Mark Harris: “It’s very important for me to give back to the community in which I live. I have been given many blessings over the years and so I feel that it’s my obligation to now utilize some of those skills, ability and time I have to help those that have less than I have been blessed with.”/Courtesy Family Promise Montco PA
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
The organization provides temporary housing for those who are homeless, and interfaith churches, congregations and synagogues are a part of that effort. Through my congregation, I have provided dinners to the families we serve who are in immediate need of housing, primarily single mothers with children, and it gives me an opportunity to meet and talk with them, and find out more about their situations, their needs, and how I can assist. It’s a very good feeling when you’re dealing directly with the individuals you’re actually serving, and to see how appreciative they are of how we are giving of our time to help them.
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
Today, when there is so much conflict, and so much disparity between those who have and those who do not, it’s very important for those of us who have had the opportunities to be helpful to those who have not been as blessed as we have been. To me, volunteering is a part of being a good human being to others to support them in their time of need.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your service?
It’s rewarding to know you are sacrificing some of your time to help others. Volunteering gives you a good feeling quite frankly.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
By giving back, volunteering, and providing your time, it fills a gap and it’s such an important piece of being a part of a community. Volunteering is filling that need in your local community.
In two words, what does volunteering mean to you?
Responsibility and accountability for your actions towards others.
How can readers help?
Visit Family Promise Montco PA’s website to learn more about the issue of homeless and how you can assist in providing to those who have less in your community.
Sisters Join Forces for Good to Enhance Economic Literacy for Kids
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Janet and Melinda Liu. Read their story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
16-year-old Janet Liu says she was first introduced to economics in high school, but Janet wondered why there weren’t any resources for younger students to learn about the topic. “Economics is something that’s very important to understand because the concepts all play a large role in daily decision making,” says Janet. “It’s a vital concept for younger students to get introduced to and bridge the economic literacy gap so they can be the best versions of themselves.”
It was when Janet and her 14-year-old sister, Melinda, found success competing in economics activities that they decided to share their passion with other kids. Co-founding Sunrizon Economics in 2020, the sisters are volunteering to help students K-12 become better decision makers, leaders, and economists. The Tarpon Springs, Florida teenagers have since connected with students across the United States, Europe, Asia and Canada as they volunteer to increase access to economic literacy.
What inspires you to volunteer?
Melinda: I’m inspired by the ability for my actions and initiatives to make an impact on others and the ability for me to share my knowledge and skills and transform that into an action for the community.
Describe your volunteerism with Sunrizon Economics.
Melinda: As co-founders and co-presidents, we develop initiatives including a book donation program, summer camps and the Sunrizon Economics International Economics Contest, identify new resources and opportunities for participants to learn economics, run monthly webinars, and manage and create content for our YouTube channel Wonderful Economics, which has more than 64,000 views. We have a handful of student volunteers, and have received more than $10,000 in donations to our website. We’ve also co-authored and published two economic books, Economics for Tweens and Elementary Economics.
Janet and Melinda pictured donating Economics for Tweens to the Palm Harbor Library./Courtesy Janet and Melinda Liu
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
Janet: We hosted our first international economics contest and provided very valuable opportunities for younger students and especially elementary school students to learn economics through resources like YouTube, webinars, and free books. After the contest, we received testimonials from participants saying they’d never known economics could be so interesting, and thanked us for the opportunity to gain knowledge. Many students don’t have prior exposure to economics, but we’re getting them interested, and it feels really good to be able to share my passion and use my current knowledge to create opportunities and impact other students.
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
Melinda: It’s important to use your passion to create action. Not everyone has access to, in this case, economic resources, so it’s really important to use what you know to help others.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your service?
Janet: It’s rewarding to see the impact on younger students. They are very excited and interested about topics we share with them, and are learning a lot throughout the process.
How have you continued to volunteer throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?
Melinda: Since we’re an international organization, we connected with members virtually, through webinars and contests. That helped us to connect with members worldwide.
Janet and Melinda pictured teaching an economics lesson./Courtesy Janet and Melinda Liu
In one word, what does volunteering mean to you?
Janet: Impact.
Melinda: Contribution.
When you’re not busy volunteering or in school, what do you do for fun?
Janet: I like working on different innovations or entrepreneurship.
Melinda: I love baking with my sister Janet, playing piano, painting, hanging out with my friends and walking in parks and around my neighborhood.
How can readers help?
We are spreading the word about our new contest series. Please visit our website for more information about how you can participate, in addition visit our YouTube page to check out our resources.
Volunteer Dons Princess Costume to Bring Cheer & Magic to Kids in Need
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Emma Winter. Read her story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Princesses, superheroes, fairies and more are the stuff of dreams for children – yes, some adults too, so when volunteer Emma Winter dons her character costume to bring those dreams to life for kids in need, it’s a magical moment.
As the vice president of A Moment of Magic’s (AMoM) Gonzaga chapter, Emma, a 20-year-old college junior originally from Lake Oswego, Oregon, is harnessing the power of creativity, friendship, and laughter as tools in healing. Through the organization, which provides creative programming to medically vulnerable children through character visits and other resources, Emma is connecting with her community to make magic for kids in need.
What inspires you to volunteer?
I’ve always been inspired by the people in my community because many people in Spokane are going through hardship. Seeing their strength and resilience inspires me to be resilient just like them.
Describe your volunteerism with AMoM.
We serve children to remind them to be brave, strong and fearless, and to bring a little bit more magic into their lives because the magic of believing is extremely powerful. As vice president of the Gonzaga chapter for A Moment of Magic, I assist in running meetings and help the executive board. I also volunteer as a character to make visits to children at hospitals, local organizations and at community events. We work with organizations including: Providence Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery, Catholic Charities Eastern Washington, Logan Elementary School and Wishing Star Foundation.
A Moment of Magic Gonzaga chapter vice president Emma Winter is harnessing the power of creativity, friendship, and laughter as tools in healing for children in need./Courtesy Emma Winter
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
During my first visit as a character, I was very nervous. We visited Catholic Charities Eastern Washington, where each month, they’d hold big birthday parties for children. There was this little girl who was crying. Obviously, meeting some characters can be overwhelming, but it took a simple game of hide and seek to get this child out of her shell and really open up to us. It was so impactful to see how playing pretend and talking to this little girl as her favorite character really put a smile on her face and distracted her from her situation. It made me realize how important our work is, and what the power of believing can bring to children who need it most because kids should not have to worry about anything else except being a kid. We represent hope, happiness and magic.
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
For people in places of privilege, it is so important to use this place of privilege to give back to those who might not be as privileged. We are a community and a community to me by definition is people who can band together and who feel connected to one another.
How have you continued to volunteer throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?
We were not able to meet in person or do in-person visits. Instead, we made the switch to hotline calls, where children and their parents or guardians signed up for a virtual video call with a character. We were able to reach more children that way.
You’re recognized for your tireless service, specifically amid the pandemic. Who inspires your volunteerism?
Mackenzie Richards, the president of our chapter. She’s always been so resilient and adaptable, which are important qualities for a leader, especially during the pandemic. Her passion has never wavered no matter the modality of our service.
In one word, what does volunteering mean to you?
Empathy.
How can readers help?
Please visit our website for more information about how you can help.
“STEAM For All” Volunteers Serve Young Minds Around the World
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Sabreen Alam and Pranav Moudgalya. Read their story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Teen volunteers Sabreen Alam and Pranav Moudgalya both describe the joy of watching a young student engage in STEAM education and grow from that experience.
As co-presidents of STEAM for All, the 17-year-old Irvine, California high school juniors are inspiring and instilling an appreciation for the sciences amongst youth. Volunteering with the organization since 2016, Sabreen and Pranav have helped to educate thousands of students across the United States and internationally.
What inspires you to volunteer?
Pranav: Seeing other people grow through my volunteerism is impactful. I’m inspired to see people go from uninterested in science and math skills to being really confident and enjoying the material later on.
Describe your volunteerism with STEAM for All.
Sabreen:As co-presidents, we lead the organization’s more than 190 high school student volunteers, organize weekly and monthly events and larger tournaments and hold fundraisers for larger events. Our weekly events bring together more than 3,000 participants each year from California to New York to Texas, and we’ve connected with students internationally including from China, Canada and Romania for global events including an all-girls math tournament.
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
Sabreen: When I first started volunteering, we taught students in underprivileged communities the fundamentals of logic and problem solving. I talked to one student on a weekly basis, and it was really exciting to see him grow and change and develop a passion for math throughout the program. That’s when it really hit me. We are making a very meaningful and tangible impact in our community through our volunteering efforts.
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
Pranav: Volunteering is so important because everyone is gifted a unique set of talents and skills. Through sharing, collaborating, and volunteering we’re able to engender community.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your service?
Pranav: Students often enter our program as 4th and 5th grade participants, and when they get older they become volunteers themselves. It’s inspiring and empowering to see them go from learners to leaders.
How have you continued to volunteer throughout the pandemic?
Sabreen: It was really difficult to translate our events and volunteer base to virtual because our events are very interactive and hands-on. Luckily we have a great and creative volunteer base that translated activities that could still engage and excite students. Now we’re successfully holding virtual events for thousands of students on a global scale.
Sabreen and Pranav have volunteered to educate thousands of students across the United States and internationally./Courtesy Sabreen Alam and Pranav Moudgalya
What do you want people to learn from your story?
Pranav: Volunteerism can be used as an outlet for individuals to help others, but also, service helps you discover a lot about yourself. Volunteering improved my leadership and interpersonal skills and really made me learn what I’m passionate about and how I tick.
In one word, what does volunteering mean to you?
Sabreen: Rewarding. I love being a part of the same efforts and programs that were given to me as a child and that helped me discover a passion for STEAM. It’s my duty and responsibility to provide the same programs to students so they can one day pursue their own passions.
Pranav: Inspiring. Seeing students benefit from service is the greatest reward anyone can ask for. So many students have told me they weren’t science or math people before, but now they’re interested in our events.
When you’re not busy with volunteering or school, what do you do for fun?
Sabreen: I love reading books, playing lacrosse, swimming, hiking, reading and writing poems.
Pranav: My biggest hobbies are spending time in nature, taking walks around my neighborhood, cooking – through mostly eating – vegan food, and watching Netflix.
How can readers help?
We accept high school student volunteers from all around the country. Please visit our website to learn more about how you can volunteer and create events in your own community.
Pastor Shares Love & Serves Community Justice to Uplift Families
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Kwame Crosby. Read his story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Pastor Kwame Crosby was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, but growing up in South Central Los Angeles wasn’t easy, and Kwame says he often offered smiles to what he calls “lost people” in his neighborhood in an attempt to brighten their days.
Co-founding The C.U.P. of Empowerment Coalition in 2018, Kwame is volunteering to help people in need “Raise Up Like Steam” through support with hunger and educational resources. The C.U.P., which stands for Community Unity Partnership, serves community justice in a variety of ways, from food distribution to after-school programs for children and resource centers for adults. Extending the support he offers by day as a pastor, Kwame is uniting his neighbors to address real needs, lifting others up with love one family at a time.
What inspires you to volunteer?
Growing up in my neighborhood, if people were walking around lost, all I wanted to do was put a smile on their face and let them know people cared about them. I’m big on collaboration and we just love what we’re doing to help others.
Explain the numbers behind your volunteerism.
There are more than 35,000 residents in the South Los Angeles neighborhood we’re serving, and according to a recent census, nearly one-half of all residents reported no earnings, and more than one-third of those households have children. Less than half of these same residents graduated from high school or received a diploma. The C.U.P. is there to fill in some of these huge gaps.
As co-founder of The C.U.P. of Empowerment Coalition, Pastor Kwame Crosby is volunteering to help people in need “Raise Up Like Steam” through support with hunger and educational resources./Courtesy Kwame Crosby
Describe your volunteerism with The C.U.P.
The people in my neighborhood were denied a lot of services because they didn’t know how to do certain things. We formed The C.U.P. to bring resources to them. As co-founder and chief operating officer, I recruit and encourage our volunteers. I also encourage the people in our community, and will walk throughout the neighborhood talking to our constituents. I do all the food shopping to make sure we have enough inventory and we host events including “Love In A Bag” which provides more than 250 lunches throughout the city to people in need, and “Day of Dignity” which offers services like portable showers, mental health services from the city and COVID testing to help people experiencing homelessness. We rely on grants to support our activities, but welcome donations. We have partnered with several community organizations including HOPICS.
Share one personal story with me from your volunteerism.
For The C.U.P.’s clothing distributions, our volunteers take the clothes to the cleaners so it’s on a hanger and clean. Youth will wear shoes just one time and bring them to us. When we hand the clothes out, people are in tears, not believing everything is for free. We do a lot of stuff under the radar, we just want the community to smile. Volunteering is what I was called to do, raised to do, and I’ve been doing it.
Why do you think it’s important for others to give back?
You can be in the comfort of your home or neighborhood, and when you come out of your comfort zone, talk to people and learn their story, it helps you to realize you’re helping them. Volunteering (allows you) to be in their shoes and help them lighten the load just a little, to move on a little bit longer.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your service?
It’s rewarding seeing people fulfilled. When we hand out food, people can get as much food as they want, and we give until it’s all gone. Sometimes people eat and then get back in line. We don’t know the next time they’re going to eat, so we don’t put restrictions on distribution. What I discovered is, especially for people experiencing homelessness, they take food to their partners that can’t get out.
How have you continued to volunteer throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?
People still had to eat dinner. We focused on the food part, and just tried to be as safe as possible. We provide masks and gloves along with food. We also secured several dates for free COVID-19 vaccinations for our area.
Kwame pictured at Day of Dignity./Courtesy Kwame Crosby
Name a volunteer who inspires your service.
The C.U.P. co-founder and chief executive office, Cynthia Hopson-Jones. Her heart inspires my service and she’s a phenomenal person. She carries blankets in her car just to make sure people have them, she brings tears a lot of times when she helps people. She pushes away her pain to help others, and she’s been an inspiration over the last couple of years.
Husband and Wife Give Back to Home Country by Educating Hundreds of Students
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honorees John and Joyce Wanda. Read their story and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Point of Light.
When John and Joyce Wanda immigrated from their native Uganda to the United States in 1996, they knew they wanted to one day give back to the country they were leaving behind.
The husband and wife had been some of the lucky few whose parents placed an importance on education and insisted they finished their schooling, which is what eventually brought them to their new home in Arlington, Virginia. While raising their four kids in the U.S., they were able to see firsthand how differently the American education system was set up from that in Uganda, where they sometimes didn’t have electricity, frequently didn’t have teachers and never had a school lunch.
So in 2004, John and Joyce decided that the way they would give back to their home would be by bringing an American-style education system to Uganda. That year, the duo founded the Arlington Academy of Hope, later renamed REACH for Uganda in 2020. The nonprofit organization provides an education to hundreds of students in rural eastern Uganda each year, serves thousands of students in other Ugandan schools via an outreach program, and also provides two medical clinics to thousands of patients on a monthly basis.
Each year, almost 1,000 students go through the REACH for Uganda education program, which includes a primary school and a scholarship program for those attending secondary school. More than 200 of those students have since graduated from university. John said most of the students who graduate from their programs return to their homes to work, further inspiring their communities to place a greater emphasis on education. Just this year, one of their students graduated with a post-graduate degree in nuclear physics, becoming the first woman to graduate with that kind of degree in their community.
John and Joyce Wanda, center, arrive at Arlington Junior School, the primary school they opened through their nonprofit REACH for Uganda with the goal of educating children in rural Uganda./Courtesy John & Joyce Wanda
“You can see a real change in the attitudes of the people and the way they do things, but also the way they take responsibility for their own lives,” John said.
Aside from the help they provide the people of Uganda, John and Joyce are also changing the lives of people from the United States. With the exception of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, John and Joyce travel to Uganda each year along with a group of volunteers, including a group of high school students.
“It’s really seeing what we can do in our own small way to help make a difference for the children who we left behind, but also one way of connecting the community where we currently live and the community where we come from,” Joyce said.
Anyone with any interest in helping out is welcome to accompany the Wandas on their trip. The volunteers help with community projects and the two medical clinics, which are both in hard-to-reach areas and have so far helped more than 30,000 patients.
The high school students who travel with them also meet with their Ugandan youth counterparts. Joyce said one of her favorite memories of her time with REACH for Uganda has been seeing American and Ugandan youths who have been corresponding with each other meet for the first time, and embrace as if they were siblings. John added that the volunteers come back with a different perspective on their responsibilities in the world.
“When they come back, they really are change agents in their own communities and their own schools to support the REACH for Uganda program,” he said.
REACH for Uganda Vice President Holly Hawthorne and her husband Dean Scribner, a REACH board member, first met the family around 2003, when the Wandas’ son attended Arlington Traditional School where Holly is principal. John had reached out to her to ask for the school’s leftover pencils so he could send them to a school he was building in Uganda. After hearing what John and Joyce were working on, Holly and Dean were immediately enthralled and wanted to help out.
John and Joyce Wanda, center, pose with some of the students they support through their nonprofit REACH for Uganda./Courtesy John & Joyce Wanda
Since 2005, Holly has traveled to Uganda to visit Arlington Junior School four times and Dean five. They described the trips as heartwarming, and the Wandas themselves as hardworking and giving.
“The saying that one person can make a difference — I think people say that but they don’t believe it. I am telling you that is the case with the Wandas,” Holly said. “It’s unbelievable what they’ve done, and the vision and drive they’ve had to want to go back and help their communities prosper and grow.”
John and Joyce are currently thinking about opening up their own secondary school in Uganda as well. Their ultimate goal, however, is to transform their entire community by becoming a model that can be followed by anyone who wants to promote education in their own area. To do this, they offer teacher training and showcase the aspects of their organization that can be easily replicated elsewhere.
“We feel the ultimate goal for us and for the people we work with, is that at the end of the day, we leave this world a better place than when we found it,” John said.
