Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Vanessa Li. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Vanessa Li found her confidence while empowering other young people to get the vote. At 16, she saw there was a severe lack of youth representation in the local government and decided to do something about it. During her sophomore year of high school, Vanessa’s local county board of commissioners faced the issue of whether or not they wanted to raise taxes to increase funding for the school system. But as a student, Vanessa realized she had no capacity to vote on the issue. Watching community members with the right to vote speak in favor of lowering their taxes was troubling, particularly because they weren’t even members of the school system. It was then that Vanessa realized that she needed to participate from within the system in order to make systemic change. She established Vote16MD, a youth-led, non-partisan campaign advocating to lower the voting age to 16 and 17 in local Maryland elections.
While establishing the organization was a success, it didn’t mean Vanessa wouldn’t face an uphill battle. It was then that Vanessa learned that creating change requires persistence and resilience. She was frequently told by adult leaders that her ideas were almost childish, and the group wasn’t taken seriously because of their age. Defeating the skepticism around lowering the voting age and youth suffrage is a frequent battle, and it’s something people are apprehensive about. Still, Vanessa and her team fight on. In under two years, they have led voting reform in College Park and Berwyn Heights, enfranchising over 3,000 youth. They’ve authored state legislation, hosted statewide conferences and have even been featured in the New York Times.
Vanessa commits over 50 hours per month to Vote16MD, all while preparing to graduate from high school this spring. When she graduates and attends college in the fall, she intends to major in public policy and education with a specialization in civic engagement. She hopes to work in policy upon graduation and eventually become a lawyer. While her journey with Vote16MD has already laid the groundwork to empower young people for the future, it’s likely we’ll hear lots more from Vanessa as she continues to change the world in the future. Her dedication to volunteer work is a powerful example of how people can change the world through volunteerism, no matter their age.
What inspires you to volunteer?
My parents are public servants, so I’ve always been a person who’s civically engaged and sees the value in civic involvement and advocacy. This issue matters a lot to me because it’s all about representation and impact. Policies about our schools, funding and local governance matter so much to us, because it directly impacts us. In general, being of help to youth, specifically on the advocacy and legislative sides, is where I really put in my volunteer efforts, and that’s where I find the most meaning in my life.
Tell us about your volunteer role with Vote16MD.
I currently serve as the director and co-founder of Vote 16 Maryland. As director, I lead the legislative and grassroots efforts across the state of Maryland. I help testify before boards and collaborate with our municipal youth leaders to pass policies. I also manage regional chapters in 16 counties with over 160 youth organizers. I’ve been able to oversee federal and state advocacy days, work on civic podcasts with notable leaders, including Mary Beth Tinker. I’ve also been able to work on county-specific campaigns, so it’s been really exciting. My work overall focuses on establishing lifelong voting habits by empowering 16- and 17-year-olds to have a say in things that affect them.
What inspired you to get started with this initiative?
When I was a sophomore in high school, our county board of commissioners faced the issue of whether or not they wanted to raise taxes to increase funding for our school system. Being a student with no tangible impact or voice, it was really difficult to watch community members go up and advocate for lower taxes because they were not in the school system. It was easier for them to advocate for their own interests. But being a student myself, and just like my peers, it was really difficult to sit there and just watch. There’s nothing you can really do besides lobby and testify. That’s the extent that a student or a teenager can go to. I realized that if the problem was systemic, then the solution must be systemic as well. In 2013, Maryland and Takoma Park lowered their voting age, and I wanted to reinvigorate that movement.
What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?
Our long-term vision is to expand youth enfranchisement across all of Maryland and strengthen our civic engagement broadly. We’re also working toward lowering the voting age in two municipalities by 2026 by the end of this year, and four by 2028, so we’re trying to double our impact over the next couple of years. Right now, we’re working on lowering the voting age in Howard County Board of Education elections. There is a piece of legislation that’s going through the Maryland General Assembly at this moment, so we’re really excited. But at the same time, we’re also working to build a leadership apparatus that allows us to continue our project.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
The most rewarding part has been seeing the direct impact on other young people. When other school directors come up to me and thank me for giving them the opportunity to meet this coalition, it’s inspired me to be more confident in my public speaking skills when I’m testifying. It’s inspired me to start my own coalition. Seeing when College Park lowered the voting age and implemented it back in September of last year, and seeing local teens going to the polls and watching it on the news, was so rewarding. I could actually make a difference. Seeing the tangible effects of everything coming together was really rewarding. That sense of empowerment for others has been really cool to see.
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?
Getting involved creates change in a field of representation where it doesn’t exist. My co-founder and I started as two young advocates from different points in the state because we felt unrepresented where we were. Through our action, emailing, cold calls, countless meetings, countless written testimonies sent in and recruiting students all across the state, we realized that it’s possible to create representation for ourselves, and that was really empowering. Taking the initiative can open doors for others. Not only are we able to empower others, but we were also able to show people that youth are so much more capable than they think they are.
Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?
When I first wrote about Vote16, I thought it was so far-fetched. But it can actually happen. Pushing through and being so passionate about what matters to you will take you far. Having a lot of confidence and being so open about what you care about will take you far. People who are actually passionate will take action to the farthest it can go. I’m really grateful that through this coalition, I’ve been able to build that confidence in myself.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
I want people to learn that no matter where you come from, you can still create an impact. I’m from a small part of southern Maryland, and we lowered the age in College Park, which is hours away. We lowered the voting age in Berlin Heights, as well. Seeing that ripple effect was really cool. You don’t have to come from a lot and you don’t have to have a lot in the first place to make a change in other people. You can just start with an idea, and you can just start with a hustle and that can take you a long way.
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Manya Mohan. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
When she was a child, Manya Mohan volunteered to pack meals for distribution to those facing food insecurity, but the gravity of what she was doing didn’t fully sink in until much later. It was only after seeing hunger firsthand on a trip abroad that she understood the difference a meal could make. But that’s not all. She also realized that being unable to access food isn’t just a foreign problem. It affects people in her own town.
A year and a half ago, Manya founded Bites Beyond Borders to address it. Now, she provides funding and volunteer power to initiatives focused on food insecurity year-round, engaging more than 200 people from across the county to help. For example, the organization has supported a local ROTC group in distributing 1,000 warm meals to unhoused veterans.
Manya is a member of the Youth Commission for her city government where she listens to community members talk about issues and focuses on solutions for young residents. She also listens for problems she might not be able to solve on the commission, but for which Bites Beyond Borders can step in.
Now a 17-year-old college freshman, Manya is working towards a career in international relations, in which she can use her empathy and understanding of the world to build bridges and enhance cooperation across borders.
What inspires you to volunteer?
I’ve been volunteering since elementary school with a local meal packing organization. At the end of ninth grade, I got to travel throughout India before my family moved. I saw firsthand how many people are affected by lack of access to food. Until then, when I’d packed meals, I didn’t think too much about it; it was just this thing that we did.
When I came back, I realized that it wasn’t something that just happens across the world. It happens in my own neighborhood, and it’s something many of us have been ignorant of. That’s what inspired me to start the organization.
Bites Beyond Borders volunteers pack meals for people facing food insecurity.
Tell us about your volunteer role with Bites Beyond Borders.
Right now, we’re working to open up mini food pantries in places like our local community colleges that we’ll help keep stocked. After government cuts in SNAP funding, a lot of pantries around us shut down permanently. With low local funding and not being a priority, many had few other options. I’m also on the Youth Commission, so I hear about issues through that, too, like how it was affecting families that relied on these facilities.
My day-to-day involves planning that, reaching out to people, attending local events and trying to find opportunities for funding. We’ve received some great grants, but most of our funding is from going to the farmers market, setting up stands and talking to people. I also identify people in our community who need support and figure out how we can help them. We’ve even partnered with the organization I’ve volunteered for since elementary school and have packed meals for more than 18,000 people in the Caribbean.
What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?
My priority is getting those food pantries off the ground. We’d also love to have more members and to expand nationally and even internationally. This is something I want to do for many years to come.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
We’re in a time where hope can be lost. Seeing how many people are willing to help, how many people have donated or spread the word has been so rewarding. Everyday people really do care, and everyone wants to make an impact.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
Don’t be put off by rejection. I started this organization as a school project, and for that, you need an advisor. I was new to the school, so I didn’t know anybody. Every lunch break, instead of going out to eat, I’d pick a school building and knock on every door to pitch them my idea. I thought someone would say yes immediately, but I probably got over 50 nos. Many teachers just didn’t have the capacity. Some thought it wasn’t realistic. Knowing in my heart that I wanted to do this and why it meant so much gave me the power to persevere.
Tell us about future partnerships, programs or events that you are excited about.
We’re planning to do some things at the annual Day of Service, which was a great event for us last year. It’s a local event, where a bunch of organizations can come out and meet people. Last year, I met a lady who told me about it on the last day to sign up, so I was able to get in. We raised quite a lot of money there and met people who later gave us grants that changed the trajectory of our organization. I want to host more meal-packing events, too.
Bites Beyond Borders volunteers come together for a meal packing event.
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?
We all live on this planet. It’s our duty to help each other. We’re so divided by everything right now; the only way we can find unity is by helping each other and showing up for people in need.
Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?
Just go do it. Whatever you’re worried about, you’re only going to get over it with practice. As with most things, when you start off, you’re not going to know everything about it. You’re going to learn in the process of doing it. Start by reaching out to an organization near you, and tell them you’re interested. Ask how you can help.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
I hope people are inspired to not only initiate change but also have empathy for one another. Hunger happens in our own neighborhoods, to people we walk past every day, to our friends. You never know what someone’s going through. Make sure you’re always empathetic and willing to help. Lead with a kind heart.
Blending Sustenance, Shelter and Support for His Community
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Mike Heath. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
While most would treat a 40-year tenure at Salt River Project (SRP) as a reason to slow down, Mike Heath uses his company’s supportive PTO and volunteer policies to fuel what he calls his “altruistic side hustle.” To the people of Wickenburg, he isn’t just a veteran utility employee, but a neighbor who treats community service as a full-time calling. Logging approximately 600 volunteer hours a year, Mike’s hands are rarely still. He hauls tires out of Box Canyon, orchestrates land purchases for those in search of a stable place to call home, hands out backpacks to schoolchildren and promotes clean energy.
As the president of the Wickenburg Area Habitat for Humanity board of directors, Mike supports the organization’s blueprint for local stability. Last year alone, he dedicated 166 hours to the affiliate, overseeing everything from the operations of the ReStore to the intricate scheduling of home builds. Under his leadership, the organization is celebrating its 33rd anniversary with a legacy of 26 completed homes and countless safety repairs. His recent efforts also secured new land for future builds, ensuring that more families can access zero-interest loans.
When he isn’t planning a construction site, Mike is often found at Project SALT (Serving And Loving Together), a food bank and clothing closet he co-founded in 2020. In 2025, Mike devoted over 212 hours to the organization, serving 1,171 households. With Mike as a member of the board of directors, Project SALT distributed 3,150 food boxes and 3,405 sack lunches, while facilitating over 7,300 clothing visits. Additionally, he is the secretary for the Place Church board, a chairman for the Valley of the Sun Clean Cities Coalition and even an honorary commander at Luke Air Force Base. Receiving the SRP Presidents’ Volunteer Service Award in both 2018 and 2024, he remains committed to the act of consistently showing up.
What inspired you to get started with Habitat for Humanity?
I had a friend who was on the board, and I went to some of the meetings and just had coffee with other people. Pretty soon, I was on the board. Then I moved up through the ranks to president for eight years. I termed out, and then they changed the bylaws so there are no term limits. They did me a favor! It’s really cool; we are able to hand over homes to families, and we provide zero-interest loans.
The Wickenburg area Habitat for Humanity isn’t as large as several of the other affiliates in Arizona where they build dozens and dozens of homes in a year. We build one every two to three years. I think we’re on our 26th home in 30 years. And we just finished purchasing a lot. For a while, buying property in Wickenburg was tough, and the house hunt and affordable housing just didn’t pan out. But we were able to buy property that needs a little work. When you hand a family the keys to a home that they’ve never had—they’ve rented and lived with other people and struggled—that’s the most rewarding part of it.
Why are you passionate about providing affordable housing?
It’s just part of basic life: shelter, food and safety. With a home comes safety, and it’s just one less thing these families have to worry about. We normally open our houses up with some food to put in their pantry, so they don’t start out empty. We try to meet their needs.
We do have the homeowners qualify for those homes because the last thing we want to do is have a foreclosure on a house! The families still make mortgage payments. Habitat for Humanity can extend their mortgage to make it easier for them. We try to make them as successful as possible. We provide financial training. We’ve worked with people ahead of time to get their credit rating in line. We have a woman who is very well-versed in finance. She works for a mortgage company, and she goes above and beyond to make sure the families are living within their budget. She’s worked with several people before to get their credit rating in line just so they can qualify. She does an excellent job with that.
An overnight exercise with Air Force at Gila Bend and Goldwater Range.
Tell us about your volunteer role with Project SALT.
Well, we started out in the corner of the foyer of the church, and we quickly outgrew that. This initiative was originally just to bring in food and clothes to give to those in need. We started renting a place that was for a nonprofit, supposed to be used for families and youth in Wickenburg. There was a board of trustees, and all of them had passed except one guy. He was wanting to retire, so they ended up gifting us that building. Revamping it was a whole bunch of work, but we raised money and rebuilt it. Now, the downstairs is our “showroom” with the clothing and the food. Upstairs is a three-bedroom house that we rent out to help pay our expenses.
In 2025, we gave away 3,150 food boxes. A food box can be valued between $35 and $45. We gave away 3,405 sack lunches. A person can get a sack lunch five days a week. There were 7,319 clothing visits in 2025. A clothing visit can be one garment or a bag of garments, and normally they go out in bags. We’ve also helped fix people’s cars. That is a total of 1,171 households we helped. For the small building footprint we have, those are some major numbers.
With Project SALT, I help out with promoting and fundraising. We always say that Wickenburg should be a better place because we’re here, and we don’t want anybody to go without clothing or food.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
It’s when we give something to someone who needs it. The people who run the ReStore here in Wickenburg are great—I try to stay out of their business, but there’ve been times where I get a call and refer them to Habitat. One lady needed a new washer; hers was beyond repair and she didn’t have very much money. The store manager and the volunteer at the front counter took excellent care of her. We can’t give everything away, but they did work with her, and she was thrilled.
Sometimes we get stuff at Project SALT—we don’t take furniture and appliances—so it’s given to us and we give it to Habitat. At Habitat, we’ve had some medical equipment, walkers and strollers that Project SALT has had a need for, and we give that to them so they can make a difference. I’m in the sweet seat because I get to see both sides of these collaborations.
The church started Project SALT, and we give them a substantial check to help further their mission because they’re always helping people in need of paying rent. I personally have helped people paying electric bills that are struggling or out of work. It was cool to see when Habitat donated back to the church. I see all the good stuff on each side. I’m very blessed.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
Not to judge. I didn’t ever feel I judged people anyway, but one incident taught me a lot. When a volunteer told us they went to carry a food box out to a car trunk, and the woman already had one from two other food pantries in the area. I thought, “Oh, they’re double-dipping.” But the volunteer was right on me: “Mike, a family of four cannot live on one food box for two weeks.”
The other incident happened when some ladies from another local community came over and got clothing to take back for their yard sale. I thought, “We’re giving away clothing for somebody else to sell?” And another volunteer said, “Well, that offsets their income for rent and paying their utilities.” It goes full circle. There may be some people abusing the system, but generally, they’re not. So if we have it, we give it away. If we don’t, we find a way to meet that need.
What are your long-term plans or goals you have with volunteering?
I work for Salt River Project. June will be 41 years. My coworkers are retiring, but I don’t have any plans to retire. I like having a job to go to because sometimes I could work 12 hours a day volunteering. It’s not like work—it’s a hobby—but it’s sometimes nice to go get a paycheck!
For a while, we didn’t have an executive director at Habitat, and I was there a lot. I still sign all the checks and pick up the mail. I love what I’m doing for SRP. I grew up on a farm and I knew how important SRP was for irrigation, so I’ve been really blessed. SRP is very much into getting involved in the community.
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?
I hope I never need it, but if I only got a little bit of help in a time of need, I know how thankful I would be. Because I’m blessed, I don’t have any problem giving to others and blessing someone else. My dad had a gas station when I was in kindergarten. I followed his footsteps into diesel repair and fleet administration. He always volunteered for organizations even after a 12-hour day at work. It was relaxing for him and he enjoyed it. He was a people person. I know how that made him feel, and it makes me feel that good too.
Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?
There are so many nonprofits in need right now. If there’s something you have a passion for, just go and see what need you can fill. I served food at Andre House, a soup kitchen. I never worked so hard in a kitchen environment, but when I left, I was so blessed. To see the people come through the line and how grateful they were—nobody took it for granted.
I also volunteered at a school for unhoused children. If they had a permanent address, they couldn’t go to that school. The hard part was you could never get really close to the kid because you didn’t know when he was going to be there. You’d show up to spend time with the kid and he wasn’t there. No forwarding address, the parents just moved on. It can be very sad, but you only hope they went on to do better.
The biggest thing is finding a passion somewhere. You don’t have to have big pockets or a big wallet. You just have a big heart. Or, through volunteering, you will get a big heart by meeting the needs of a nonprofit you connect with.
A Student Leader’s Mission to End Resource Scarcity
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Shruthi Senthil. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
As the national service director for PURE (People for Urban and Rural Education), Missouri 17-year-old Shruthi Senthil has transformed her passion for health equity into a nationwide movement. Balancing the rigors of school and sports, she still manages to carve out 20 to 25 hours every month to orchestrate service projects that range from her home state to chapters across the country. One of her most profound contributions all began with a sobering statistic: 64% of low-income women in the St. Louis area lack consistent access to essential period products. Refusing to let this need go unmet, she launched a local pad bank initiative.
Shruthi’s monthly drop-off program creates a streamlined supply chain of tampons and pads, funneled directly to one of the largest pantries in the city. By identifying this specific gap, she has provided critical hygiene products and restored reliability for hundreds of women in her own backyard. This local momentum eventually fueled the ambitious PUREathon initiative in the fall of 2025. Shruthi meticulously coached each national chapter, helping them secure locations and rally participants to shine a light on period poverty. The results were staggering. In St. Louis alone, she mobilized nearly 200 people to walk and run for the cause, resulting in the collection of almost 75 pounds of period products.
This year, Shruthi also spearheaded a 9/11 tribute where chapters nationwide assembled comfort bags and handwritten cards for local firehouses and first responders. Additionally, she is currently mentoring a new generation of directors-in-training to ensure the mission of empowerment continues in her community long after her own tenure. By spending her time volunteering for the causes that matter most to her, Shruthi is helping neighbors see that their community is standing right behind them.
Tell us about your volunteer role and organization.
I volunteer with PURE, or People for Urban and Rural Education. I’m a national student director. I’m one of five students selected this year, and I’m actually the only girl and the only junior. The organization itself does a lot. They were founded to help support children who couldn’t quite get an education by helping construct schools in rural areas, as the name itself suggests. At this point, we just celebrated our 10th anniversary March 17. We’re starting to get a little bit older, and by now we have achieved so much. We’ve expanded across so many other issues, my favorite one being PUREFemme, where we try to support initiatives to get rid of period poverty and bring awareness about what a period is, and just make it a societally acceptable issue, as there’s so much stigma behind it.
We do other things; we have an initiative where we try to help schools set up their own garden so they can grow their own food. Those are our larger-scale initiatives outside the country too, but then here within the United States, we have 35+ chapters that I help manage on the day-to-day. I help them work through any issues they might have in regards to what kind of local projects they want to do, who they should reach out to, what businesses they should reach out to and how to properly contact people and ask for things that you might need, ask for support or try to bring attention to events. We operate on a big international scale, but then we also try to contribute a lot to our local communities.
One of many signs Shruthi Senthil made in middle school to promote school values of kindness and consideration.
Why is period equity so important to you?
I love this question because I’m all about empowering girls and women. When I was younger, in middle school, I was talking to my mom. My mom and I have always talked about a lot of things, and she was telling me about what a period is. Whenever it first happened for me, I was in a well-enough circle and I had a good enough relationship with my mom to know what it was and have the resources to still be able to go to school.
But when I joined PURE, one thing that I learned was that in a lot of indigenous or rural areas, girls don’t have pads or tampons or any sort of feminine hygiene products. Whenever they get their period every month, they can’t even go to school, and usually that would mean they’re missing at least four or five days every month. It’s not like they can control when they miss. There was that logistical issue that made me frustrated because I have the comfort of being able to go about my daily life even when I’m on my period. Also, there’s a social stigma behind it that I think is really unfair, because I don’t think a normal biological process should be something that holds anyone back.
Additionally, my work in St. Louis was really catalyzed when I was reading up about period poverty. That was initially why I became really interested in it. I was like, “Wow, this is really hindering so many girls around the world who deserve the same right to education as I do,” because this organization is all about providing education. But I learned that in St. Louis, 64% of low-income women don’t have access to period products and are under conditions of period poverty. To me, that was such an alarming statistic because I live in St. Louis. Here I am thinking about how to affect someone’s life that I’ll probably never see because I want to do good in the world, but I can do good right in my own community. That’s really what catalyzed our local pad bank and the PUREathon that we held back in October. I realized that I could shed so much light in our local community and support women here as well, because there is that need here and it never gets addressed.
Tell us a little bit more about the PUREthon.
The PUREathon was something I wanted to do as national student director. I had been a chapter director prior to that, and while I got to have the responsibilities of operating these huge scale fundraising events, as national student director, I could do that within the entire country. Really, the entire country just became my oyster. I was like, “What’s the coolest thing I could do right now?” and it all came back to period poverty. We needed to organize something to bring awareness to this issue because so many people don’t realize it even exists.
I’m a big believer in that when people know an issue exists, they’re more compelled to try to address it or solve it. Just doing events where we say the fact that period poverty does exist in our country and our cities can draw more attention to it and bring more support. I was able to work with all our chapters; we made sure all of them were able to reach out to parks or set up some sort of walk. St. Louis had the most participation; we had nearly 200 people show up to the run, and lots of people donated and brought pads and tampons. At every PUREathon across the nation, I’d written a speech that everyone gave. I think it was just a moment where in my head I saw us all coming together as a country right now. While it’s currently just PURE doing this, I hope that in future years, it becomes something that I take forward to wherever I go to study and wherever I work. If I open my own clinic or anything I do, I know that this message will still stand strong. I hope that PUREathon continues to happen every year and the message gets sent out, because that’s the most important aspect of it.
What are your long-term plans or goals with volunteer work?
I think about this almost every day. Volunteering has become such an instrumental part of my life and I definitely will continue to volunteer even as I get older. For the near future, next year, I hope to still work at the national level because it truly allows me to carry out these impactful projects throughout the country. I hope to take more charge in PURE Femme in the coming year.
As I get older, something that I’m a big believer in is that healthcare should be for everyone. I hope to, at some point in my life, be able to set up free healthcare clinics and help people who really need it, or travel to rural countries where they might not have the same medical resources as we do here. I want to provide them with resources and my medical expertise, hopefully at that point, and also just advocate for people and reiterate the importance of the necessity for healthcare and why women’s health should be taken seriously.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
I’m such a people person and I love interacting with people. I think that’s a huge reason I got into volunteering and to this day, that’s what I enjoy out of it the most. In St. Louis, we do a lot of smaller initiatives. I’ve volunteered at foster care closets and helped at school as well. There are a lot of other volunteer opportunities where I can help at local middle school or elementary school dances. One of my favorite ones was when I was helping out at this food pantry kitchen.
In all these experiences, I got to talk to people and help them find clothes that they needed for their kids, or saw little girls enjoying a night and feeling like princesses. That just melts my heart. I know that they might not remember me, but I did a little something just to brighten their day. Regardless of whether we do a huge fundraiser and we raise a ton of money, all the interactions I have with the people and telling them about our cause is always the most rewarding part, because I know they’ll depart with that message and a little ting of happiness.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
Doing anything positive in your life, whether that be volunteering or service, can really let you see how many other people there are who have the same vision for the world that we live in. Especially during times like right now, where there’s so much discourse and divide, volunteering has enabled me to see that at the end of the day, when there is an issue that everyone sees and can acknowledge, we as a society can put aside our differing views on other things and work to resolve whatever that issue is. That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?
Overall – with volunteering or anything people are passionate about – whenever you have that passion, you’re able to pour so much more into it. If everyone were able to pursue just their passions, the world would operate on joy and people would be happy doing what they want to do. It would just be such an overall positive environment, instead of people trying to struggle for money and other things that we see in society right now.
Specifically for youth, it’s so important because we’re tomorrow’s leaders. The people I go to school with are all going to do something amazing one day, and it’s so important that we learn how to advocate for ourselves and speak up for the things that we care about and build communities now instead of waiting for when we’re older. We are preparing for the future, and those skills take time to learn. When I started off in fifth grade, I was a little bit more timid and shy, but just being in this volunteering atmosphere has allowed me to break out of that shell and engage with so many people, which is such an important skill to have.
Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?
Just do it. Often, you spend so much time thinking about whether this is exactly what you want to do, or if this is worth your time or what you will get out of it. But once you get started, and once you see the people you interact with and the change you create, you’ll feel so rewarded and it can really offset anything else that might be troubling you in life. I would say just go for it if you’re even slightly thinking about doing it because there’s such a nice community there too. You’re not going to ever end up regretting it.
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Agam Grewal. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
When his brother went off to college, Agam Grewal didn’t just inherit a family tradition; he stepped into the driver’s seat of a mission fueled by the Sikh principle of seva, or selfless service. As the leader of SEVA Truck RVA, Agam recognized that the high eviction rates across Virginia were leaving far too many neighbors in the shadows of budget motels. Rather than letting these families fade into the background, he forged a partnership with the Hanover County School System to ensure that housing instability doesn’t mean a hunger for basic needs.
Agam’s leadership is completely hands-on. Each month, he dedicates approximately 10 hours to organizing meal preparations, community clean-ups and supply drives. On any given day, you might find him setting up materials for an event or managing fellow volunteers to ensure the operation runs like a well-oiled machine. His work isn’t just about the “what,” but the “how.” He approaches every task with a focus on strengthening community connections and inviting others to join the cause.
The impact of this consistent outreach is deeply felt in the local motels where families in crisis are often forced to stay. Through routine distributions, Agam and his team serve about 150 families, offering a sense of stability in an otherwise turbulent time. Beyond the 400 to 500 meals regularly provided, Agam ensures that the emotional needs of children are met, handing out coloring books and warm blankets to offer comfort within the cramped walls of temporary housing. It is a holistic form of care that addresses the physical pangs of hunger alongside the psychological weight of displacement.
By bridging the gap between local schools and vulnerable households, this young leader and volunteer has created a model of empathy-driven service that resonates throughout the Richmond area. Read on to hear more of his story.
Tell us about your volunteer role.
I’m the co-founder of SevaRVA, a nonprofit organization focused on addressing food insecurity in the Richmond community. Almost every weekend, I work with a team of volunteers to prepare and distribute fresh, nutritious meals to unhoused individuals. Beyond food service, I help organize volunteers, secure funding through grants and partnerships, and coordinate with local farms to source ingredients grown within the Richmond community.
My role has grown from simply serving meals to helping lead and expand the organization. I’ve worked on outreach, fundraising and long-term initiatives like developing community gardens in food deserts. Through this, I’ve been able to take an active role in both direct service and building sustainable solutions. I feel as if the limits to my impact in this volunteer role are unimaginable.
Why is fighting food insecurity so important to you?
Food insecurity is something I’ve seen up close in my own city. When you’re handing meals to the same people week after week, you start to understand that this isn’t a distant issue: it’s personal and ongoing. In Richmond alone, a significant number of families and children don’t have consistent access to nutritious food, and that reality is hard to ignore.
For me, it goes beyond just hunger. Access to food affects health, education and opportunity. Everyone deserves basic dignity, and something as simple as a warm meal can restore a sense of humanity and connection. Additionally, the word “seva” is rooted in my faith, Sikhism. It means selfless service, and is one of the reasons I found inspiration to travel down this journey. That’s why this work matters so much to me.
What inspired you to get started with this initiative?
I grew up doing community service with my family, especially through our local gurdwara (Sikh temple), where seva, selfless service, was always emphasized. From a young age, I saw the importance of giving time and effort to help others, not just when it’s convenient, but consistently. SevaRVA started as a way to take that value and make a direct impact in our own community. My brother and I first introduced the idea to my parents, and they figured out the logistics. From then on, the reins have been in our hands. What began as a small effort with a single food truck quickly grew once we saw the real need. That experience motivated me to keep building and expanding the initiative.
What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?
Long-term, I want SevaRVA to move beyond just food distribution and focus on sustainable solutions to food insecurity. One of our main goals is to develop community gardens in food desert areas, where we can grow fresh, certified naturally grown produce and provide consistent access to healthy food. Although this is logistically complex, I believe once we get a few more up and running, it will expand vastly.
I also hope to expand our reach by building stronger partnerships and involving more youth in service. The goal is to create something that lasts, an organization that not only meets immediate needs but also helps change the lack of volunteerism and community sense.
What have you learned through your experiences volunteering?
I’ve learned that service is about giving your time and effort, even when it’s not easy. Volunteering has taught me consistency, responsibility and how to work with others toward a shared goal. It’s also changed the way I see my role in the community. I’ve realized that making a difference doesn’t require something huge. Small, steady actions can add up and create real change over time.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
The most rewarding part has been the relationships we’ve built. It’s not just about handing out food. It’s about the conversations, the names you learn and the small moments of connection. Seeing someone recognize you, smile or joke with you week after week makes the experience meaningful in a way that’s hard to describe. In one of our main food distribution points in downtown Richmond, the regulars we always see there when distributing food have now started calling us “The Burrito Boys.” Honestly, I could not be happier with the impact this experience has had on me and those directly affected. Those moments remind me that even small acts of service can have a lasting impact. Giving is easy, but constantly maintaining that bond and showing up for others is more important.
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?
When people get involved in causes they care about, they become part of something bigger than themselves. It creates a sense of responsibility and connection to the community that you don’t get otherwise. As I said earlier, real change is not stimulated through grand gestures, but always first through small actions. If more people took that step, whether it’s volunteering time or supporting an issue, the collective impact in our society would be significant.
Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?
Start small and stay consistent. You don’t need a big plan or organization to begin, just find something you care about. What matters most is showing up. I always used to think volunteering was glorified, and I never really gave it a chance until I realized that it was what I had always been doing. Volunteering is not always labeled, and it starts through the small actions that illustrate our integrity.
Also, don’t be afraid to take initiative. If you see a need that isn’t being met, try to do something about it. Even a small effort can grow into something much bigger over time.
Hana Tsai started playing the violin at age four after hearing a recording of one of her now favorite musicians playing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. She was moved. She was also delighted when her dad used to play for her as a child.
Now 17, Hana attends Juilliard Pre-College on Saturdays where she has violin lessons as well as music theory and ear-training instruction that helps her understand the technical side of music. She plays in an orchestra there and participates in chamber music coaching through the New York Youth Symphony. Playing a lot of music with many different people is her passion.
That passion has been key to the success of Clexical, an organization Hana co-founded in 2023 that works to make contemporary classical music—particularly by female composers—accessible. They started with a podcast, inviting composers to talk about their work. Hana developed the guidelines, and she continues to coordinate interviews. Together, she and other volunteers have spoken to more than 60 guests. Dedicating 25-30 hours each month to her role, Hana has helped Clexical reach thousands of listeners engaged hundreds of local community members through in-person outreach events.
What inspired you to start Clexical?
My interest in starting Clexical began with the realization that the traditional classical music canon presents a narrow view of who is recognized and valued as a composer. I took a class at Juilliard Pre-College about women composers. The most widely recognized figures in classical music are traditional, male, Western composers, such as Mozart and Beethoven. They’re amazing, but throughout the hundreds of years classical music has been alive, the narrative of who’s making the “best compositions” has totally ignored women and composers of color. Many students seemed uninterested in learning modern classical music, and I felt a kind of injustice when hearing people talk badly about composers I knew they’d love if they gave them a chance.
At an orchestra rehearsal, composer Reena Esmail was talking about the inspiration for one of her pieces, and I had an epiphany. With so many of the other pieces I play on violin, I’d never be able to have a conversation face-to-face with their composers, unlike modern classical composers who are alive at the same time as me.
Tell us about your volunteer role.
I design educational outreach programs tailored to different audiences. Today, I was coordinating meetings with other Clexical members who brainstorm engaging ways to make younger musicians or a wider audience more interested in modern classical music. Four other members and I are going to be performing for really young kids soon and talking about some cool composers that are living right now. We’ll ask them questions, and I might even bring some hand puppets. Kids love it and are eager to learn more. Of course, they love pop music, but we remind them that classical music production also never ends.
As the director of outreach, I coordinate partnerships. I work with the rehabilitation center near me, preschools and community organizations.
What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?
I want to perform a program of modern classical music at Juilliard someday. And I want to continue learning how I can integrate more women’s composing into classical music curriculum. Many music teachers have a traditional repertoire they believe kids need to learn before they can move on to pieces that they’re interested in or that need more representation. I hope I can be part of changing classical music education. I’m working on convincing my chamber group to play a female composer’s modern classical piece, so hopefully we’ll be able to perform that before the school year ends.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
It’s when I see somebody’s hesitation about modern classical music shift into interest. I love seeing people become more open-minded with music and being a small part of that.
Hana Tsai, co-founder of Clexical, performs and presents Eunho Chang’s Sanjo for Violin Solo (2008) at a Clexical workshop.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
Interviewing composers has given me perspective on the composition process, how new technologies and more current ideas join together to make their pieces. I’ve learned how to adapt information I want to convey to my audience, making it fun and engaging for them. That’s helped me with school presentations and in day-to-day life. And I’ve learned how to work with people better. There are a lot of logistics behind the workshops, performances, rehearsals and more. It can get chaotic, especially because everybody is so busy, and I want to respect their time.
I’ve also learned to be more flexible with getting my message across when it doesn’t seem like it’s clicking. I’m more comfortable branching out from my original plan.
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?
It allows the community to grow. Nothing will happen if they keep hoping it will. They have to take the initiative. Engage people in a conversation or presentation by showing that you’re passionate. People are instinctually interested in what other people are interested in.
How can people take steps to highlight this type of music where they live?
There are many modern composers trying to get their work out, but there’s this stigma that it’s difficult to listen to, or it’s difficult to attend their concerts. A simple YouTube search is a step towards learning more about modern classical music.
I won a competition using a piece I found on YouTube. I cold emailed the composer, and he was happy to provide me with the music and suggestions about how to phrase certain parts. These composers want to share their music with the world. They want to help you out, especially if you’re a musician. Never be afraid of a cold email.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
I want them to be more curious. Before a few years ago, I’d never played any pieces by female composers. I’m female. How did I not notice that? I’m passionate about Clexical, because I feel like I’m part of redefining the canon of classical music.
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Gavin Reddy. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
When Gavin Reddy saw his grandfather struggle with his health, he knew he wanted to help others pursue a healthy lifestyle. A 17-year-old high school student, Gavin has always been very passionate about how culture and identity play an important role in our health. His grandfather, who comes from an East Indian background, had a cough and was initially diagnosed with tuberculosis, because the disease has a higher rate in the East Indian population. However, it turned out to be an aggressive form of cancer that was caught too late.
Inspired to start volunteering with Native communities, Gavin saw the disparities in his community. So he created EMPWR Arizona, an organization that works to fight childhood obesity through Indigenous foodways. The organization empowers Native youth with healthy habits, raises awareness about changing food traditions and builds strong communities rooted in culture, resilience and wellness. The foundation of EMPWR’s mission is its hands-on cooking classes for students and caregivers, taught by a Native American chef. In each session, attendees receive nutrition and sustainability education, as well as guidance on traditional food practices and preparation. Each family departs with a fresh bag of produce and ingredients they can take home to put what they learned in class to practice, simultaneously minimizing food insecurity and reinforcing long-term healthy habits.
Since its origin in 2024, EMPWR has served more than 40 families, distributed over 100 bags of fresh produce and ingredients and has helped raise more than $30,000 to support and expand programming. But Gavin has also seen many of his students thrive, whether they’re developing a love of cooking or learning healthy practices and taking them home to pass them on to their families. Gavin’s dedication to EMPWR’s mission is visible in the 12 to 15 hours per month that he volunteers to run the organization, on top of his very busy high school schedule. But his devotion to the cause is just another example of how age doesn’t have to be a barrier to changing the world. In fact, with a passion to help others, anyone can make a significant change in their community.
GAVIN REDDY IS THE FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF EMPWR ARIZONA, AN ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS TO FIGHT CHILDHOOD OBESITY THROUGH INDIGENOUS FOODWAYS. /COURTESY GAVIN REDDY
What inspired you to get started with this initiative?
Over the summer of my sophomore year, I volunteered at a health facility for Native American people. I saw they had this program called Read It and Eat, where they would have a librarian come in and tell a story or a folk tale, and then they would have a couple of these children cook. A lot of the people who were coming in were disproportionately affected by obesity. This led me to do some research, and I found out that in Arizona, it’s Native American children who have the highest rates of obesity. That started me down this path of seeing what I could do to change things.
I began looking for other nonprofits that were involved with Native American communities, and I found that there weren’t any. I decided to found EMPWR in my sophomore summer. Initially, I reached out to indigenous chefs from around the valley to gain some of their knowledge, ask them about the obesity crisis and ask what we can do to bring back health and culture to these communities. From there, I developed a model of cooking classes that are parent-child in participation, in which a chef leads them through the class. I help students cook and feel comfortable. We provide access to healthy foods so that all students go home with bags of food and produce for the next two weeks that can be used to cook at home, and we’re giving them the education and tangible skills to overcome that barrier.
What inspires you to volunteer?
It’s seeing a need and trying to fill in. I believe that if you’re not actively helping, you’re no better than the issue itself. I noticed that the obesity epidemic is something that affects all Americans. However, in my own community, it’s affecting a specific population the most, which is Native American communities. I’m very passionate about health because of what happened with my grandfather. I thought, if I’m not actually helping, what is my role in this crisis? That’s what led me down the path to creating EMPWR and trying to engage other Native American community members to help fight back against this crisis.
Tell us about your volunteer role with EMPWR Arizona.
I’m the founder and president of EMPWR. Outside of the cooking classes, I go shopping for groceries, plan the next meal and create health tips, because something that EMPWR is working on is not just the culinary aspect, but also the healthy eating aspect. Some of the programs we’ve done are on the importance of pea proteins and other plant-based proteins, because not only do they have a smaller ecological impact, but they’re better for our health. A second one we developed was a challenge called the rainbow plate. It was the idea that we would bring in some pictures of healthy foods in a rainbow format, seeing how many colors and different foods they could get on their plate. We challenged the students to go home and send us pictures of all the meals they’ve created using natural ingredients and colors. Inside the cooking classes, I help plan the meals with Chef Mario, and he leads the whole class, but I work with each student.
What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?
Currently, we’re based in the Madison district. We have two classes with two sets of students. However, something we’ve been working towards is making EMPWR self-sustaining, so right now we’re working on getting a community garden at the Madison Elementary School District, so we don’t have to keep going out and shopping for vegetables every week or trying to buy new ingredients. We hope that it becomes something that manifests outside of our classes, in which students can engage with this community garden. They can learn about seed banking and other culinary practices that are related to both indigenous wisdom and healthy eating. That way, they’re engaging power outside of our culinary classes.
Our hope is also that it affects other students whom we don’t have the time to incorporate into our classes, because the Madison district has a large Native American population. Our goal with the garden is to engage students who may not be directly involved with EMPWR, because our goal is to platform the whole community. Our second piece is expanding into other schools within the Madison district and then creating chapters outside of Arizona.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
The most rewarding part has been seeing the culinary love that all of our students are developing. For example, one of our students who came in had an aptitude for cooking, and we platformed him by giving him extra ingredients when he went home. This developed into a real love of cooking, and now he has actually started his own chef’s blog where he documents what he’s doing. He’s entered some cooking competitions, all because of the love we nurtured at EMPWR.
Essentially, we’ve seen this love grow within all of our students.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
Because we work with a delicate community, there are a lot of trust issues and other barriers. It’s taught me that leadership requires a lot of listening and feedback. Specifically, as a volunteer and as the president of EMPWR, it’s been a process of engaging these communities productively, because our goal within power is not to transpose a model of what we want onto these communities. It’s a mutual negotiation between the communities and us: seeing what they want and what they need, and then being a helpful resource. I’ve reached out to countless chefs and other Native American figures to see if what we’re doing is appropriation or cultural learning, because we don’t want to infringe upon anything in these communities. For me, leadership may seem at face value like taking initiative, but to me, what I’ve learned is that it’s about listening and engaging with community members.
Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?
I would say the biggest piece is to get active, because a lot of people are afraid of the setting, or they’re uncomfortable engaging with these communities in the first place. They don’t really know if what they’re doing is useful, or they feel out of place. That’s something that initially happened with EMPWR. We were trying to see if the community wanted it or how they were going to be involved. For me specifically, it was just the act of actually getting into the volunteering, meeting the students and talking to them, because once you develop a personal relationship with them, you move beyond those issues and feelings of discomfort that may have prevented people from volunteering in the first place. Once you build a connection, it creates a lifelong bond where you want to keep going back to help the community.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
You should always be listening to the needs of others, because sometimes we have preconceived notions of what communities want or what we think people need. But when you actually listen and engage with the community, you find out what is actually necessary, and then it becomes your role to help nurture and develop their skills, help fight off any barriers and help platform what they need. A lot of people get caught up in logging hours, or they’re a little bit nervous to even try. I think that the idea of listening and engaging helps to mitigate those effects.
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Sriyan Daggubati. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Sriyan Daggubati, 17, is a mythology enthusiast who enjoys a game of basketball and has been in a Bollywood dance troupe since second grade. At first glance, he seems like a typical high schooler, affable and well-rounded, but his dedication to volunteering is anything but ordinary.
Driven to learn about neurodivergence to help a friend, Sriyan’s extracurricular research has become so much more. NeuroGuidance became a central part of his life in eighth grade, garnering sponsorships from companies like Meta a year later. His mission is straightforward: improve educational access—particularly in STEM—and inclusion of neurodivergent youth around the world.
Now a senior in high school, Sriyan has formal partnerships with Stanford Neurodiversity Project, Harvard Public Health, Duke Neurodiversity, Michigan’s Center for Disability and UCSF Autism Center. He regularly speaks at schools to help teachers connect with their students and guide their teaching approach. NeuroGuidance has trained more than 50 teachers in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District in inclusive instructional practices. Sriyan presents his work at conferences across the country and manages a global leadership team of 250 officers.
For 10+ hours a week, Sriyan focuses on supporting neurodivergent youth… with no plans of slowing down. He’s even planning to major in neuroscience as he starts college next year.
Sriyan Daggubati (left), founder, presents NeuroGuidance’s global initiatives to Mino Sastry, CEO of Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, whose organization partners with NeuroGuidance to distribute neurodiversity handbooks across healthcare settings.
What inspires you to volunteer?
I started Boy Scouts around fifth grade, and a lot of my volunteering was through that. NeuroGuidance began with an elementary school friend with ADHD and autism. I used to see him struggle a lot in school, and we didn’t have classrooms specifically for neurodivergent students, or so-called Rainbow Classrooms, until middle school.
At that age, I didn’t notice the barriers or stigmas that I do now. I would see teachers treat him differently, and his parents would ask me why he wasn’t doing well. I didn’t know how to answer.
In middle school, I started researching neurodiversity, and in seventh grade, I started creating and distributing handbooks with Rainbow Classroom teachers on what that is. The summer before eighth grade, I attended a program called Stanford Neurodiversity Project REACH (Research Education Advocacy Camp).
There, I found one of my mentors and the director of the project, Dr. Lawrence Fung. I learned that neurodivergent students lack spatial reasoning, which is the ability to visualize and understand 3D concepts, a vital skill in STEM.
We worked in small groups to create a slide deck aimed at solving a problem we saw in the neurodiversity scene. I presented an early version of NeuroGuidance as a way for neurodivergent students to build spatial reasoning, and Dr. Fung encouraged me to move forward with the idea.
Later that year, I started hosting workshops using what I learned from his program about how neurodivergent students actually acquire knowledge. I started connecting with teachers, creating flyers and posting them on my district website.
Now, in addition to workshops, we build augmented reality tools, which are like VR headsets and advanced apps that involve 4D visualization to help students learn concepts and use spatial reasoning via low-sensory simulations. We also host fundraisers, because they’re expensive.
By ninth grade, I’d established it in multiple schools in my district, and by the end of my sophomore year, it was statewide. In 11th grade, I qualified for the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair where the top 1,500 finalists worldwide competed in Ohio. Using the connections I made there, I’ve been able to open NeuroGuidance chapters in over 70 countries.
Tell us about your volunteer role with NeuroGuidance.
Initially, I prepped, hosted and taught a lot of the workshops myself. Now, I oversee multiple teams. The tech team creates the tools and apps we use in workshops. I help brainstorm ideas, and they bring them to life. Our social media team manages our socials and runs ads.
My main role is leading organizational strategy and getting more people involved. Since our expansion, I’ve been focusing on sponsors to help fund the shipment of tools across the world. I’ve also been recruiting people to manage our different chapters.
In September 2025, Dr. Fung, made me a keynote speaker at the Stanford Neurodiversity Summit, where I shared my work—and a book I published—with clinicians, psychiatrists and nonprofit CEOs doing similar things. Many of them later reached out about partnerships, funding and collaborations.
I have 10 to 15 meetings a day after school, to make sure everything is running smoothly. And I host a podcast that amplifies the voices of neuroscientists, educators, policy leaders and CEOs. We’ve hit 100,000+ global listens.
Sriyan presents NeuroGuidance at the Tri-Valley Innovation Leadership Group DreamMakers and RiskTakers Awards to city mayors and leaders from Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, Kaiser Permanente, UC Merced, Berkley Lab and regional education and entrepreneurship communities.
What changes would you like to see in policy or the classroom environment?
Science labs or STEM classrooms can be really cluttered with all the hands-on work that you do. I’d love to see them become more sensory-friendly. If you design something for a neurodivergent person, it can work for anyone. It’s the universal design principles for learning.
I’ve also been trying to eliminate masking, a term describing how neurodivergent people hide their struggles and feelings, which makes it harder to help. We need to create an environment where people are more comfortable expressing what they’re thinking, feeling or struggling with.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
It’s been great seeing students’ confidence increase. We have a sub-series of workshops that help them get into research and science fair. Last year, when I was competing in my regional science fair, many of the students I mentor were there. They had some incredible projects and were winning prizes. I love seeing people succeed and overcome their fears.
How can people reading this take steps to push for change?
To push for any type of change, find someone you can ask a lot of questions and get started. For me, that’s Dr. Fung. Seek mentorship and guidance. Learn everything you can about the problem you want to solve.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
The amount of work I’ve done in a limited time may seem really hectic, but it doesn’t feel that way because of how connected I am to the problem. It all started with one of my best friends. Always do work that you love, and the sky is the limit.
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Aurora Pfeiffer. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Seventeen-year-old Aurora Pfeiffer’s athleticism is matched only by her artistry. A competitive figure skater who emphasizes that it’s just for fun, when not on the ice she keeps busy rock climbing and weightlifting. She’s also teaching her dog to skateboard. And even after her band broke up, she plays piano and bass, occasionally writing songs. Making art, especially drawing, has been a longtime passion.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Aurora’s creativity is also what she channels into Color & Cause, the nonprofit she founded last July. Her inspiration grew from the impact of a successful fundraiser she initiated earlier in the year that has grossed over $16,000 for the Flight #5342 Victims’ Family Support Fund, the crash that took the lives of 28 members of the U.S. figure skating community.
She has also raised over $25,000 for Scott Hamilton’s Sk8 to Eliminate Cancer program over the years, offering her artwork to incentivize donations of $50 or more. Hamilton is a figure skating legend, a fellow Nashvillian and a cancer survivor himself, whose foundation funds research for treatment research.
Aurora was moved not only by the impact her art had on building and healing a community but by the idea of a collective of artists exponentially expanding their impact. Today, she spends much of her time creating art fundraisers for communities in need and building her artist network. As she nears high school graduation, she is looking forward to a gap year to make art, work, skate and grow Color & Cause before heading to college.
Aurora Pfieffer, founder and CEO of Color & Cause, uses art to create a positive impact and empowers other artists to do the same.
What inspires you to volunteer?
I like volunteering because helping people is important to me. I know what it’s like to need help and support. There are a lot of people who have a lot of challenges and difficult circumstances. I enjoy lifting people up and building more equity.
Tell us about your volunteer role with Color & CAuse.
As the CEO and founder, I do community outreach and run our social media. We’re currently rebranding, and when that is done, my goal is to post two or three times a week highlighting our work. We have a board, and my mom does a lot of the administrative stuff.
We recently partnered with a nonprofit called Art2Hearts, and they have a network of children’s hospitals whose bleak walls they want to brighten up with art. We’ve donated 30 prints so far with a commitment for another 220 this year. I’m working on developing a network of artists across the US to expand our gallery of art that nonprofit hospitals, shelters, hospices, clinics andother organizations can choose from.
What inspired you to get started with this initiative?
Last January, there was a plane crash in D.C. in which many of my friends lost friends. I drew some of the victims, posted them on Instagram and received a lot of grateful comments. Then, I had the image printed on t-shirts so people could keep an image with them. Over 250 shirts have been sold, and profits have been donated to victims’ families.
The slogan on the shirts, “Skate with their spirit,” is something my mom suggested, channeling my original idea in a way that I love. Amber Glenn, a three-time national skating champion, held hers up at the World Championships in Boston, highlighting it on international television.
I saw how my art had impacted people and wanted to continue. My organization aims to allow artists making art for, say, disaster relief, to fundraise through us without being taxed. Last January, we didn’t have the nonprofit, so all the t-shirt money we raised was taxed.
Why is art so important to you, and what mediums do you like to work in?
I’ve been doing art since I could hold a crayon. I love to express myself and create other worlds and characters that I can insert myself into and feel something–happy, sad, curious, intrigued, confused. Art is a catalyst for emotion, both as an outlet for your own and as a way to consume other people as an observer.
I mostly like to draw. With the rise of AI, I’m trying to move away from digital art, which is why I started painting with acrylics. The process is challenging, but that’s probably because I have no formal training. I’m just vibing.
What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?
I’d like to organize monthly community art classes with a team of local artists and work with underserved communities, senior homes or any community that needs a bit of fun in their life. When I go to college, I want to start a chapter there and get others to do the same at their own universities. And I’d love to paint murals and brighten up walls around the city.
Standing with teammates and coaches, Aurora holds the first check she sent to the U.S. Figure Skating Flight #5342 Victims’ Families Support Fund for $3,600.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
People are more grateful than they may seem or express. A lot of people are really appreciative for the work that we do, even if they don’t tell us. Realizing that has led me to express my gratitude more and not take things for granted.
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?
It helps other people, and it helps yourself. If you work on something you care about, it’ll make you feel productive and happy. And, obviously it makes other people happy. It’s a positive feedback loop.
Do you have any advice for others who want to use their art in a positive way?
You can join my organization, of course. Other than that, try to make connections. If you want to paint a mural, find out who on city council to contact to let you do that. If you want to donate art to hospitals, find someone who can connect you to hospitals.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
If you want to do something, just do it. Even if you’re scared. It’s always hard to talk to strangers, but you haven’t got much to lose.
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Jordan Sucato. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
The Arizona sun can be unforgiving, but 17-year-old Jordan Sucato is providing a safety net for vulnerable, voiceless animals when desert heat meets the city pavement. Through her 501(c)(3), Laws for Paws – and in the past two summers alone – she has raised upwards of $21,000. These funds have been transformed into close to 12,000 pairs of protective dog boots to shield the paws of pets living on the streets, animal companions for the 3,500 unhoused individuals she has personally supported with essential care packages.
In addition to her boots-on-the-ground volunteer work, Jordan is also a fierce advocate in the Arizona Legislature. She has independently researched modern alternatives to cosmetic animal testing, such as mRNA quantification and RT-qPCR, to provide a factual backbone for her legislative pursuits. As a national legislative chair, she has spent three years collaborating with the Arizona Senate Majority Leader to draft and promote bills banning animal-tested cosmetics. Her influence crystallized in a monumental effort with the Arizona Supreme Court, where she successfully coordinated 184 courts into a centralized reporting system for a proposed state-wide animal abuser database.
Jordan’s work is vast and varied. She works as a dog trapper for the Community Rescue Project. She monitors remote cameras in the Sonoran Desert. She sets up feeding stations, manages the intake of thousands of donated items and ensures that the 10,000-strong volunteer network across the state remains fueled. Combining science and advocacy, she has created a blueprint for modern activism that treats community support and animal welfare as two halves of a whole. And while some of her bills await their final victory in the House and Senate, the thousands of lives she has touched so far – both human and animal – are living proof of her impact.
Jordan received recognition from the State of Arizona for her work.
Tell us about your volunteer role.
The organization is called Laws for Paws. I like to say that I’m an advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves. I focus a lot on legislative animal welfare initiatives. I did a cosmetic animal testing bill; I’ve done that the past three years, and I’ll be running that again next year. I also did an animal abuser database, and these are both specific to Arizona, but I will be expanding these bills nationally next year.
Additionally, I do direct aid, so I do a lot of work with unhoused populations. I’ve been able to aid over 3,000 unhoused individuals and their pets because I raised $22,000 for dog boots, just because it gets so hot in Arizona. I distribute those during the summers, and I’ve been able to distribute 12,000, which is about 3,000 sets. I just love everything I do.
I established my own board, and my board and I go down there pretty frequently. We go to the same spot, or my mom and I will distribute. We’ve distributed all across Arizona, even two hours away from where I live. And my outreaches with Dog’s Day Out happen once a month.
Why is animal welfare so important to you?
I think I’m biased in this because I grew up with every species of animal, so I’ve always been surrounded by them, which is a huge blessing. I think that’s where I developed a lot of my compassion for them, but when it really struck me is when my mom volunteered with a local organization here in Scottsdale, called Love of Dogs Fund. When I was 8, after begging her for years, she finally let me come with her. The owners liked to describe me as the “dog tester” to see if the dog is friendly with kids. Thankfully, they always were! But I saw dogs come from situations like hoarding and dog fighting, and we also fostered emaciated dogs. When I saw that, it just struck something in me. Those experiences developed my compassion and empathy for these animals.
Then in sixth grade, I was assigned an argumentative essay against cosmetic animal testing, and that’s where I learned about the actual procedures. It’s not just painting a monkey’s nails; it’s chemical compounds being applied on the skin. I came home that day and I told my mom, “I’m going to get cosmetic animal testing banned.” She was – you know, I was 12 at the time – so she’s like, “Sure you are.” But I did. I developed my own LLC because of that, and it’s just been history since then.
What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?
My biggest thing – I’m actually about to announce this – is that we’re doing a national expansion. I’ve been able to work so far with kids in New York and Texas to introduce similar legislation in their states. It’s been very successful in Texas so far. I’ve decided that I’m not going to continue to target only one or two more states; I’m going to be expanding my legislative initiatives to over 15 states.
I’m also going to be expanding the dog boot fundraiser, and hopefully get that up and running whether it’s a hot environment or a cold environment, because everybody needs dog boots, whether it’s snowing or whether it’s 110 degrees out.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
I never expected to do direct aid, but that definitely has been the most rewarding part of my work. I always wanted to focus on legislation, but I was referred to Monique Hebert, who’s the founder of Dog’s Day Out AZ, the partner organization I work with for the dog boots. I’ve honestly fallen into believing stereotypes about unhoused people before, as I’m sure everybody has, but Monique humbled me very quickly. She goes, “Okay, you know what? Come down to one of our outreaches and distribute dog boots,” because I had been donating them, but I had never actually seen it in action.
I went down there and I met so many incredible people that just had specific circumstances that led to them being where they are. I saw how much love they have for their pets and hearing all their stories and realizing these are people, too. Who am I to judge someone else? That is easily my favorite part of the work. Of course, seeing the animals, but I love meeting the people and the owners and hearing their stories.
Jordan Sucato (with founder Monique Hebert) at a donation drop off to her partner organization, Dogs Day Out AZ.
What have you learned through your experiences volunteering?
On the academic side, I did a lot of research about cosmetic animal testing and substitutes. I learned a lot about organs-on-chips and using science such as mRNA quantification to be able to assess inflammation in the chip.
But what I’ve really learned through volunteering, big picture, is empathy. I think that I was previously able to experience sympathy for people and animals, but working with all of this hands-on taught me empathy. My favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird, and I always loved Atticus Finch’s way of saying to put yourself in other people’s shoes. This concept has literally come into my life so frequently. Empathy has been the biggest thing I’ve learned.
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?
I think it’s important because there’s so much hate in this world. Even with things like AI, people are losing their creativity and passions. If there’s something you stand for, if it’s something you believe in, you should do everything in your power to try to make that happen. If you have something that’s going to change the world for the better, regardless of age, regardless of whether you think you can do it or not, it’s so important to at least try.
Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?
I have pretty bad social anxiety. I struggle with fear, too. There’s a tool called the five-second rule, where you count to five and then you just do something. That’s how I think about volunteering. I’m like, “Okay, I’m just going to go for it.” If I hate it, I don’t ever have to go back again. But there’s never been a time where I’ve hated it. I say, just throw yourself into it and see if it works out for you.
