Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Doug McConnell. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Doug McConnell knows just how devastating it is when a family receives an ALS diagnosis. That’s why he’s working toward finding a cure for the disease. When his father was first diagnosed, Doug’s family was relatively unfamiliar with ALS. But when his sister, Ellen, was diagnosed several years later, the family had already navigated the disease’s devastating path once. Determined to channel their experience into making a difference, Doug drew from his and his sister’s love of swimming to co-found A Long Swim, an organization that uses open-water swimming to bring awareness and funding to collaborative ALS research. Because the sport requires that you use all your muscles all the time, it provides a sharp contrast to the plight of an ALS patient, who gradually loses their ability to use their muscles and to breathe deeply. In establishing A Long Swim, Doug and his family knew they were forging a pathway toward finding a cure.
The organization started with swims that Doug completed, ranging from the length of Tampa Bay and the English Channel to the loop around Manhattan and Nantucket Sound. They then branched into hosting exciting open-water swimming events for the public to participate in, encouraging people from everywhere to compete and change the future of ALS treatment. In the organization’s home state of Illinois, Doug spearheaded A Long Swim’s most ambitious volunteer effort, the Chicago River Swim. The event, which served as the first permitted open-water swim in the Chicago River in almost a century, welcomed hundreds of swimmers and raised $100,000 for ALS research.
Another exciting initiative A Long Swim started is promoting water safety for children. Because A Long Swim utilizes Chicago’s waterfront, it was pointed out that many children in the city don’t have the training to be safe on the water. As a result, A Long Swim funds swimming lessons that teach thousands of children how to enjoy the water safely. The Chicago River Swim specifically raised $50,000 annually for swim safety lessons for children in underserved communities.
Since its founding, A Long Swim has raised more than $3 million for ALS research and patient care, primarily benefiting Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. And when the next Chicago River Swim takes place this September, the organization will continue its mission to change the future of ALS. Doug and the team’s determination to take their experience and turn it into a force for good shows just how influential volunteerism can be.
DOUG MCCONNELL, A TRIPLE-CROWN OPEN WATER SWIMMER, IS THE CO-FOUNDER OF A LONG SWIM. /COURTESY DOUG MCCONNELL
What inspired you to get started with this initiative?
My family was jolted, like every other family is, with a diagnosis of ALS. My dad was diagnosed with ALS in the mid-1990s, and other than knowing about the baseball player, none of us knew anything about it. He passed away in 2006, and it was just a few months after he died that one of my sisters was diagnosed. It was after Ellen was diagnosed that we wanted to do something. It is so disarming, and it makes you feel so powerless when somebody you love is diagnosed with this thing, because you feel like there’s just nothing you can do. We started brainstorming creative ways to raise money for research, and we came up with swimming because that was something she and I had shared when we were little biddies. In recent years, I have really discovered open-water swimming. I started doing these open water events, and it was Ellen’s idea to call it A Long Swim. We borrowed the acronym from ALS, and we would use marathon ocean swimming as a way to raise money.
What inspires you to volunteer?
It makes you feel less powerless. This specific disease is so bleak and so grim that it makes you feel like you’re doing something. By the way, over the course of the 15 years that we’ve been raising money, the researchers have been absolutely knocking it out of the park. They’re doing fabulous things. They are to the point where they are discovering compounds that are now at the FDA and are going through the drug approval process, so it’s really helping.
Tell us about your volunteer role with A Long Swim.
A lot of it is event planning. I’m just the luckiest guy in the world because I get to sit on top of the heap and help direct and manage some of that stuff. One of the other things that we got into along the way was hosting swims for other people. Lake Michigan is right here, but then there are lakes out in the suburbs and whatnot. Last September, we were able to, after 13 years of work, host the first organized swim in the Chicago River in 100 years. That was a big deal, and it’s going to continue to be a big deal as we’ve got this year’s event planned.
What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?
To continue to fund research and make some headway on this horrible disease. One of the things we’ve learned so well from those researchers is the importance of collaborating with other like-minded folks. One thing that we are getting better at is collaboration with other ALS support charities and organizations. It’s a small disease, but that leads to the fact that funding is hard to come by, and it’s really scattered. The more we can collaborate, the more collective leverage we can get.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
Seeing amazing work being done by these researchers based on our work, and the fact that there is hope that it will lead to a cure for this disease. That’s a game-changer. ALS is a neurodegenerative disease, which, to you and me, means very little. At the same time, what we’re discovering is that one drug that’s now in the FDA approval process treats ALS, but it also treats other neurodegenerative diseases. If you start looking at some of these other disease mechanisms, all of a sudden you’ve got a bullseye on Parkinson’s and another one on MS and another one on Alzheimer’s. Those populations are gargantuan, and so, almost by accident, we trip across this compound and look at the impact it could have.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
How gracious and generous people are. I’ve been involved in volunteer work for 30 or 40 years, but when you talk to somebody and they understand your message and your motivation, and they dish out that support, it just kind of knocks your head off. It’s really something.
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?
Ultimately, to make a difference. Even if the difference or the progress is slow or frustrating, at least it’s progress. It’s just so gratifying to be able to build the links in the chain between an individual’s effort and an organization. All of a sudden, you can feel it and witness the impact of your contribution and effort. If you’re volunteering, that’s a special feeling.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
There are a lot of different paths to the cure, the goal and the outcome. We picked one that is a little obscure, probably, but there are 100 roads to lead there. If you want to see something materialize, whether it’s curing ALS or a reduction in the number of Chicago children who drown, you can put the pieces in place and make that happen. It just does your heart so much good.
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Sailee Charlu. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
At El Sol Academy in Santa Ana, California, a little bit of transformation takes root every week. For many Hispanic ESL and multilingual students, the academic landscape can feel exclusionary, filled with racialized stigma and a shortage of bilingual educators. That’s where Sailee Charlu stepped in, founding Habla Arte in 2022. This bilingual Spanish-English visual arts and public speaking program is designed to dismantle these cultural barriers. Through a curriculum woven around cultural themes and holidays, introverted and hesitant children find the confidence to raise their hands. Here, their home language of Spanish is not something to hide, but is affirmed as a powerful source of identity, intellect and pride.
Dedicating 20 to 30 hours each month, Sailee has expanded Habla Arte to serve over 2,000 students across 12 Title I schools, mobilized more than 40 volunteers and launched the Speak Art digital app to guide hundreds of users through online programming. Her impact deepened further when she created The Lit League, one of the first multilingual spoken poetry programs for middle schoolers in the United States. Pairing classic poems with student-written response pieces, The Lit League teaches youth to dissect complex literary devices and reclaim standard texts through verse rooted in their own lived experiences, culminating in the largest middle school poetry slam in Orange County.
Sailee’s grassroots leadership is deliberately built for long-term sustainability and systemic change. Rather than creating a temporary intervention, she trains classroom teachers to run the curriculum independently, distributing 40-page self-study workbooks to every school in Orange County. She has also established a robust leadership succession pipeline so that local youth and community partners can carry the work forward. Her innovative approach has caught the attention of national foundations and local leaders alike. By authoring and illustrating the bilingual children’s book Curiosity & Me, alongside foundation grants, she has raised nearly $10,000 to keep the programming free and accessible, while gaining key endorsements from local officials like Santa Ana Mayor Amezcua and Councilwoman Jessie Lopez.
Sailee’s studies on multilingual education have been published in the Educational Role of Learning Journal and presented at major conferences in Mexico City and Sri Lanka. She has also collaborated with the Orange County Board of Education to draft and pass a landmark resolution recognizing the vital importance of bilingual education. Now, as she works alongside California Assembly Members to strengthen the state’s bilingual teacher pipeline, Sailee is looking toward an ambitious future. With dozens of events lined up across 39 Title I schools, her ultimate goal is to expand this life-changing curriculum to 378 schools within the next two years. Sailee wants to ensure that every multilingual child has the stage on which to center their own narrative.
Sailee (left) poses with Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua, sharing her bilingual children’s book Curiosity and Me.
Tell us about your volunteer role and organization.
Attending school in Santa Ana, I often walked past La Chiquita Grocery to grab a quick snack, and I would watch how my Hispanic community was raised in the music of the Spanish language, vibrant and alive. Yet, I witnessed how the Hispanic students in the local Title I schools around me were pushed into English-only classrooms, forced into a linguistic vacuum where non-English fluency was treated as ignorance rather than an asset. Language functions as the gatekeeper to belonging. And that institutionalized belief that bilingual education is impractical and un-American, not only stifles academic and literacy growth in either language, but reinforces racialized shame, shakes a child’s underlying confidence to communicate and perpetuates the cycle of economic survival rather than closing the socioeconomic gap that has always yawned widest beneath Hispanic families.
At 13, I sat down at a dimly lit table at El Sol Academy with three children, a box of art supplies and my love for the Spanish language. That table transformed into Habla Arte, a bilingual visual arts and public speaking program, built around four pillars: art, language, storytelling and public speaking. Over four years, it has expanded into 15 Title I schools across Orange County, Sacramento and Dallas-Fort Worth, with curriculum distributed digitally to teachers in Mexico City, Argentina, Columbia, El Salvador and Spain.
We also built the Speak Art digital app, impacting more than 800 students through 600+ hours of in-class instruction, art exhibitions, summer camps and weekly workshops. To fund this program, I also wrote and illustrated my own bilingual children’s book, “Curiosity and Me,” not only exploring my own personal experience with the language barrier as an immigrant, but reaching families beyond the classroom.
Watching my elementary students grow, I turned to the middle scholars sitting quietly in auditoriums, carrying grief and untold stories without a tool to express them. Then, two years ago, The Lit League was created, one of the first multilingual spoken poetry programs for middle schools in the United States, reaching 5000+ youth in-person and producing the largest middle school poetry slam in Orange County history. Yet teaching alone could not fix what our policies have broken. So I turned to legislation and research, growing into the Habla Futures Initiative, a movement towards enhancing bilingual spaces as we disarm the weaponization of linguistic barriers in education.
What inspired you to get started with this initiative?
Walking through El Sol Academy, I spotted clothing donations, medical aid and free meals. I witnessed these small, fierce acts of kindness a community offers its most vulnerable. After speaking with the school principal on how I could get involved, she told me that every enrichment program was in English only. No one honored the native language of the majority of the school’s own children. I began to research why, finding that despite there being 4.9 million ESL learners in the US, and comprising nearly 20% of California’s public-school students, there’s almost no structural support in the schools serving them. As a bilingual- Spanish-English speaker myself, I wanted to build a space where their native culture was truly accepted and part of what it means to be American.
But after speaking before the Santa Ana Board of Education every Tuesday for the past two years, presenting my programs and my students’ stories, I watched board members nod politely in understanding, yet nothing changed. I realized that to move institutions, I needed to speak in the language institutions responded to.
I started attending the Orange County Board of Education meetings, making the case for bilingual education through data and testimony. Councilwoman Jessie Lopez was among the first officials to publicly endorse the effort, recognizing The Lit League at Santa Ana City Council and amplifying the momentum. OC Board Trustee Jorge Valdes, whose two children were in my first Habla Arte, agreed to formally co-author the resolution alongside me. And Mayor Valerie Amezcua sat with me over months of conversation, reading every clause and editing the language with me, before writing a formal letter of support to the Orange County Board of Education. On February 2, 2026, Resolution 03-26 passed unanimously, 5-0, formally urging greater bilingual and dual-language instruction across Orange County schools.
Sailee leads a multilingual spoken word poetry workshop for middle and high school students.
Why is this issue so important to you?
We were told we got smarter by forgetting our culture. I want to change that perception in any way I can. Following Proposition 227, which dismantled most bilingual programs and mandated English-only instruction for the next two decades, students were expected to learn complex subjects in a language they were still acquiring. It takes five to seven years to train English fluency, yet our schools demand it overnight. While 20.3% of California’s students are English Language Learners, only 8 to 9% of schools statewide offer dual-immersion programs.
After watching the transformations in my students over the years that I could only put into words, I realized that testimony without evidence is too easy to dismiss. So I conducted a research study over four years in partnership with Dr. Elizabeth Pena and co-researcher Reinaldo Cabrera Perez as UC Irvine’s School of Education Bilingualism Matters Initiative, conducting surveys across Orange County Title I schools, analyzing quantitative and qualitative data on student artistic and public speaking growth under the Habla Arte curriculum, and speaking with teachers and administrators on their perception of the growth across the county. That research will be published in the Education Role of Language International Journal, now proceeding my findings at the 2026 California Association of Bilingual Education (CABE) Graduate Research Symposium in Sacramento, at the cross-institutional 2026 Reframing Our Language Experience (ROLE) Symposium in Mexico City and at the 2026 International Conference on Sustainable Development Goals in Sri Lanka. That evidence towards greater communicative confidence, academic and artistic excellence, and Spanish legitimacy became the spin of everything that followed.
Two weeks before I published my Voice of OC column on this crisis, a 10-year-old student told me his aunt and closest friend had been deported by ICE. His family had stopped leaving the house and he still showed up to class. His determination took root in my chest, reminding me that this issue is a living creature alive in my community.
What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?
I’ve realized that lasting reform requires both community ownership and structural governance. For Habla Arte, our immediate horizon includes expanding to 378 California Title I schools within four years, deepening our reach across three states, and growing our six-country international partnership. For The Lit League, we have 26 events planned for 2026–2027, ranging from workshops and summer camps to virtual and in-person slams, all supported by a sustainable leadership pipeline and the continued distribution of our 40-page workbook to our partner secondary school in South America.
This July, we are launching the Habla Futures Bilingual Research Conference in partnership with the UCI School of Education, UCI Bilingual Matters, the California Department of Education, the UCI Tertulias Initiative and Dr. Elizabeth Pena. This convening of scholars and advocates across the US and South America aims to disarm the weaponization of language that propagates academic inequity. At the policy level, I am continuing to advocate for our state bill while simultaneously advising the CDE on formally recognizing translanguaging as an instructional method under Education Code 306. Ultimately, bilingualism is not a niche accommodation, but a bridge to cultural empowerment. This is how we keep the schoolhouse doors open for everyone.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
At the end of my second Habla Arte class, a quiet boy wrapped his arms around me in a hug. That moment proved what I’ve always believed: emotional safety is the foundation of all learning. Over the years, I’ve watched that safety transform introverted children into eager participants, and self-conscious students into free artists. Through The Lit League, I’ve seen impacts no metric can capture, like a student processing experiences of addiction through an abecedarian poem, or a young woman sharing her survival of sexual assault with unshaken clarity before a crowd of hundreds.
What have you learned through your experiences volunteering?
I used to believe that making a difference belongs only to adults with long-established organization and enormous funds. I have learned that meaningful change is always possible if you are willing to persevere no matter the odds.
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?
I believe that the most pressing needs are hiding in plain sight in the community around you. Democracy thrives on voices being heard and injustices being challenged. Any moment when a person decides what they have witnessed is not something they are willing to walk past is a democratic act. The question is not whether ordinary people have the power to shape systems. It is whether they are willing to stay long enough to find out.
I think about the first time my students received their certificates from Jessie Lopez at the Santa Ana City Council, their bravery to speak their raw, visceral truth took shape. That moment cost nothing in terms of legislative capital, but for those students, it was the first time our government said, “We see you.” Every person who gets involved opens a door for someone else, making sure that their voice belongs in the room too.
Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?
Start with what you already love. I arrived at bilingual education because I was in love with the beauty of the Spanish language. Visual art and slam poetry already lived inside me. When you begin with genuine love, you can sustain the work long after the novelty wear off. A bill rejected by a legislator’s office does not end you. The fourteenth consecutive Tuesday at a board meeting where nothing moves doesn’t end you, if you believe in what you are building.
Transforming Her Own Passion Into Widespread Collective Action
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Morgan Sommerville. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light. Morgan Sommerville found her passion with a hammer in her hand and a blueprint in her mind. For more than 15 years, her commitment to volunteerism has taken her across the country with SBP, performing intense, hands-on disaster-recovery work to rebuild homes and restore hope for families struck by catastrophe. Her ability to organize chaos into community also led her to co-found Mission: I’m Home, creating a university alternative break program that has since engaged more than 700 people in disaster rebuilding while raising $40,000 annually. And she serves as a founding board member for FROM: Baltimore, where she leads a civic engagement accelerator empowering local youth.
Morgan’s belief in service perhaps shines brightest in her leadership as a board member for Business Volunteers Maryland, a Points of Light global network affiliate. In this role, she helps forge sustainable partnerships through skills-based volunteerism. She is currently helping to steer the organization through an exciting expansion, using the results of a long-term research project to articulate the profound economic and social value of corporate-nonprofit alliances.
While her nights and weekends are dedicated to grassroots boards and coordination, Morgan has also aligned her professional life with her personal mission. She is the supervisor of all volunteer mobilization for CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, leading large-scale activations, team events and board matchmaking across Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia. Morgan believes that personal service is magnified when you inspire others to stand beside you. As an alum of the GIVE Fellowship who has supported civic engagement among Baltimore professionals for 15 years, leading by example is her only way forward. Read on to hear more about Morgan’s work and what keeps her inspired to volunteer so widely and frequently.
Tell us a little bit about your volunteer work. As a board member with Business Volunteers Maryland, I help to support the connection of companies across our region with nonprofits building sustainable partnerships through service and skills-based volunteerism. We are excited to expand our work beyond the greater Maryland region through committed relationship building, as well as sharing the results of a long-term research project articulating the importance of this work. I strongly believe in the impact we can collectively have in our communities and appreciate the ability to support the corporate and nonprofit partners coming together for common goals.
I also currently oversee all volunteerism for CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield creating hundreds of opportunities for my colleagues to serve the communities across Maryland, D.C. and Northern Virginia. Last year 58% of my colleagues, 3,446 individuals, logged 110,716 volunteer hours resulting in a $9.1 million economic impact across our region. I support large scale volunteer activations and team volunteer events, as well as matching individuals to nonprofit boards and everything in between.
What inspired you to get started with this initiative? My family members will tell you serving and getting involves has always been part of my personality. I was fortunate to be raised by a family of givers and went to schools where service wasn’t just a mandatory requirement; it was embedded in the culture. I found my true calling for serving the community when I was younger, but how I act on this calling has shown up in a variety of ways over the course of my life.
One of the most impactful volunteer opportunities of my life happened just outside of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. I was completely shocked by how much devastation occurred and the immense amount of loss. I was equally struck by the strength of the families and their commitment to rebuild not only their homes, but their community. This volunteer trip resulted in me creating an Alternative Break Program at Stevenson University where I was working at the time. Over the next 10 years, over 700 students, faculty, staff and alumni participated in rebuilding trips to five communities devastated by natural disasters.
After I left Stevenson and began my career at CareFirst, I continued to volunteer personally with SBP, formerly St. Bernard Project, and Rebuilding Together NOLA. I have served as a leader for corporate and university trips throughout Louisiana to not only personally help homeowners move back home, but to guide and lead teams of volunteers to align with this important work.
Why is volunteering so important to you? Being an active member in the community has been a lifelong theme and how I approach my work professionally and personally. I’m committed to not only serving my community as an individual, but how can I help inspire, motivate and connect those around me to serve the community in ways that are meaningful to them. In order for our communities to truly thrive, we need everyone to do their part in making their corner of the world a bit brighter. What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization? I plan to continue to serve in the communities where I live and work! I’m privileged to align my personal passion with my professional career and to create opportunities for folks to serve the mission and programs they are passionate about.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work? It’s truly difficult to pinpoint the most rewarding part, since there are so many incredible ripple effects to volunteering. But I think being witness to the “ah ha” moment of individuals when they unharness their personal potential of making an impact and understanding the power of their two hands on a project. Collectively, it’s extremely rewarding to see the surge of energy when a team deploys on a volunteer project and makes a huge difference for a nonprofit in a matter of moments. Whether that is removing invasive species from a park, packaging thousands of medically tailored meals to be distributed to critically ill neighbors or hanging drywall in a home devastated by a natural disaster. When volunteers can walk away from an event realizing they made a difference either as an individual or as part of a team and are inspired to volunteer further… that is the best reward! What have you learned through your experiences volunteering? That truly everyone can make a difference. It might sound cliche, but everyone has the power to do good in their community. It may look different from one individual to the next, but we all have light within us that can help brighten our community. Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about? I believe firmly in the power of the community, and that at one point or another, we will all need help and will need to rely on one another. The impact of volunteering might not be seen right away, but it should be known that the actions you take today will impact those around you tomorrow. Small actions build upon one another to make large differences.
Any advice for people who want to start volunteering? As my 103-year-old Grandmother would say, “Just keep going!” If there was an organization that inspired you, check out their website to get involved. See what’s happening within your own neighborhood association, school network or house of worship.
The easiest way to support your community is to simply walk outside and see what your two hands are capable of improving. It could be as simple as picking up trash, planting a community garden or driving a neighbor to doctor’s appointments. There’s no shortage of need in the community, but there is also no shortage of ways to get involved!
Do you want to make a difference in your community like Morgan? Find local volunteer opportunities.
Better Health Care Begins With Student Leadership
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Ben Kurian. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Ben Kurian is co-founder and executive director of Students for Patient Advocacy Nationwide (SPAN), a youth-led organization empowering students to shape the future of health care policy. Since launching SPAN in 2025, Ben has helped build a network of nearly 50 high school, college and medical students across 16 states who organize advocacy campaigns, engage lawmakers and testify on legislation affecting patients and the future health care workforce. His leadership helped mobilize more than 100 medical students to oppose a Texas bill that would have eliminated pass/fail grading in medical schools, contributing to its defeat. To date, SPAN has engaged more than 1,500 elected officials and helped influence more than 50 pieces of health care legislation, proving that students can make a meaningful impact on public policy.
For Ben, advocacy begins with recognizing that the people who will inherit today’s policies deserve a voice in shaping them. He believes students bring fresh perspectives, a willingness to challenge assumptions and a deep understanding of the communities most affected by policy decisions. Through SPAN, he hopes to inspire more young people to move beyond observing problems and start solving them, showing that meaningful leadership comes from being willing to do the work, earn trust and speak up for others long before holding an official title.
THE TEAM SUPPLYING THE MOST FREQUENTLY FORGOTTEN ITEMS
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Bella Carson, Reese Carson and Leila Murena. Read their story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Bella Carson, Reese Carson and Leila Murena may only be in the ninth grade, but they’ve already started a service revolution. The trio first hosted a Thanksgiving food drive in the sixth grade, and they see that experience as a life-changing turning point in their mission to serve others. While at the local food bank, they discovered that new undergarments and feminine hygiene products were some of the most needed items. In that moment, the young women knew their mission was clear. They founded Wundie Undies, a youth-led nonprofit providing clean underwear, feminine hygiene products and diapers.
Three years later, the Wundie Undies team has distributed 10,000 pairs of underwear, 35,000 diapers and 30,000 feminine hygiene products, in addition to raising nearly $10,000. The organization has been so successful that the group created a student ambassador program that allows students at various schools to host drives, expanding their circle to bring in the items that are so desperately needed. Whether they’re coordinating collection drives with partner schools, hosting events or reaching out to potential corporate sponsors, the Wundie Undies team is making a difference in their community, and they’re doing it together.
At just 14 years old, the Wundie Undies team collectively volunteers approximately 75 hours per month, which is no simple task considering their busy high school workloads and extracurricular activities. However, they consider the fact that they work together as a team to be a real asset to the organization’s livelihood, allowing them to share responsibilities and tackle each task as they need to. They consider being able to experience the success of Wundie Undies alongside their best friends to be one of the most unforgettable aspects of their volunteer journey. Through it all, they’ve been able to grow together, support each other, and help their community as a team. What started as a small idea three years ago has blossomed into a testament to the power of just how far service and friendship can go when it’s deeply intertwined.
What inspired you to get started with this initiative?
Leila: There were a lot of moments that inspired us, but one of the biggest was a Thanksgiving food drive we hosted in sixth grade. It was very successful, and it made us realize how important it is to support your community. Seeing all these donations being placed on the shelves at a local food bank was life-changing for us, and it made us want to do even more. We found out from the food bank that they really needed hygiene products. After that, we did some research and were surprised to learn that feminine hygiene products, underwear and diapers are some of the most needed, but least donated items. We realized that these things we thought were necessities are not available to everyone, and that pushed us to take action and make a difference.
Bella: After some consideration on what we could do, we got in contact with a shelter coordinator that we had worked with before for our Thanksgiving food drive. Reese: That was our first interaction with community service, and we became very passionate about it. We just wanted to do more, and we found that this was unique. It was very necessary, so we said, why not?
WUNDIE UNDIES FOUNDERS REESE CARSON, LEILA MURENA AND BELLA CARSON (LEFT TO RIGHT) STOCK SHELVES AT A LOCAL FOOD BANK. /COURTESY OF BELLA AND REESE CARSON AND LEILA MURENA
What inspires you to volunteer?
Reese: This issue became very personal to us when we realized that girls our age were missing school because they didn’t have access to feminine hygiene products or clean underwear, and parents were having to make a decision between diapers for their child or dinner on the table. We realized that these items we saw as an expectation were a privilege to many people. It is so important to have them, because they’re not just hygiene products; they are facilitators of confidence, of dignity and of care. Knowing that giving a package of underwear to a family could make a difference in their life really motivates and inspires us.
Tell us about your volunteer role with Wundie Undies.
Bella: Our role involves much more than just collecting donations. We create flyers, organize fundraisers and organize community events. We build our Amazon wish list, and we also communicate with local food bank coordinators to find out who needs these items.
What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?
Leila: Our biggest goal is to build an organization that lasts even after we graduate high school and go into college. We want to build strong relationships with future ambassadors and volunteers, so Wundie Undies can continue helping people in our community for years to come. We are also very focused on fundraising now and learning how to raise money from different places. For example, we are applying for grants from different companies and other charities to increase our funding. We are working on our application to participate in Give Miami Day. We also hope to grow our impact by reaching more communities, hosting bigger drives and continuing to spread awareness about hygiene insecurity.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
Reese: We’ve done so much and we’re so proud of ourselves. In the past three years, we have collected over 80,000 items, and we’ve had the opportunity to distribute them from here in Miami all the way to Los Angeles, where we supported fire relief. We really wish to expand and get better at what we’re doing. However, what I would say, and I hope my partners can agree with me, is that the most rewarding part of this is the fact that we got to do it together, and we always have a team by our sides. There aren’t very many people who get to say they’re making a difference with their best friends by their side.
BELLA CARSON, LEILA MURENA AND REESE CARSON STAND (LEFT TO RIGHT) WITH DONATIONS THEY RECEIVED FOR LOS ANGELES FIRE RELIEF, WHICH THEY SORTED, REPACKED AND DELIVERED TO LOS ANGELES. /COURTESY OF BELLA AND REESE CARSON AND LEILA MURENA
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
Bella: I think we’ve learned the importance of helping our community, of course, but also teamwork. It taught us gratitude, and I feel like we’ve gained a deeper appreciation for these everyday necessities that people take for granted. This experience has made us view service in such a different way and inspires us to continue giving as much as we can.
Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?
Reese: There are so many opportunities out there. We started a charity, but that doesn’t have to be what you do. You can volunteer at your local food bank, or you can do a beach cleanup. There are so many ways that you can help your community. Take one of your hobbies and turn it into something meaningful. As long as you have the passion and the drive to make a difference, you can really do anything.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
Bella: I think we just want people to learn how these items that we collect and donate often go overlooked. With food banks, you think of canned goods, but people don’t really take into account the fact that feminine hygiene products, underwear and diapers are also very needed items. We want to get through to people to raise awareness about these items and the need.
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Aarush Avula. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Aarush Avula started volunteering in the seventh grade, and he hasn’t looked back. He was initially introduced to the local food pantry and was exposed to the diverse populations that rely on the pantry to feed their families. Interacting with new people was a rewarding endeavor for Aarush, and he came to realize that everyone has a story that they might not be sharing. Inspired to help more, Aarush has accelerated his volunteer work over the last couple of years.
Soon to be in the 10th grade, Aarush is an active volunteer who works with Pebble Tossers, a youth development organization with a mission to empower and equip youth to lead through service. Through Pebble Tossers, Aarush finds easy ways to get connected to volunteer roles, whether it’s at local food pantries or at a hospice organization. His most prominent volunteering role is as the co-leader of the bread team with Meals by Grace, an organization that works to feed hungry families.
AARUSH AVULA IS A VOLUNTEER WITH PEBBLE TOSSERS AND MEALS BY GRACE. /COURTESY AARUSH AVULA
Aarush and his friends create a space for general volunteers to work more efficiently. Whether he’s setting up the kitchen so bread can be distributed or cleaning up and sanitizing the space after it’s done, Aarush has a vital role in the fight against food insecurity. He also trains new volunteers, so more than 50 families per day can put food on the table. He dedicates anywhere from eight to 16 hours per month to Meals by Grace, and is right around the corner from completing 200 hours with the organization.
Aarush has seen firsthand how much of a role volunteers have in the fight against hunger. But he’s also seen just how much his volunteer work has benefitted his own well-being. As a result of the time he’s dedicated to volunteering, Aarush has developed stronger leadership and communication skills. With a compassionate heart and a willingness to see the struggles that people face every day, Aarush is bettering both himself and the community. That’s an opportunity that’s available to anyone who is willing to volunteer.
What inspired you to get started with this initiative?
In seventh grade, I found this food pantry nearby. Initially, I started as a general volunteer and I found it really fun and satisfying. I met a lot of really cool people there who would come and pick up food from the food pantry. I actually talked with them and got to know a few of them. They showed me that everyday people you might not expect might be going through things you don’t even know about. I saw this, and after talking with all these people, I was more interested. I wanted to help more, so I pursued a team lead position.
What inspires you to volunteer?
It’s that feeling of helping others. It just feels good. I like helping people a lot; it just feels nice. I think everybody should try to help the community whenever they can. If we do that, then the world would be a much better place. I’m going to try to do whatever I can to make it the best it can be.
Tell us about your volunteer role with Pebble Tossers.
Pebble Tossers has helped me log and track my hours and get more opportunities that I might not have without them. They have a bunch of unique opportunities, like creating postcards and encouragement notes for younger kids who are reading. Pebble Tossers helps you a lot if you don’t know what you want to do, but do know that you want to volunteer. They give you a lot of different, unique ways you can help. It’s a great place to start.
With Meals by Grace, I co-lead the bread team with a few of my other friends, and we help the general volunteers. First, we set up the workspace for them. We give them instructions on what to do, and then we answer any questions while they’re doing it. We’re the facilitators. We make sure everything goes smoothly when they’re doing stuff. After they’re done, we have to clean up the workspace and make sure everything’s sanitized. We prepare for the next week.
What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?
I got a club role in my school with the healthcare volunteering club, so I want to provide these opportunities with Meals by Grace and Pebble Tossers, and spread my knowledge of those opportunities in those clubs. I would like to organize days when we could all go to a place and give them contact info if they want to get involved individually. I want to help more kids just like me who might not have known about volunteering, but who want to get involved. I want to help them get to volunteer just like I do.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
Seeing the people that you serve. Whenever I would go into this food pantry, I would see some people picking up food, and they were smiling and grateful. Sometimes, especially with Meals by Grace, you don’t always get to see who’s on the other side of what you’re doing. Mainly, we just package up the food, so we don’t see who’s actually receiving it. But when we do see the reactions and how grateful they are when they receive it, I think that’s definitely one of the more rewarding parts.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
One of the things I learned is that you can’t tell what’s going on with someone’s life just by looking at them or just by talking with them. Everybody has their own struggles, and a lot of times they don’t put it out there. You don’t even know what’s going on with a lot of people in your life. I think you should just help when you can. If you’re in a position to help others, you definitely should, because we’re all a team. That’s how I think you’ll be happy, and you’ll make other people happy too.
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?
I think you should always try to help. Wherever you are passionate, you should try to help, whether it be teaching kids, volunteering at a food pantry, or wherever it may be. You should always try to improve the community around you, because the community is what serves you as well. It’s kind of like a mutual relationship. You have to help the community if you want it to help you. I think if you’re passionate about something and you want to help, you can just combine the two, so it doesn’t seem like a chore, but it seems like it’s just a hobby. I think it’s a win-win.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
Anyone can do it. I’m just a kid, so if I can do it, you can do it too. You just need to talk to people and get out there. It might not look the same as what I’m doing. Whatever you want to do, it’s not going to look the exact same, but I think you just have to put yourself out there and try. It might be a little hard at the beginning, but finding the place to volunteer is probably the hardest part. Just going there and getting started is probably the hardest part.
The Growing Impact of an End-of-Month Food Program
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree John Das. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Every third Saturday of the month, Cleveland resident Dr. John Das gathers with volunteers in the parking lot and hall at St. John’s Church. There, they transform the scene into a hub of nourishment and care for their neighbors. John, a local physician spends roughly three hours each session immersing himself in the hands-on logistics of Soup’s On, a staple community feeding program in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. From the initial setup to the final sweep of cleanup, he lifts boxes, sets up and tears down directional signage, and loads surplus donations to ensure nothing goes to waste.
Established in 1986, Soup’s On was created to fill a specific, critical gap: those lean days toward the end of the month when tight household budgets might run dry. What began 40 years ago as a modest effort serving just 25 individuals has blossomed. Today, utilizing a hybrid drive-through and walk-in model, the program serves between 150 and 230 hot meals during a single session. Thanks to enduring partnerships with local grocery stores, churches, and charities, community members leave not just with a warm dinner, but with essential groceries, meat, and household supplies worth thousands of dollars.
John helps create a vibrant environment of hospitality, dignity, and mutual respect where vulnerable neighbors feel seen rather than marginalized. Any remaining food is carefully packed into his vehicle and delivered to nearby shelters, extending the program’s reach even further into the community. Through this selfless, recurring dedication, John truly exemplifies a willingness to serve. Read on to hear more of his inspiring story.
Tell us about your volunteer role and organization.
The organization is called Soup’s On. It provides warm meals, food products, and other supplies to local families. They have a drive-through where people can come in and request the number of hot meals they want. They can also request a bag of additional food products, like donuts and other things like that. I might help bring bags or hot meals out to the cars, or cart the meals to wherever they’re ready to distribute. I may help ask the people if they want chips or pretzels and help load those items up. There’s a drive-through where different volunteers move in and hand items to the people who are coming in that way.
What inspired you to get started with this initiative?
I got started because I wanted to volunteer, get involved and help underserved people in my area. I looked up opportunities to get involved, and this was a way I found that could help.
Why is food security so important?
It’s important for people to have reliable access to nutritious food to live healthy lives. In addition to helping with health, it helps people to be more economically productive, it helps children with academic performance, and it helps with human dignity and the quality of life. Access to food is a basic human need, and it allows people not to be able to worry about their next meal. Instead, they can focus on education, work, family, and community.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
Teamwork can help accomplish major issues, like food security. At Soup’s On, each individual volunteering has an important part, but with everyone showing up — some people cooking the meals, some taking the meals to the car, some talking to the people — everyone coming together helps the ministry function as a whole.
There are some people who arrive and they like when people talk to them and listen to them. I’ve learned that sometimes the way to make someone have a smile on their face is just to talk and listen to them. A lot of the people that come through, I’ll spend some time talking to. The power of the human connection and a respectful interaction can be just as meaningful as the meal itself.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
The most rewarding part is to see people go home and have a nutritious meal for themselves and their family. As someone who likes food myself, it makes me happy! It’s nice to be able to provide a meal for someone else, and I know that it makes a difference.
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?
It allows people to turn their values into action. Caring about a problem is important, but volunteering gives people an opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of others while strengthening their communities. It’s nice to be able to read up on an issue and be aware of it, but actually volunteering helps you be the change.
Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?
I would say to start with a cause that genuinely matters to you, and be willing to start small. You don’t need special skills or experience; sometimes you just need to show up, and you can play a small part to make a big difference. You shouldn’t underestimate the impact — a meal served, a box packed, or a conversation shared can be incredibly meaningful to someone else. You don’t need special qualifications, endless free time, or a perfect plan. If you find a cause that speaks to you, show up and be willing to help. You can make a difference.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
Some of the most important contributions are made slowly and faithfully over time. This ministry started years ago, and decades of people showing up, building relationships, and organizing led to continued success and service. Volunteers continue the work started by those before them.
And remember that food insecurity can affect working families, seniors on fixed incomes, people with disabilities, college students, and individuals who are facing unexpected medical bills or financial hardships. It can happen to anyone. Hunger is often linked to rising costs of living, limited access to affordable food, and transportation barriers, so community support is needed, and programs like Soup’s On can really help with that.
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Anirudh. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Anirudh Rao drew his first design, a sensor that would alert people of wind and dust, when he was just 5 years old. He presented it to his Kindergarten class. Now 13, he has many innovations under his belt. His interests lie at the intersection of science and history, and he uses both to solve problems worsening due to climate change. He has, for example, created a wound management solution he calls Semmelweis, inspired by ancient Greek and Egyptian civilizations’ treatment of war wounds. It detects excess moisture, helps prevent infection and ensures timely dressing changes while reducing waste. It’s particularly useful in disaster-affected regions.
While working on his ideas over the years, Anirudh developed a workshop series that connects history, mythology, climate science and modern technology. For nearly four years, he has led programs at schools, museums, science festivals and more across the U.S. and abroad. He connects with difficult-to-reach places like refugee camps online.
His sessions build curiosity, cultural awareness and interest in STEM. But he hasn’t stopped there. Anirudh believes that artificial intelligence will affect everyone and, therefore, everyone should be able to learn about it. One of his missions is providing this education to underserved communities. He’s planning to launch the beginner AI videos he’s developing for students in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya this summer. Such communities have also benefited from the over $10,000 he raised for their support. And even amidst his other important work, he still finds time to draw.
What inspires you to volunteer?
Volunteering started from my passion for mitigating climate change. I used to live in Nashville, TN, and my friend’s home was destroyed by a tornado. That sparked my curiosity. I wanted to do something about it, so I started innovating things like an early tornado warning system.
Another impactful event was when I conducted a session on ancient Egypt and how they used scientific techniques in mummification and building their pyramids. That really resonated with me.
Tell us about your volunteerism.
I conduct in-person and virtual education programs that have reached over 6,500 people, toddlers to college-aged. I design interactive presentations and hands-on demonstrations, coordinate with partner organizations and mentor younger students. Topics include things like history and culture of different countries, 3D printing, beginner AI and the flora and fauna of Colorado. I really enjoy nature, and being a climate advocate has transformed my view on conservation.
I’ve also created various solutions for issues that I’ve then shared with people who could implement them. My early tornado warning system is based on a principle of infrasound, which is the low frequency sound that tornadoes produce in their early stages. With a network of autonomous drones, infrasound and other environmental sensors, I can detect a tornado 27 minutes earlier than the process currently used, warning people 40 minutes before it hits.
I partner with Denver Water on testing for an alternative for electrochemical batteries. And with the Colorado Department of Transportation, I’ve used adaptations in nature–i.e., mint leaves, cicada wings and Namib beetles–that manage moisture efficiently to analyze how resurfacing roads with specific patterns can reduce ice formation and speed up melting, potentially saving lives.
And I conduct sessions on beginner AI for those in underserved communities and create videos on, for example, how to be safe on the internet. AI is the future and everyone deserves to learn about it. That’s why I also created a device called NeuroWeave, which helps students with learning disabilities interact with the technology.
You emphasize the importance of teaching science with history. How does that help solve future problems?
We always need to look at the past to solve something in the future. An example of this is the Archimedes screw, where water was basically taken from low-lying bodies of water uphill to irrigation ditches. The Mesopotamians started civil engineering with canals, and we still use these innovations daily. National parks still use controlled burning practices that originated with indigenous people many generations ago. Progress is made by building on previous knowledge.
What are your long-term plans or goals for your volunteer work?
One of them is to create a global network of students who can conduct AI sessions in their own areas, because we need to make sure that no one is left behind.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
It’s seeing people having empathy towards different cultures, advocating on climate change, forming their own opinions and having the curiosity to innovate. Once, during a beginner AI session, we were working on a facial recognition app. Unprompted, a 7-year-old student drew a picture of an animal and showed it to the AI. He said that if it’s able to understand human faces, it can understand animal faces. That was really rewarding to see him thinking critically and building on the information he learned from our sessions.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
If you have an idea and you’re able to help someone, go for it. You can always go back and rethink something. I believe everyone should do things that inspire them. My dad always says that whatever blessings you have, you should give to others as well.
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?
You might think that someone else is going to do it, but what if that someone else never comes?
What do you want people to learn from your story?
Empathize with different cultures and traditions, because we want a kinder future. Climate change isn’t just a technical problem but also a social and cultural one. Communities are affected differently, and solutions must be developed specifically for them. Help make our world a better, safer place.
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Shaurya Pydisetti. Read their story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Shaurya Pydisetti is the founder of Project Querencia, a youth-led nonprofit that mobilizes young people to address community needs through service. What began during the COVID-19 pandemic as a small effort to support families facing isolation has grown into an organization with more than 200 members across seven chapters. Through food and supply drives, soup kitchen volunteering and free tutoring programs, Shaurya and his team have connected volunteers with opportunities to serve families experiencing food insecurity, students needing academic support and communities seeking stronger connections. By coordinating outreach and empowering fellow students to lead, he has helped transform individual acts of service into a growing movement for community impact.
For Shaurya, volunteering starts with initiative. After seeing people wait for others to solve urgent problems, he decided to act rather than stand on the sidelines. He believes young people do not need to wait for age, experience or authority to create meaningful change. Instead, leadership is built through consistency, accountability and a willingness to learn by doing. Through Project Querencia, Shaurya hopes to show other students that small actions, repeated over time, can create lasting impact and inspire a new generation of civic-minded leaders.
Volunteer Duo Makes a Difference Through Videography
Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Bob and Mary Ellen Dawley. Read their story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Bob Kovacs, a veteran of the technical side of television, decided to delve into the creative side upon his retirement. Mary Ellen Dawley had a varied career that finished with photography. Putting their artistic skills and imagination together, they started a YouTube channel. Today, they have almost 500 videos of wildlife and tutorials on things like car repair, maintenance and around-the-house explainers. Many are inspired by moments in their own lives they wish had come with instructions.
In November 2023, the couple joined Volunteer Fairfax’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program-Northern Virginia (RSVP) as another way to enjoy creative pursuits while helping others. Not only do they lend a hand as regular volunteers—the organization matches older adults who want to volunteer with partner organizations with available roles—but they offer free video creation services to help RSVP and other nonprofits highlight their work and mission, raise money, attract volunteers, capture events, etc. Their service would otherwise be beyond many organizations’ budgets. With a passion for the art, Bob and Mary Ellen enjoy the work as much as recipients love the results.
Mary Ellen Dawley and Bob Kovacs, volunteers for Volunteer Fairfax’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program-Northern Virginia, use their film and photography skill to help recruit volunteers, fundraise, and increase participation.
What inspired you to get started with this initiative?
Bob: I always hoped I could do something in video as a volunteer. I’m in good health, and I still think I can contribute. I have a skill society can use.
Mary Ellen: Typically, a video requires more than one person, so I started helping out. When he retired, he wanted to do more, so I suggested we find a place to volunteer. We went to an event with 30 or 40 charitable organizations for seniors to volunteer with, and we offered to make videos. RSVP took us up on it and has connected us with other organizations.
People are so appreciative, we always come away with a big smile. Sometimes the audience at an event will watch our video and applaud. Knowing we did that makes us feel good.
Tell us about your volunteer role with Volunteer Fairfax’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program-Northern Virginia.
Bob: I start by working with organizations to create scripts and refine the message.
Mary Ellen: I help him shoot, but editing is up to him. He’ll sometimes say, “Look at what I’ve done so far,” and I’ll give feedback.
Also, a couple years ago, I got a Cricut machine. Using software, you put in a pattern and it cuts it. I love paper art. RSVP does annual volunteer recognition events, and two years ago it was M&M-themed, so I made hundreds of paper ornaments. This year, I made paper flowers.
We have monthly, two-hour Welcome Wednesday events where we have one or two projects we work on. We’ve made decorations, written Christmas cards, made sandwiches for distribution, etc. I help set things up, get other people in, coordinate…whatever they need.
Bob: We go with 40 to 50 other people our age. That’s part of the reason for having them, to get people out of the house and in social situations.
Mary Ellen: The past few times, they’ve set aside 45 minutes or so for a member learning experience. We did tai chi last time.
Bob: We also like to go out and walk around the neighborhood, and we noticed a lot of litter on the streets. We figured we’d pick it up while we were out, and since then, we’ve made a career out of it. We’ve collected more than 1,100 grocery store-sized bags of trash in 5+ years.
What are some other ways that your films have been used?
Bob: We made a video for the Shepherd Center they use to recruit volunteers. The Shepherd Center provides rides for older adults who can’t otherwise easily get to doctors’ appointments or go grocery shopping. They always need drivers. That video shows why and what happens during a trip. Another way people might use a video is to get donations.
Mary Ellen: We’re working with a food bank right now to make online videos that show what each volunteer position entails. We did another video in Spanish for an organization with Spanish-speaking clientele. As a result of seeing it, another organization invited them to their event for the first time. They were very excited.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
Bob: First, I get to do a video that I’m proud of and that I think will make an impact. But the fact that people are so happy to have the product of what we do is a big reward.
Why is it important to get involved with causes you care about?
Bob: It needs to be done. It’s about being able to contribute to a better society.
Mary Ellen: In many cases, if the volunteers weren’t doing it, it wouldn’t get done.
Representing Volunteer Fairfax, Bob (left) acts in a video for Fairfax County Cable TV with fellow actor Shelly.
Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?
Bob: Just get started. It doesn’t take any skill to pick up your neighborhood trash. If you see a need, address it, or go to an organization, tell them about your skills and ask how you can help.
Mary Ellen: RSVP is part of Volunteer Fairfax. Volunteer Fairfax has connections to places open to volunteers of all ages. You can look through a list of who needs what, any age restrictions, time commitment, etc. There’s probably something like that in most places, where they can point to what’s available. And just try it. For most people, when you see the smile at the other end, it makes it worthwhile.
Bob: There are so many things that need to be done. Keep trying until you find what you like the most. That’s what volunteering is all about. People are so happy you’re donating your time. They’re grateful in a way I almost never experienced as an employee. That was such a motivator for me.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
Bob: Whatever skill you enjoy, you can probably find a charity that would be delighted to put it to the best use.
