Giva Blog Categories : Social Responsibility

Volunteers dedicate their time and efforts to a variety of industries, at every corner of the earth. Data from a survey released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016, the most recent year available, shows that about one-quarter of Americans take time to volunteer. Giva believes that by offering spare time, unique skills, talents and more, you can affect positive change, both in your life, another person's life, and the world as a whole.

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Raymond Nelson, student support specialist at Memminger Elementary, works with students with behavioral or domestic struggles. Early this year, he created "The Gentlemen's Club" to teach boys important life lessons they may not be taught growing up otherwise. Nelson was part of a similar program as a child which "helped [him] to be a better man".

His organization is now called Boys With a Purpose.

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The Center for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) recently released a report on the sustainability of trends in Silicon Valley. The question about whether Silicon Valley corporations, of all shapes and sizes, are or are not models of sustainability, is still up for debate. Though the CSE report does provide vital research and data on this very topic, with an aim to achieve a clear cut answer.

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As our world becomes more and more philanthropic and globalized, people with the means to travel are increasingly inclined to make an impact on the areas they visit. Thousands of tourists are no longer comfortable lounging in a tropical hotel, knowing that the issues in the region are evident just outside their door. Instead, they want to be immersed in the area's culture and challenges, leaving a positive mark on the community and locals before returning home. Voluntourism, the hybrid of volunteering and tourism, is a middle ground for those who travel primarily for the sake of traveling, but want to incorporate gratifying altruistic work.

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In June of last year, Points of Light held their ninth annual Service Unites conference in the city of Detroit, to promote and commemorate giving back to communities on individual, group, and corporate levels. It is the largest yearly congregation in the name of volunteer work in the world.

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Corporate social responsibility has already deeply implanted itself in the worldwide economy, in the shape of government policies and corporate campaigns. As the concept continues to grow, current trends are beginning to develop that are gradually redefining and strengthening the presence of business altruism.

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In the early 1980s, Bernie Glassman saw a need among individuals in the Yonkers community for a second chance at life. Yonkers has the highest concentration of poverty in Westchester County, with 18.5% of Southwest Yonkers residents living below the poverty line and 11% being unemployed. When Glassman opened Greyston Bakery in 1982, he made it his mission to give the hard-to-employ a way out of poverty.

Greyston Bakery employs an Open Hiring™ Model. Anyone who comes to the bakery is given a chance to work, no questions asked. The bakery uses a waiting list, and as soon as a job becomes available, it is given to the next person on the list. Because the bakery trains its employees in baking and employment readiness skills during an apprenticeship period, any individual can work, regardless of background or work history.

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Change is hard. It is often uncomfortable and unwanted, but it is a necessary part of life. Thankfully, kindness is a sort of change that is easy to make. While most of us cannot give a lot of money away to nonprofit organizations or relocate to an underdeveloped country to tend to the poor and sick, this is not the only way to ignite positive change. Here is a great list of 5 simple, yet effective, ways to make positive changes on a micro level.

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At Giva we search for organizations, large and small, that are doing a great job of changing the world around them for the better; and we are pleased to salute them here!

Early adolescence is a critical period for girls. In New York City, many early adolescent girls fall behind boys in academic test scores. Girls who are 10 to 14 years of age are more likely to commit suicide than boys of the same age, and they have a higher chance of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. One in six girls are at risk for obesity; according to the US Department of Health and Services, racial and ethnic minorities have a higher chance for being obese, and of these minorities, African-American women have the highest risk.

One approach to tackling these issues is through participation in sports, which scientific research has linked to better physical, mental, and physiological health, as well as better social interaction. New York Women's Foundation has said that the most effective programs for girls emphasize positive development, treat girls as resources, provide girls-only programming, and work with girls over a long period of time.

These qualities are present in Figure Skating in Harlem (FSH), a revolutionary non-profit organization founded in 1997 by Sharon Cohen. It promotes physical and emotional health and academic achievement. After nearly two decades, it remains the only education and ice skating program of its kind in the United States. Its mission is to use figure skating as a draw to provide young, underserved girls with education and fitness programs in a safe and supportive environment.

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