INSPIRATION
“ One of the most admirable things about Bright Blessings is that they drop off the gifts anonymously and they don ’ t get to see the joy that it provides .”
Amy said : “ It seems like such a simple thing , to have a desk , or surface to write on , but it is something these children lack . One high-school age student who received a lap-desk was overcome . She had been studying each night using a piece of plywood as a desk . This gift gave her a personal study space and , in a small way , the encouragement to achieve .”
VOLUNTEERS ARE THE HEART AND SOUL
Bright Blessings has creatively engaged volunteers and community partners in several capacities . In the past year alone , 1,500 Bright Blessings volunteers have amassed 20,000 volunteer hours . “ Part of the mission of Bright Blessings is to serve the community through volunteerism . To that end , we want to make it easy for our volunteers to give their time , not make it a chore ,” Amy said . “ People get engaged when they put their hands on what they ’ re giving .”
Goodie bins for classroom birthday parties are neatly assembled and ready to go out the door ; tidy stacks of gifts , wrapped and tagged with personal birthday greetings , are arranged for the next weekend ’ s party ; baskets filled with baby items are set to go just outside a room filled with racks of new baby clothing ; and backpacks are stuffed with books , lap-desks and toiletries to be distributed to schools .
Thirty volunteers keep the monthly birthday parties on track and Giving Village volunteers assemble more than 500 goodie bags a month , wrap birthday gifts , assemble backpacks and
To get a glimpse of what these dedicated volunteers accomplish , we walked through the Bright Blessings ’ Giving Village . It ’ s a lesson in successful organizational management .
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