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April isn’t just about spring showers and blooming flowers; it’s National Volunteer Week! This week is a vibrant celebration of the everyday heroes who dedicate their time and energy to making a difference, particularly to a certain group of people who don’t get much spotlight in the volunteer scene: youth!

Youth bring fresh perspectives, boundless energy, and a willingness to learn that injects a powerful spark into any cause. Whether it’s planting trees for a greener future, organizing a book drive for children impacted by foster care, or mentoring younger students, young volunteers are making ripples in their communities.

This National Volunteer Week, we’ll be highlighting the amazing work our Teen Leadership Program (TLP) members have been engaged with since August!

Read more about their impact on our interview with Pratima and her experience of leading the group’s advocacy project and providing nutritious meals for couples experiencing homelessness residing at the Zaban Paradies Center.

 

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What is your group project about and what made you want to create your project?
Our group project is centered around the cause area of alleviating homelessness and hunger directly by serving food and advocating for the problem. 

Q: What skills did you gain or develop as a teen leader, and how did you apply those skills to lead your project?
A: I learned how to efficiently coordinate events with nonprofits like Zaban Paradies Center. 

Q: What challenges did you encounter while working on your project, and how did you overcome them?
A: Our advocating aspect of our project was extremely slow, but overall, we still made an impact by forming bonds with the residents of the center.

Q: Tell us how the TLP supported your goals as a teen leader and what your next steps are after completing this TLP year.
A: TLP supported my goals by respecting opinions and my say in my projects, as well as fostering a sense of responsibility. 

Q: Describe a time when you felt really proud of yourself as a teen leader.
A: I felt really proud when I was able to list off my accomplishments of my project from the first year I served on the TLP- our hard work and dedication to preparing and serving food to the residents at Zaban helped me realize reality, as well as fill my heart with empathy and push me to work harder for this cause area. 

Q: In honor of Global Volunteer Month, who inspires you and why?
A: The spelling bee crew in our TLP. I believe in their cause, how they structured and planned their event and their legacy. Everything was well-aligned and genuinely motivated me to be as involved as them next year and this summer. 

Q: Imagine you’re giving a TED Talk about a leadership lesson you learned. What’s the title and your main takeaway message?
A: Never let your team drag you down. I had faced many conflicts this year, which made me unavailable to attend meetings or put in as much effort for research/other resources as an advocate, but I really did not see much effort from my “team.” Although it was no excuse for me not to do much to help facilitate our progress, my team did not have my back and lacked communication for many different things. Unfortunately, it made me feel guilty, but it taught me a valuable lesson about the acronym: Together Everyone Achieves More. 

 

Join the Teen Leadership Program!
Applications to join the 2024-25 Teen Leadership Program are open to all rising 9th-12 graders in the metro Atlanta Area. Learn more about how teen leadership can activate positive change in their world and apply today!
We are looking for advisors ages 22+ to serve as mentors/positive role models for the program. Interesting in helping teens? Contact Earline at earline@pebbletossers.org for more information.

 

April isn’t just about spring showers and blooming flowers; it’s National Volunteer Week! This week is a vibrant celebration of the everyday heroes who dedicate their time and energy to making a difference, particularly to a certain group of people who don’t get much spotlight in the volunteer scene: youth!

Youth bring fresh perspectives, boundless energy, and a willingness to learn that injects a powerful spark into any cause. Whether it’s planting trees for a greener future, organizing a book drive for children impacted by foster care, or mentoring younger students, young volunteers are making ripples in their communities.

This National Volunteer Week, we’ll be highlighting the amazing work our Teen Leadership Program (TLP) members have been engaged with since August!

Read more about their impact on our interview with Sanaa and her experience of leading the group’s Environment + Park Clean Up Project across metro Atlanta.

 

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Q: What is your group project about and what made you want to create your project?
A: Our project is about helping the environment stay clean and looking after the wildlife that is being affected by the immense pollution in our parks. Each of us in this group feels very passionate about doing our part for the outdoors, as it is often overlooked in the realm of community service.

We thought giving our time towards the parks would not only be a service opportunity but also allow us to spend some time outdoors, as well as gain an appreciation for all that nature has to provide. Because our group is in high school, we don’t get to spend much time outside, so we were very fortunate to be able to work on an outdoor project.

Q: What skills did you gain or develop as a teen leader, and how did you apply those skills to lead your project?
A: Communication is a skill that I have been working on this year in TLP, and it is something I wanted to exercise during our project. I implemented this in our project by being the leader of this service group, creating a group chat, and talking with our group regarding the specifics of our project. This has allowed us to create a viable plan and execute it in a timely manner.

We would not have been able to be as productive if it weren’t for the time we took to talk to each other and work through the scheduling problems we were facing.

Q: What challenges did you encounter while working on your project, and how did you overcome them?
A: One big challenge we faced during this project was finding a time that would work for everybody so we could clean up a park together. It was my goal to find time for at least one park cleaning that our whole group could do together as a bonding experience as well as improve communication for this project. Unfortunately, we were unable to find a date and location that worked for everyone, given there are 9 people in our group. Instead of doing this project together, it was more beneficial and effective if each of us did it separately and accounted for the amount of trash that each one of us picked up. 

Not only was this more effective, but I feel it was better in the long run because we were able to hit nine times more parks than we would have if we had done this project together. I see that as an accomplishment because we were only aiming for a couple of parks at the beginning of this project but ended up cleaning way more than that.

Q: Tell us how the TLP supported your goals as a teen leader and what your next steps are after completing this TLP year.
A: The TLP program has taught me to prioritize finding myself and the importance of knowing your strengths and weaknesses before you go out into the real world. I have realized the importance of knowing yourself before you try to face any challenges because only then will you fully be able to recognize all of your capabilities.

I would love to be a part of TLP next year and maintain my leadership role as a student advisor, as that has helped me focus on leadership skills that are useful in my personal and educational life.

Q: Describe a time when you felt really proud of yourself as a teen leader.
A: I always feel proud when I recognize I can incorporate the skills that we discuss in our TLP meetings into my every day life. I feel that I have a lot more to learn about myself and developing these skills, especially in high school, can only benefit me in the future. For example, communicating with our service group was a major factor that contributed to the success of our project. Additionally, I have noticed that my communication with my friends outside of TLP has changed to become more effective, and this helped me in my high school journey.

Even while preparing for interviews, I feel I can express myself better and clearly answer each question to effectively communicate my feelings regarding the topic.

Q: In honor of Global Volunteer Month, who inspires you and why?
A: My entire family inspires me so much. My parents are so loving and kind, and I aspire to be like them. The way they carry themselves and their perseverance through any obstacles thrown at them have shown me what it means to stay vigilant and strong. 

My nine-year-old sister inspires me as well. Being so young, she has already found a passion for advocating for substitutes for plastics to mitigate the health effects that microplastics have on the environment, wildlife, and us humans. She has taught me that no dream is too little and has encouraged me to want to make a difference in my future.

Q: Imagine you’re giving a TED Talk about a leadership lesson you learned. What’s the title and your main takeaway message?
A: To me, being a leader is being aware of everyone’s skills and weaknesses and knowing when to utilize them best. Having a vision of who can do what best and how to execute that is crucial for the group’s success. For example, during the environmental service project, I recognized that the most efficient solution to our problems was for everyone to carry out the project independently. Not only would this solve the problem, but this would also amplify the effects we were trying to have on the environment by cleaning up 10+ parks. I also understood that the final presentation, which would explain the purpose of our project to the rest of the TLP members, would be most efficiently executed if everyone was involved in the process, and it was.

I feel this was part of the reason why we were able to execute the project even better than we had planned and create a presentation, which all of us agreed with.

 

Join the Teen Leadership Program!
Applications to join the 2024-25 Teen Leadership Program are open to all rising 9th-12 graders in the metro Atlanta Area. Learn more about how teen leadership can activate positive change in their world and apply today!

We are looking for advisors ages 22+ to serve as mentors/positive role models for the program. Interesting in helping teens? Contact Earline at earline@pebbletossers.org for more information.

 

April isn’t just about spring showers and blooming flowers; it’s National Volunteer Week! This week is a vibrant celebration of the everyday heroes who dedicate their time and energy to making a difference, particularly to a certain group of people who don’t get much spotlight in the volunteer scene: youth!

Youth bring fresh perspectives, boundless energy, and a willingness to learn that injects a powerful spark into any cause. Whether it’s planting trees for a greener future, organizing a book drive for children impacted by foster care, or mentoring younger students, young volunteers are making ripples in their communities.

This National Volunteer Week, we’ll be highlighting the amazing work our Teen Leadership Program (TLP) members have been engaged with since August!

Read more about their impact on our interview with Grace and her experience of leading the group’s second year of coordinating a major Spelling Bee event with Corners Outreach.

 

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Q: What is your group project about and what made you want to create your project?
A: My group project is focused on supporting Title I Kids with their education. Many Title I students are learning English as their second language and aren’t provided the same resources as other kids their age.

I believe that every child deserves support and equal opportunities, so I helped create our project to do just that. Our group project tutors Title I students, volunteers with education-based nonprofits, runs after-school snack drives, and hosts an annual spelling bee with Corners Outreach.

Q: What skills did you gain or develop as a teen leader, and how did you apply those skills to lead your project?
A: I learned what a growth mindset is and how to apply it to my service project. Every year, I take time to reflect on my project. I think about how I executed my goals, the challenges I faced, and how I dealt with criticism and obstacles. After I have reflected, I set new goals to expand my project and conduct it in a more efficient way.

For example, this year, our spelling bee went well, but I would like to give the kids more resources to prepare for it since they would like more words to practice with. So next year, I will make practice worksheets for them and work with their afterschool teachers to implement a Word of the Day.

Q: What challenges did you encounter while working on your project, and how did you overcome them?
A: It was challenging to organize the preliminary spelling bee rounds. Corners Outreach has over 100 students, and some of them were absent because they were receiving extra help from their teachers after school. To track which kids I tested, what their results were, and what words I used, I created spreadsheets and organized a meeting with the staff of Corners Outreach. Thus, we were able to quiz the students who still needed to be tested, and we could monitor our progress.

Q: Tell us how the TLP supported your goals as a teen leader and what your next steps are after completing this TLP year.
A: Since the TLP is comprised of like-minded teens, we support each other’s goals and provide support when needed. When a member of my service team chooses to peruse a service project, we all support it and delegate roles. For example, to run the spelling bee, we delegated the tasks to ensure no one was doing all the work. Some members fundraised books, some prepared the students, and some coordinated with the nonprofit Corners Outreach. In doing so, we learned communication, time management, and leadership skills.

​​Next year, my goal is to create a digital notebook with everything needed to run the spelling bee so that even after I graduate, it can continue. In addition, I would like to help Corners Outreach expand the spelling bee program across multiple locations, since it’s only offered in the Dunwoody location as of now.

Q: Describe a time when you felt really proud of yourself as a teen leader.
A: I feel very proud when I see the students at Corners Outreach smile after they have accomplished something, such as finally understanding a math problem or spelling a word correctly. It makes me happy to know that they are proud of themselves and are doing well. It motivates me to continue to expand my project to help more students.

Q: In honor of Global Volunteer Month, who inspires you and why?
A: Ms. Jen inspires me because she has made such an impact on many people’s lives through volunteerism. She created Pebble Tossers to provide volunteer opportunities to kids, but throughout the process, she has inspired hundreds of people of all ages to volunteer. Her story motivates me to fine tune my project so that I can be able to have a lasting program that inspires students to pursue their education, similarly to how Ms. Jen inspires people to pursue volunteerism.

Q: Imagine you’re giving a TED Talk about a leadership lesson you learned. What’s the title and your main takeaway message?
A: The title would be “Don’t Stress Over the Small Things,” and the main takeaway would be to focus on the whole picture instead of the little things. When you focus on small details, it’s very easy to become stressed and forget your initial goal. Instead, break up your goal into broader topics and focus on the details after solidifying the important things. Also, understand that nothing plays out exactly how it was planned, so instead of getting caught up in a hiccup, focus on executing your goal.

 

Join the Teen Leadership Program!
Applications to join the 2024-25 Teen Leadership Program are open to all rising 9th-12 graders in the metro Atlanta Area. Learn more about how teen leadership can activate positive change in their world and apply today!

We are looking for advisors ages 22+ to serve as mentors/positive role models for the program. Interesting in helping teens? Contact Earline at earline@pebbletossers.org for more information.

By Julia Dao, Pebble Tossers

Tell us who you are! What made you want to start Dylan’s Bake Shop, when did you first get involved with baking, and why is it important to you?
Dylan Forbes-Roberts. I’ve been baking with my family since I was a little kid; used to have to stand on a chair or something, and they would let me mix random things in a bowl. I started to get more proficient at it with time, and eventually, I got to make my own things and literally bring something of mine to the table.

When I was about 8-9, I asked my mom how the business worked, and she said she’d let me find out. My dad made me a sign, and I made some cookies, and they put me on the street corner. That was pretty much how it started. 

What made you want to share that experience at the Agape Way breakfast service?
I just felt like it was something more that I could do. I already do it [baking] a lot at home, so I thought, “Why not just bring something else?” It’s the least I could do. And I not only enjoy baking, but I enjoy spreading the good energy among those less fortunate. 

What’s been the most rewarding part of your time volunteering?
Getting to meet new people and gain new perspectives on life.

What have you learned through your experience at Agape Way?
I learned how to communicate, appreciate what I have, and learn that not everything is given and that it is important to do the work necessary to gain insight and wisdom from people who know what it’s like to be on this Earth.

What do you want people to learn from your story?
Anyone can do it,  really. Anyone with any passion or hobby can find some way to help someone else out or brighten someone else’s day by doing something they enjoy.

Are there any future plans or events for Dylan’s Bake Shop that you are excited about?
Besides providing for the community, I can’t really think of anything.

Share where people can support your business!
@dylansbakeshop on Instagram

As November arrives, we celebrate the fall harvest and the year’s blessings. Anticipation fills the air as we prepare to gather with loved ones, devour Thanksgiving feasts, and enjoy football on the couch. November is a season of togetherness and festivity, yet it also prompts us to reflect on those less fortunate.

Did you know, 10.7% of Atlantans face the daily struggle of not having enough to eat? In Georgia, 1 in 9 adults and 1 in 8 children face hunger and food insecurity. Food insecurity is not having access to enough food to maintain a healthy and active life. 

Many of us experience feeling hungry after skipping a meal or two. We may feel cranky, tired, and irritable, and it can be hard to focus and finish our work. Fortunately, we can satisfy our hunger with a quick trip to the kitchen or grocery store. For others, it is hard to predict when or where they will get their next meal. This can cause them not to feel their best and can result in significant health issues.  

How does hunger impact children? 

Hunger can make it difficult for children to perform well in the classroom. It can also affect their behavior. Hungry students are more likely to: 

• have less energy 
• repeat a grade 
• have lower math scores 
• be late to school or miss school entirely 
• be more easily distracted and less interested in schoolwork
• suffer from chronic health conditions like asthma, anemia, and obesity

According to No Kid Hungry, as many as 9 million children in the United States live in “food insecure” homes. 

How can Pebble Tossers help end childhood hunger? 

Youth and families can help end childhood hunger by volunteering with our partner, The Sandwich Project. 

The Sandwich Project’s mission is to combat food insecurity in our community, foster a sense of togetherness, and ensure that no one goes without the necessity of nourishing food. Volunteers work together to create and deliver fresh homemade sandwiches to large and small nonprofit organizations. 

How to Volunteer with The Sandwich Project

Volunteering is easy, and you can participate from the comfort of your home and at a time that works best for you. 

Step 1: Register via our volunteer + nonprofit platform and choose a week you and your family or group want to make and deliver your sandwiches.

Step 2: Download our sandwich guide How-To Action Sheet 

Step 3: Purchase the materials listed on the sandwich guide

Step 4:  Make your sandwiches the night before your scheduled delivery date

Step 5: Engage in the conversation starter prompts and reflection questions on the action sheet during and after making the sandwiches 

Step 6: Deliver your sandwiches 

Step 7: Repeat steps 1-6

How does hunger impact adults?

People living in urban areas, rural areas, and low-income neighborhoods may not have grocery stores close to them. This means their diets may lack a healthy variety of fresh foods and nutritious meals. Eating foods lacking in nutrition can lead to diseases such as: 

• diabetes
• hypertension
• heart disease 
• obesity

People experiencing hunger may have to choose between paying a bill, buying medication, and purchasing groceries. 

How can Pebble Tossers help improve food insecurity?

You can help improve food insecurity by volunteering with our partner, Open Hand. 

Open Hand is one of the largest community-based providers of medically tailored meals in the U.S. They not only cover food insecurity which focuses on quantity, but they focus on nutrition insecurity, which emphasizes quality. Their meals are prepared, cooked, and delivered to improve health outcomes. 

All their services are free to their clients, as more than 90% are from historically marginalized backgrounds. Without the help of wonderful volunteers like you, they would not be able to support the amount of people they serve. 

Open Hand’s impact is so significant that one-third of their clients report that, if not for Open Hand, they would have no idea where their next meal would be coming from. 

How to volunteer with Open Hand 

You can volunteer with Open hand by registering via our volunteer + nonprofit platform. Simply select a shift that works best for you. Open Hand is always in need of volunteer drivers to deliver meals and volunteer support with packing meals in the Open Hand kitchen. 

Pebble Tossers Impact  

Hunger is more than just an empty stomach, it can also affect education and health. By volunteering with The Sandwich Project and Open Hand, we can ensure that everyone has access to healthy meals. This November, let us not only celebrate our blessings but also share them with those who need them most, making this season truly one of gratitude and compassion.

 

Written by Lauren Green, MSN, MBA, RN 

Freelance Health Writer, Emerald Health Content 

Food Accessibility, Insecurity and Health Outcomes (nih.gov)

Food Insecurity – Healthy People 2030 | health.gov

Child Hunger in America | Save the Children

USDA ERS – Key Statistics & Graphics

Facts About Childhood Hunger in America (nokidhungry.org)

Nutrition & Wellness – Atlanta Community Food Bank (acfb.org)

 

Anticipation grew in my heart as I added another layer of clothing and wondered who I would talk with. The temperature for January 23rd was expected to drop below 30 degrees overnight, and I knew we would not be stopping anywhere to get warm as we walked the streets of downtown Atlanta from 9:00 pm to 3:00 am.

The Point-in-Time count sends volunteers onto the streets across the country to determine the number of unsheltered people. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires communities that receive federal funds to conduct an annual count of all unsheltered people in the last week of January. The timing of the count is intentional. The weather at the end of January is typically very cold, and, for some, any financial assistance they had will be depleted by the end of the month, so they likely will not have sheltered housing.

Working towards ending homelessness across the country, the Point-in-Time counts help determine the scope of homelessness in communities and inform policymakers and program administrators of which programs are working or where there are gaps in services. The PIT count began collecting data in 2005, and the results have increased public awareness and directed resources to the unsheltered. 

The Atlanta PIT count, organized by Partners for Home, brings together volunteers from numerous nonprofits who focus on those experiencing homelessness, community members, and local officials. “This gives us better insight into the number of people experiencing homelessness on one night of the year, on their length of homelessness, their history of homelessness and some other challenges and barriers that they might be facing,” says Cathryn Vassell, CEO of Partners for Home. “It’s a data snapshot that helps inform our work.” 

Volunteers head into the city armed with $10 Chick-fil-A gift cards and seek out unsheltered people to answer questions about their time on the streets. We start by introducing ourselves and asking their names. We quickly ask questions about how long they have been unsheltered, if they have any chronic illnesses or disabilities, if they have served in the military, and other demographic information. The questions are personal and invasive. We ask for forgiveness with the Chick-fil-A gift card, but most people don’t mind answering the questions. They are brutally honest and straightforward.

Carrying backpacks filled with blankets, coats, caps, gloves, socks, hygiene kits, and snacks, we were a welcome sight to those we encountered. I was surprised that most of the people I spoke with were men in their 50s and 60s who had been chronically homeless with absolutely no source of income or public assistance. During the 2022 PIT count, I encountered more men in their 30s who were just recently homeless. When I asked one man if he would like to go to a Warming Center, he responded with a smile, “Why? I’ve got a nice tent right here. I’m fine.” He graciously accepted a warm blanket.

Others shared stories of domestic abuse, drug addiction, and job loss, leading to their life on the street. We listened and smiled and tried our best to let them know they were valued. Our team of seven was led by Matthew Reed, a social worker specializing in Homeless Outreach for Intown Collaborative Ministries. Matthew knows the area we canvassed and reached out in advance to several people so they could expect us. He warmly embraced people, and it was clear there was a relationship built on trust. Matthew shared, “It was very humbling to observe the grace and kindness that radiated from our team. Interacting with folks during the PIT can be odd at times. Yet being prepared with gifts and a gentle spirit, I found our meetings to be dignified and restorative.”

Our team was the last to return back around 2:30 am. We were tired, cold, and very grateful that we had a warm bed to return home to that night. I anticipated falling asleep immediately, but my mind raced with questions and concern. There are so many circumstances that lead to chronic homelessness. The lack of affordable housing, the lack of adequate and accessible health care (both physical and mental health), education inequalities in low-income areas, and a lack of jobs that pay a livable wage are systemic issues facing the country. 

The next day, I picked up more blankets donated by a Pebble Tossers family and set off to find a few people who had not received a blanket the night before. While I could not find those people we met, I found others who were excited to have warm blankets. One woman exclaimed joyfully, “My dog and I were so cold last night – thank you!”  

It is easy to feel helpless when it looking at the broader issue of homelessness in our country. But if we approach things one issue at a time, it is easier to see a path that may end this crisis. What is next, and what can we do? 

• We can advocate for a shift in federal and state resources toward funding affordable housing that provides supportive services. 
• We can donate resources and time to nonprofits that work with those experiencing homelessness. 
• We can research and support organizations that provide a coordinated approach by offering temporary housing, rapid rehousing, job training, and life skills training. 
• We can educate ourselves with factual data and eliminate bias based on stereotypes. 
• We can see and talk to people who are experiencing homelessness and not avoid them. Learn their name and say it back to them with a smile.

Additional resources: 

• Atlanta Winter Warming Resouces
• Invisible People – a nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about homelessness through innovative storytelling, news, and advocacy. 
• Homelessness and Poverty Definitions and Key Questions
• HowTo Sheet: Make No-Sew Fleece Blankets
• HowTo Sheet: Make Hygiene Kits
• HowTo Sheet: Make Sandwiches for Distribution
• Chapter Books on Homelessness
• Picture Books on Homelessness
• Books for Kids on Activism
• Addressing Structural Racism with Children

Pebble Tossers’ Nonprofit Partners Serving Those Experiencing Homelessness

• Agape Way
• Atlanta Mission: My Sister’s House
• CHRIS 180
• Covenant House Georgia
• Gateway Center
• Love Beyond Walls
• HOPE Atlanta
• Hope thru Soap
• Interfaith Outreach House
• Intown Collaborative Ministries
• Lost-n-Found Youth
• Period Project
• SafeHouse Outreach
• Zaban Paradies Center

Journal Prompt:

Read this quote and think about what it means and what you can do to “start in our own homes” to remedy poverty.

“We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” — Mother Teresa

2023. Written by Jennifer Guynn, Founding Executive Director of Pebble Tossers