“Woman makes volunteerism life’s work”

Raleigh, NC

March 2010

Amber Smith: “Woman makes volunteerism life’s work”

As a teenager growing up in Raleigh, Amber Smith longed to “make a difference” in her town, but she didn’t know how.

That desire, and frustration, continued into her high-school years and eventually inspired her to make volunteerism and nonprofit leadership the focus of her education and future career. And through a course she has designed for one of Wake County’s oldest high schools, she aims to equip today’s teens with the knowledge and skills she lacked at their age.

That’s just one of the ways Smith aims to make volunteerism “part of our institution and culture” through ME3, the nonprofit she co-founded in 2005 at age 22. “I really want volunteering to be a commonplace thing that is embedded in our community and culture,” says Smith, who now is 27 and a first-year graduate student in N.C. State University’s public administration program, with a nonprofit focus. “Our long-term vision is to create a culture of caring and community involvement.”

Smith launched ME3, a nonprofit that connects volunteers with service opportunities, after conducting a two-and-a-half-month, cross-country “journey of self-discovery,” during which she and co-founder Heather Leah interviewed nonprofits, volunteered and performed “random acts of kindness” to better inform their own efforts.

“We came back feeling really inspired and ready to start the organization we’d been talking about,” says Smith, who in addition to her studies and position as president of ME3’s board, is the coordinator for the nonprofit studies minor within the Institute for Nonprofits at N.C. State.

Today, ME3’s Communities in Action Program provides one-on-one assistance to connect Wake County residents to volunteer opportunities at 55 different local nonprofits, including the Neuse River Foundation, the Interfaith Food Shuttle, the Carying Place and the Boys and Girls Club.

Keep an eye out for more from Amber this April....she will be making an appearance on NCGives.org as a guest blogger during National Volunteer Month!

The above story is excerpted from the Philanthropy Journal’s Giving and Community page, sponsored by NCGives. Read the full article here.

Comments

Chepotz said on March 28, 2012 at 8:08am

I had the privilege of sreivng under President George H.W. Bush during his Administration in the White House Advance Office from 1988 1992. President Bush truly is an inspiration to us all and yet, he is very humble in spirit. He and his wife, Barbara, continue to promote volunteerism, charity, and literacy each and every day despite a chance to kick back and relax a bit. They are dedicated to this great country and are passionate about their causes. How many people can say that they have made a difference in this world? Well, certainly there are many exceptional people who have dedicated their lives in big ways. Yet, President Bush is asking us all to consider every action, every consequence, anything and everything from little to big helps make this world just a little bit better. I had the opportunity and privilege to attend the commissioning of the USS George H.W. Bush in Norfolk, Virginia in 2009. It was one of the most awe-inspiring events I have ever witnessed along with my husband and three of my five daughters. My daughter Jocelyn left Norfolk with a gleam in her eye and decided she wanted to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps and attend the US Military Academy, West Point. She is currently 16 years old and beginning the process of applying to the academy. She feels that it would be a true honor to serve our country by joining the US Army. It is worthy to note that each brave sailor aboard CVN-77 and President Bush contributed to this vocation for my daughter. Life is full of little events that often change the course of our lives.

Gifts Included

Talent

Having researched volunteering through her studies, travels and personal experiences, Smith works to help overcome the real and perceived barriers that keep people from donating their time.

Time

Amber Smith, a graduate student at N.C. State University, is the founder and board chair of ME3, a nonprofit that connects Triangle residents with volunteer opportunities at 55 local nonprofits. She volunteers her time to lead the organization, and has designed a high-school curriculum she hopes Broughton High School in Raleigh will begin offering its students this fall.