In honor of Nelson Mandela and Mandela Day [8], IREX is pleased to highlight the work of two individuals dedicated to community service and helping increase the impact of volunteers.
Chris Reyes [9] is a Community Solutions Program [10] (CSP) Leader from the Philippines who has dedicated his career to taking action and inspiring change. While working with organizations such as the United Nations Development Program [11] and the Jesuit Volunteers Philippines [12] (JVP), Reyes gained over 10 years of experience supporting volunteer and community service programs in his home country. In 2012, he participated in CSP with the aim of increasing his understanding of measuring volunteer impact and effectively adapting Skills-Based Volunteerism [13] (SBV) into his work back home.
During his fellowship in Atlanta, GA, Reyes worked with the Points of Light Foundation [14] and collaborated closely with his US counterpart, Willie Bolden, on evaluating the Foundation’s SBV program [13]. The evaluation informed the Foundation’s future approach to SBV and provided Reyes guidance on how SBV might be applied within a Filipino context. Reflecting on his experience as a CSP leader, Chris stated “[CSP] became my bridge to connect with innovative opportunities and solutions…for the genuine progress of the Philippines.”
Willie Bolden - former Points of Light Foundation Program Manager and current Volunteer Coordinator with the Georgia Justice Project [15] – was also inspired by her work with Reyes during his fellowship. In June 2013, Bolden took part in CSP’s Partnering for Stronger Communities grant program to further enhance her professional relationship with Reyes and strengthen their cross-border collaboration on SBV. Bolden traveled to the Philippines to work directly with Reyes’ partner organization, the Association of Foundations, on how to translate SBV theory into concrete programming. As a result, Reyes is currently assessing the level of in-country collaboration needed to adapt an SBV model into the strategy of his home organization. Speaking to the impact of Bolden’s visit, Chris mentioned that “[Bolden’s collaboration] opened a dialogue for sharing volunteer management practices…[and] increased understanding of how to strengthen SBV opportunities.in the Philippines.”
Bolden’s work in Atlanta and the way she approaches community service and volunteerism has also been influenced by her continued collaboration with Reyes. As she wrote recently, “CSP creates experiences and memories that we carry for a lifetime, well beyond the short period of the project itself. Through the exchange of knowledge, support and a genuine willingness to give one’s all, organizations and those participating [in CSP] gain not only the benefits of the proposed project but the impact of connecting with new cultures and peoples..”
IREX recognizes the countless individuals around the world dedicated to community service and making a better world.
Community Solutions is a program of the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs [16] and implemented by IREX.