Volunteers sustain crime prevention nonprofit during a complicated year | Volunteer Texas Service Spotlight

07/12/2021 |

Crime Stoppers of Houston was a recipient of a 2020 Governor’s Volunteer Award. If you know an individual or organization making a significant impact in Texas communities through service and volunteering, you can nominate them for the 2021 Governor’s Volunteer Award here.

The past year has been a challenging one for Crime Stoppers of Houston, which is leading Texas and the U.S. with innovative crime prevention programming to keep our communities safe. Established in the early 1980s as a Tip Line Program, Crime Stoppers is committed to solving and preventing crimes and now offers robust public safety and victim advocacy programs. Each year, the nonprofit reaches more than 5 million community members, educates over a million students, and provides crisis services and support to hundreds of victims and survivors. Through the power of volunteers, they also advocate for enhanced victim’s rights and public safety through peer support, legal advocacy, parole board hearings, support group meetings, and annual events.

“It was the most complicated year. I’ve never seen a year like 2020,” said Rania Mankarious, CEO of Crime Stoppers of Houston. “We started the year sounding the alarm on felony bond reform. We went straight from that into COVID and everything COVID meant for our kids in schools. We knew that family violence would go up, we knew animal abuse would go up, we knew child abuse would go up, we knew certain types of crimes would peak—especially around mental health and addiction. We went straight from navigating all of that into the killing of George Floyd that summer and everything that meant to the defund police movement.”

In the midst of these challenges, Rania said that volunteers have been “angels that are sent to keep nonprofits going with time, talent, treasures, in addition to research, outreach, and ideas.” Rania shared with OneStar the many ways that volunteers have made an impact in their organization.

What are innovative ways that Crime Stoppers of Houston has leveraged volunteers in the past year?

We are a small team. We have a staff of thirteen people that serve a city and county of 6 million people and ultimately reach the entire state of Texas and beyond. It was our volunteers that rose up. It was the board, it was our Young Professionals Group, it was our Leading Women for Public Safety, it was survivor leaders, it was experts in the field. They said, “We’re coming to the table. We’re going to join you in conversations. We’re going to join you in important questions. We’re going to join you in outreach, and we’re going to make sure that this message gets out.” When you think of all the issues that stemmed out of 2020, a lot of them involved information: information on COVID, information on crime, information on George Floyd, information on the relationship between police and communities. We needed help to get that information out.

We put together bits and pieces of this entire formula of women, young professionals, young kids, board members, business partners, community partners to create unique programming that was really specialized throughout the year. It’s just been incredible. The community and the volunteers have breathed life into so many of the programs we seek to push out every day.

What value do volunteers provide to your organization?

Our volunteers create a platform for us to increase our messaging. They provide research for us when we can’t research everything that’s coming in, and they give us ideas of new issues. They help us provide media stories when media needs our input but also want to hear from people in the community. If it wasn’t for our volunteers, there would be many communities in the Houston-Harris County area and across the state that we would not be able to reach. Our volunteers bring Crime Stoppers into corners and nooks of the city and county that there is literally no way for our team to reach. They’ve listened, they sit in on meetings, they help us craft messaging, they look at different demographics, and they fill in major gaps for us.

Following George Floyd’s killing, it was hard running a public safety nonprofit whose primary partner is law enforcement. We respect law enforcement with everything we have, yet we had to have very difficult conversations. There were volunteers within the law enforcement community that spent so much time with me. I’d say, “My gosh, I feel like some of these conversations are inherently disrespectful.” And they would say, “No, it’s OK to have these conversations, and here’s why: some of the history that is being brought up is fabricated but some of it’s not. Some of it is very deeply true—and we need to talk about it.” I spent so much time listening to volunteers within the law enforcement community, oftentimes being led literally to tears, but so thankful for their stories and for the fact that they said, “OK, so now what?” Now we continue to bridge the gap. We understand, so now let’s hold hands and come together. Those were some of the most moving, emotional, stretching, exhausting moments for me, and they will never, ever leave me. They were all at the hands of volunteers.

How does Crime Stoppers of Houston attract volunteers?

The key is making your mission relatable, and for most, that’s very easy to do. For us, it’s actually quite difficult. When you think of Crime Stoppers of Houston, the average person says, “That has nothing to do with me. I’m not going to be a tipster, and I’m not in an area where I’m watching crime. It doesn’t relate to me.” But we’re so much more than that Tip Line. Public safety is something every single one of us cares about. If you put a thousand people in the room, they will have a thousand different interests, hundreds of different languages, multiple different religions, orientations, dreams, and goals. But the thousand will agree that the health and the safety of themselves and their loved ones are among their top two or three concerns and priorities.

Public safety is something that we had to re-package: reminding people that we all care about it, that it is not a scary topic, and that actually it is quite empowering to understand how to take hold of public safety proactively. We don’t want to be reactive only after a crime is taken place. There are many things we can do right now to keep our kids safe, whether at school or online; to keep our business safe, no matter what climate we’re facing; to keep our neighborhoods and our home safe, our animals and the community safe, the elderly safe. There’s so much we can actively do.

How does Crime Stoppers of Houston retain its volunteers?

Keeping volunteers relies on making people feel valued. Volunteers don’t get paid for their time. Certainly it’s wonderful to put something like this on a resume, but that’s not enough to keep you coming back and volunteering at an event that helps us raise funds, or give out thousands of ID kits during a hot summer day, or research and share information that other people may not think is very popular. Volunteers have to feel appreciated. Once you’ve developed the connection and they understand the value of the message, they have to understand that we value them. It’s important to us that we constantly let them know. People want to get engaged and get their hands dirty, and it’s just wonderful for me to see huge groups—whether it’s individuals, corporate partners, or community groups—stopping and saying, “We’re going to do it. We’re going to use our employees and manpower to help you get a job done.”

Air Force veteran’s commitment to service extends beyond the military | Volunteer Texas Service Spotlight

07/09/2021 |

Brandy Baxter was a recipient of a 2020 Governor’s Volunteer Award. If you know an individual or organization making a significant impact in Texas communities through service and volunteering, you can nominate them for the 2021 Governor’s Volunteer Award here.

For U.S. Air Force veteran Brandy Baxter, serving others is a way of life that extends beyond her career in the military. She has found many ways to remain involved in her community, but her greatest calling has been in serving her fellow women veterans.

“We recognized that women veterans in the Dallas area were coming home and looking and finding resources, but they were not finding connection. The military is very much built around connection and camaraderie and working together, and if you didn’t need resources but you just wanted a new community, there were very few places to go,” Brandy said. “We came together and said, ‘Let’s build an organization that focuses on connection.’”

Brandy has collaborated with nearly every veteran organization in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to increase awareness about the unique needs of women veterans. She uses her professional experience in personal finance to host webinars and workshops for women veterans who may need assistance in managing their household income, and she has been a voice for women veterans as a frequent speaker on panels, podcasts, advocacy, and training events. Through her work with At Ease Texas, a nonprofit for women veterans by women veterans, Brandy was instrumental in bringing the Women Veteran Network program to Dallas and has created many networking opportunities for women veterans who want to connect with each other.

“My personal belief is a lot of the challenges that we are facing as a culture stem from self-centeredness versus other-centeredness,” said Brandy. “Volunteering allows you the opportunity to center someone else other than you. I think it’s healthy if we spend some time making others a priority. It influences our decisions because we’re more likely to make inclusive decisions when we have experiences from other people.”

Even when COVID-19 inhibited in-person events, Brandy continued to foster connection by serving on outdoor volunteer projects and hosting digital events in which participants wrote encouraging notes and assembled personalized care packages. As an added benefit, the online engagements allowed her to reach even more women veterans.  Brandy spoke with OneStar about how she cultivates a life of service.

How did you first get involved in service?

I always give credit to my grandparents. My grandfather had a garden in our backyard and would always share veggies with our neighbors. It felt like a community garden. My grandmother always had open arms: she would welcome anyone in the neighborhood to dinner. What I saw with my grandparents was this other-centeredness. It wasn’t about hoarding or being selfish—it was a very open environment. It impressed upon me to be grateful for what you have and to use what you have to help make someone else’s life better. We never know what that “better” is until we step into that space and offer what we can.

For me, volunteering started at a very early age. I remember in elementary school, I was a crossing guard. I have found myself involved because it is my way of impacting the world around me. It also comes out of a heart of gratitude for the little that I have—which still is a lot compared to someone who doesn’t even have that.

What motivates you to continue serving?

I’m inspired by a strong desire for change. Initially, volunteering for me was just a really neat way to give back. Now I feel volunteering is an opportunity to impact change. If something is bothering me—litter or trash, the way people are caring for their homes, or anything challenging in our society at large—I have found volunteering is a way to feel empowered to impact that change.

Here in our city, I volunteer on the local housing board, and it helps me to understand why affordable housing is important. I’m able to hear the stories firsthand of what people are experiencing. That shifts my perspective, so rather than pre-judging what I think is going on, I have a renewed respect for people who are living in tough situations. That’s one of the examples that keeps me going.

What benefit does volunteering provide to you?

Volunteering keeps me humble. My background is in personal finance, so I have seen both sides of the spectrum: clients who have affluence, and clients who have poverty. Volunteering helps me to never take anything for granted because you never know which end of the spectrum you’re going to be on with a turn of events.

Just think about COVID: all of those employees who could not go to work because their businesses or companies were cutting back. Those poor families were not expecting that. Volunteering reminds me to be grateful for all the things that you have because one decision can change the entire trajectory of your life. How do you want people to treat you? Do you want to be treated with respect and honor and recognition that you’re a human first? Every time I find myself in a situation where I’m able to provide for others, it just affirms for me that they are still people deserving of respect. Their circumstances are different, but you know what? Anything could change in your personal life that could also put you in a similar circumstance, so treat others the way you would want someone to treat you.

Why is it important for people to volunteer?

Volunteering is so much bigger than the task. It is so much broader than just picking up trash or reading to students or serving a meal. Really take the opportunity to allow volunteering to help you step into a world that someone else has to live in every single day. Hopefully that will influence the decisions that you make or the conversations that you have.

We often think of volunteering as homelessness or soup kitchens and shelters, but there are amazing organizations here locally and across the country that offer volunteering in so many areas. Whatever your area of interest is, I am certain you can find a way to volunteer. If you are troubled by something, I encourage you to volunteer so you can see the behind the scenes of what is going on in this situation. Volunteering gives you that insight.

Girien Salazar

“Lead & Teach in your Strengths, Serve & Learn in your Weaknesses” | Meet OneStar Board Member Girien Salazar

01/02/2020 |

Girien Salazar is the Executive Director of the Faith & Education Coalition for the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and was appointed to the OneStar National Service Commission in December. Check out Girien’s bio to learn more about his impressive background and accomplishments.

We sat down with Girien to talk about how his upbringing and military service have fueled his passion for service and volunteering and his commitment to serving diverse faith communities.

Why did you want to serve on the board of OneStar?

Texas is an exceptional and wonderful state. There’s a reason why many consider our state to be a beacon on a hill. Texas needs to continue attracting people to come and see what it is we’re doing that allows us to prosper—not just economically, but also in the spirit of service to our state. There are many people at all levels—from local neighborhoods to state government—that are serving because they believe Texas is great.

This past year, I was encouraged by a good colleague and mentor of mine to apply for the OneStar board, and I wanted to make myself available to the state and the governor to serve my community in any way I can. One of the things that is always dear to my heart is ensuring nonprofit organizations—and especially religious organizations—always have a voice and are always considered as stakeholders in the community. Through this role, I hope to ensure that OneStar has strong outreach to both secular and religious nonprofits and serves all different faith communities.

What unique skills and perspectives do you bring to the OneStar board?

One of the unique skills I bring, which stems from my religious background and from my service with the Navy, is having a cultural and religious sensitivity and awareness. That’s part of my upbringing. I served as a religious program specialist with the Navy and worked alongside numerous faith groups, so I have learned to view things in different ways. Also, I am a Tejano, which means I’m proud of my Mexican heritage, but I’m also a proud Texan. I bring the Hispanic perspective.

How did you first get involved in service & volunteering? Can you share some volunteer service experiences have been particularly memorable or meaningful to you?

My first introduction into service and volunteering was through my faith community and church. We did service projects like serving community meals, performing music productions, and visiting nursing homes. Growing up, I also participated in a lot of summer youth camps. We would host several hundred students a week, and we would be responsible for activities, programs, competitions, and community building. That involved more planning and coordination, and it was a lot of fun.

When I was in college in Waxahachie, I participated in a program called D.E.A.R., which stands for Drop Everything And Read. We would go to the nearby elementary school and pick up a book and read with students. We would make funny voices and inflections to make it an enjoyable experience for them. I really enjoyed that and wish I could do that more often.

While serving in the Navy, I was involved in a basketball diplomacy program in Djibouti, Africa. When I was deployed there, we would bring locals onto our base and organize pick-up games. The whole base would come out and watch at the little basketball court we had, and we oftentimes went out to town and played games there. It was just a wonderful community relations project because we got to connect with the Djiboutians and make some really good friendships.

 

“We can’t count on merely throwing money at a situation and hoping something will get done. We need to rely on the goodness of people’s hearts and the responsibility and obligation we have toward one another.”

Why do you think it is important for people to serve and volunteer? What value does service and volunteering add to Texas communities?

Volunteering gives honor and dignity to often neglected communities. I think of the times I visited older generations at nursing homes or those experiencing homelessness, who are neglected and forgotten. When people get together—to plan an event or community lunch, to play board games at an assisted living center, or just to hang out and have a conversation—it gives honor and dignity back to these individuals who have been marginalized and pushed to the side. I’ve seen it also in education: a lot of local schools may be underfunded and understaffed, but volunteers come into the schools and can be a resource. That needs to happen because we can’t count on merely throwing money at a situation and hoping something will get done. We need to rely on the goodness of people’s hearts and the responsibility and obligation we have toward one another.

When I was serving on board for San Antonio Parks & Recreation, there were projects that the city would undertake for the parks, but then there were also community groups—people who were volunteers and wanted to make the parks more beautiful—who would connect with others in their neighborhood and say, “How can we get together and improve this trail?” They would do that out of the goodness of their hearts. It was a powerful reminder that the caretakers of our communities aren’t just elected officials—it is every individual who lives there.

What causes are you passionate about?

One of the issues I’m very passionate about is Hispanic education. There are invisible barriers and challenges that the Hispanic community faces when it comes to educational access. I get to serve in a role where I engage with Hispanic pastors and parents and help them to understand some of these barriers and encourage them to find ways for their churches and congregations to promote educational success. It is really important to me to ensure all students—no matter their ethnic background or socioeconomic status—have access to high quality education. That’s one of the reasons I am pursuing my PhD: because I want to provide pathways for my children and those who come behind me.

Another cause that is very important to me is religious liberty and accommodations, which means allowing people to be their full selves and live according to their deepest convictions. That’s something that is not just privy to Christian communities, but a right that should be afforded to individuals of all religious backgrounds in our state. While I was serving in the Navy, I witnessed the efforts our military makes to ensure our soldiers and service members have a place where they can recalibrate when they are serving overseas, and oftentimes that’s through their faith. I want to ensure people are allowed to have a religious experience no matter where they are, even if they are miles away from their families and congregation.

If you could choose a quote to live by, what would it be?

I always tell myself: be willing to lead and teach in your strengths and to serve and learn in your weaknesses. There are going to be a lot of opportunities in your life to serve and learn from people, and you should take advantage of those opportunities. And when opportunities come to lead and teach, you should take those as well. That is why I truly appreciate the work of our state in promoting volunteerism: because we have a lot of people who are in need of a helping hand or listening ear, somebody just to give attention and demonstrate someone cares for them. I think those are the opportunities we have to serve and to learn and lead and teach.

Daphne Brookins

Video Series: 25 Years of AmeriCorps Alums

10/02/2019 |

To celebrate the AmeriCorps 25th Anniversary, we are proud to launch a new video series featuring the inspirational stories of three AmeriCorps*Texas alums from across the decades! Although each of these former AmeriCorps members served years apart, they are united by the impact that national service has had in their lives.

In this video series, these extraordinary individuals share how the lessons and skills learned during AmeriCorps service can have a lasting effect on a person’s life and career and illustrate the enduring legacy of national service for members.

These members will be also sharing more of their stories in person during our panel at the AmeriCorps 25th Anniversary Celebration on Friday, October 4, in Austin, TX! You are encouraged to share these videos or to screen them during at your own local AmeriCorps events.