CULTIVATING COMMUNITYStep on Poverty was founded in Troy, Michigan. Before the organization was formally established, the founding high school students struggled to reach their goals due to the resistance and skepticism of a variety of community leaders. Step on Poverty was created to give future generations the proper support that the community desperately needed. Now, students from all across Troy are stepping up and accomplishing feats leaps and bounds beyond their expectations. Under the guidance of a collegiate and high school executive board, members of Step on Poverty are creating a positive community of benevolence and change.
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From left to right: Dhruv Garg, Cindy Xiong, Maheem Syed, Puja Kumar, Michael Lin
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PUJA KUMAREXECUTIVE DIRECTORMy whole life, my mom has been preaching “being kind is more important than being smart.” With certainty I can say I’m definitely not among the smartest of my class. However, with the same level of conviction, I can also say I’ve poured my heart and soul into being benevolent. This past summer, I went to Haiti for eight days and worked with the denizens to build a school. I remember roaming the village and seeing men wearing “Michigan State University” apparel, or teenage girls wearing marching band shirts that must’ve originated in the States. It was astonishing and overwhelming to see the end result of all the clothing we donate to the impoverished. With my very basic knowledge of Haitian Creole, I was able to have a conversation with a little girl. She asked me if washing machines actually exist or if that machinery was just a figment of her imagination. I casually replied by telling her that I use my washing machine weekly, and she asked me to mail her pictures when I got home. Fast forward four months, and I was able to mail pictures to my Haitian family of me with my washing machine, explaining how it works, but also stating that I still prefer their methods of washing clothes. I lived with a family that consisted of a newborn baby, a son who was around nine, and a daughter around my age, and their mother, father, and uncle. Although my roommate and I could barely understand most of what they said, the language barrier did not stop them from expressing their love and gratitude for us.
Ever since I joined the beginning of my sophomore year, Step On Poverty has taught me to be appreciative and more passionate about what I love doing. A group of high schoolers created an organization that ultimately lead to over 9,000 pairs of shoes being donated to the underprivileged, and currently what is now 6,000 books sitting in my garage, ready to be shipped out and distributed. I remember seeing applications for SOP all over Facebook after just two days of making a Facebook account, and I asked a couple friends to do it with me. Being the lethargic and lackadaisical sophomore I was, I filled out the application with concise answers that were maximum two sentences each. I got a response the next day telling me to fill out the application more in-depth and that then I would be considered. I immediately gave up and didn’t even consider re-applying till one of my friends forced me to. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like if I had never re-applied, as SOP has helped me do what I love, with the people I love. |
DHRUV GARGEXECUTIVE DIRECTORI have always struggled to find my identity. I never knew what I was meant to be, what I was meant to do, or who I really was. I always saw how so many people knew who they were. They knew their passions and they knew what they wanted to accomplish in life. I didn’t. I wasn’t really sure what it was that I loved and had passion for. I never was very sure of what I wanted to accomplish with my life.
When I first learned of Step On Poverty, the most fascinating thing was not the complex system in place to collect shoes efficiently or how high school students were organizing a full non-profit organization by themselves. The most fascinating element to me was the ability to make change. Real change. This wasn’t donating a couple dollars online to a charity that runs TV ads. This wasn’t putting in your spare change at a grocery store into the small donation bins. This was legitimate, real change. The work that SOP was and is doing is going to change people’s lives. Kids in third world countries are going to have legitimately better lives because of SOP. For some kids, they will be able to put on shoes for the first time in their life. For some kids, they will no longer have to feel the earth on their feet every single day. For some kids, they will no longer have cut up and bruised feet. Smiles will be brought to children's faces when they learn they are going to have shoes for the first time. So, my only thought after realizing this was: how do I help? If an organization has the ability to change lives for the better, how do I join? Obviously, I joined immediately and now am helping SOP make the change it is capable of. If anybody is interested in making change and is as passionate for it as I, then SOP is the place to be. |
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JENNIFER WONEXECUTIVE FIELD EXPERTI first learned about SOP when I donated to the shoe drive my freshman year. Later that year, I went to the color run at Athens. Both experiences left me with a desire to join Step on Poverty, so when applications were open, I was excited to join.
I didn’t know much about the organization besides what I’d experienced, but I discovered that there was a Business Initiative, which was and is something I’m really passionate about. From this initiative, I gained valuable work experience from consulting with small businesses in the community. With the help of mentors and friends, I learned how to pitch to clients, build and maintain business relationships, use graphic design to construct websites, and most importantly, real-world problem-solving. After some time, I received the opportunity to help lead the business initiative and pass on the knowledge I had learned, which was an invaluable experience in both leadership and organization. Participating in the shoe drive allowed me to bond with other members and taught me the importance of a work ethic. I had never contributed on such a large scale before, and being a part of an organization that delivered 9,425 pairs of shoes was amazing. Outside of Step on Poverty, I also participate in Troy High DECA and Project LEAD. DECA immerses me in real-world business situations, helps me think on my feet, promotes creativity and hard work, I’ve met people I would’ve never met otherwise from across the country! Project LEAD is important to me because I’m really passionate about volunteering and giving back to the community. I love offering my time and service to others, and being VP of the club allows me to work with volunteer coordinators in the area to bring more opportunities to members of the club. Being in all of these extracurriculars allows me to be involved in my school and my community and serve a greater purpose! I also work in Troy High’s school store Colt Connection and work with merchandising, sales, and marketing, which is really exciting! |
EMILY XIONGEXECUTIVE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICERI joined SOP because I was super bored freshman year, and I did almost no clubs. Since Cindy, my older sister, was part of Executive Board already, I was flyering and collecting trips with her. Since I was doing the work anyway, Cindy told me to just apply and join the club. I was originally part of Shoe Initiative like everyone else, but when Nolan asked me to help edit a website for the Business Consulting Initiative, I did just that. Considering I always thought of myself as someone more interested in the medical field, that was the first time I’ve ever considered the business field or even computer science. SOP is a club that is very community centered and truly focuses on different ways to help not only the youth involved, but the environment that the youth live in. Having such an impact on my community, from collecting more than 9,000 pairs of shoes to designing websites for locals to donating recycling bins to my own high school, SOP taught me that community isn’t just my friends, but the places I live near and the people I don’t even know. SOP has helped to expand my horizons, and due to receiving a few leadership positions from relatively early on, it also helped shape my life outside SOP. I am an officer in Project Lead, Chemistry Club, and She’s the First. Thanks to the learning opportunities I received from interacting with leaders in SOP, I was more confident in my ability as a leader when applying for these positions. Honestly, SOP isn’t necessarily the center of my life, but I wouldn’t be lying when I say that it has had an incredibly large impact on my view of putting in work and how that work directly affected my community.
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CAROL ZHANG
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
When I was just a freshman, Puja recommended Step on Poverty to a bunch of Troy High underclassmen and got us hooked. Looking back on it, I’m so glad she did. After attending a couple meetings and shoe packings, I liked what Step on Poverty stood for and thought that it was for a good cause, so I decided I wanted to be a part of it.
Honestly, Step on Poverty has taught me how to better communicate with people (such as clients and small businesses) , and more importantly how to write emails to adults. SOP also has improved my organizational skills in sectioning out time for meetings with both members and clients. BCI especially has taught me more about business and given me opportunities to get out of my comfort zone and challenge myself. Without Step on Poverty, I can confidently say that I wouldn't have many of the real world skills that I have and apply regularly now.
Outside of SOP, I like to run, listen to music, and hangout with my cats Chili and Pepper. I’m on the cross country and track team, and I’m also pretty interested in STEM. I try to include as many STEM classes as possible in my schedule and I like to participate in HOSA and Science Olympiad. Gardening is a new hobby of mine, follow the THS gardening club on insta @troygardeningclub!
I'm so grateful for the opportunities and learning experiences that Step on Poverty has given me, and I'm excited for what the future holds in regards to our organization!
Honestly, Step on Poverty has taught me how to better communicate with people (such as clients and small businesses) , and more importantly how to write emails to adults. SOP also has improved my organizational skills in sectioning out time for meetings with both members and clients. BCI especially has taught me more about business and given me opportunities to get out of my comfort zone and challenge myself. Without Step on Poverty, I can confidently say that I wouldn't have many of the real world skills that I have and apply regularly now.
Outside of SOP, I like to run, listen to music, and hangout with my cats Chili and Pepper. I’m on the cross country and track team, and I’m also pretty interested in STEM. I try to include as many STEM classes as possible in my schedule and I like to participate in HOSA and Science Olympiad. Gardening is a new hobby of mine, follow the THS gardening club on insta @troygardeningclub!
I'm so grateful for the opportunities and learning experiences that Step on Poverty has given me, and I'm excited for what the future holds in regards to our organization!
FOUNDER'S NOTE
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"It’s 5.am. a little more than one year ago. The neighborhood is dead outside but here in my basement, my partner and I are are filled with life as though the clock just struck noon. With a nose that has been numbed through 12 hours of used-shoe-odor exposure, there was nothing to really complain about. Being up at such a late (or early) time did not bother me nor my partner, for we were kept wide awake by the same fervor that initially inspired this movement. The two of us have overcome unfavorable odds: practically no volunteer force, the inability to drive, no funds, age, and doubt were all pressuring us to fail, yet there we were, packing up proof of our incredible achievement. The more than 2,000 pairs of shoes that we personally collected were to be shipped to Tanzania, Africa early the next day in order to provide footwear for the developing community there. Of course I was excited; we put hundreds of hours of work to make this project happen."
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"Imagine my disappointment when I found out that our work was not philanthropically pragmatic. With just a simple realization, more than 500 hours of work disappeared right before my eyes. I was torn apart by such a realization brought about by Mr. William Easterly’s book, The White Man’s Burden. After shipping the shoes, my passion for altruistic acts compelled me to pick up a book. Easterly's book revealed the flaw in our irresponsibility: we donate, but do not collect data on how those donations impacted the communities! While it may have been great in the short run, in the long run we are preventing any shoe-related industries from starting and succeeding. Distraught by the news, my partner and I were greatly perturbed. "
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"However, this is clearly not the end of our story. From the broken pieces of our will, we picked up what was necessary and stitched together two new attributes: determination and intelligence. With these two attributes, we went about establishing our nonprofit in order to right our wrongs, and the wrongs of millions of other economic dumpers out there. Even though the odds are entirely against us now, our failures have inspired us to become zealots of not what may seem right, but what is, in actuality, good. "
- Nolan Felicidario |
3 Points of Social Impact
Promote Economic PragmatismWhenever dealing with ambition, it is important to thoroughly think through the impacts of your actions.
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Reveal Nonprofit PotentialNonprofits are often overlooked due to the billions of dollars that accompany for profit work. How can nonprofits compete?
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Galvanize the YouthStep on Poverty was founded by students, for students. Why is the student demographic so important?
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Preventing "Generational Decay"
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What is "Generational Decay"? It can be defined as the deterioration of system that occurs as a result of changing leadership. This can be commonly observed in various systems: from school-related organizations, to community nonprofits. As leadership is passed from one "generation" to the next, much of the knowledge accumulated by the incumbent administration will be lost as unaccustomed successors replace these empirically experienced leaders.
Therefore, the question is how does a system prevent this decay from occurring? The answer is intelligence. As long as there is a proper transfer of knowledge, the next "generation" can start off where their predecessor left off without encountering the problems that the last group had to overcome. So now the new question is how does a system ensure that this knowledge is properly transferred? |
Step on Poverty uses 3 strategies to avoid Generational Decay: Agile Methodology, Alumni Networking, and Member Development.
Agile Methodology is commonly used in the development of computer science related projects; however, Step on Poverty has augmented its traditional form resulting in the organization's main strategy against Generational Decay. Step on Poverty's Agile is the use of intensive communication in order to create a more knowledgeable and efficient volunteer force. Without intensive communication, workers are often found to be ill-informed, confused, and unreliable in situations that require great responsibility.
Alumni Networking is the passing of information through social communication. Rather than completely detaching from the organizations, the Alumni of Step on Poverty remain involved with its members in order to help them develop as an organization and as individuals. Members have access to incredibly useful connections and can have their questions answered by the leaders of the past. The Step on Poverty Alumni Network stimulates growth, rather than allowing their predecessors to wallow in historical problems.
Member Development is a crucial component in avoiding Generational Decay. It is expected that most members coming into the organization will not have a proper understanding of the Step on Poverty mindset and will therefore go through intensive training and lessons that will teach the importance of economic pragmatism, nonprofit potential, and uniting the youth. By building a foundation, Step on Poverty is creating a cohort of cerebral and compassionate individuals.
Agile Methodology is commonly used in the development of computer science related projects; however, Step on Poverty has augmented its traditional form resulting in the organization's main strategy against Generational Decay. Step on Poverty's Agile is the use of intensive communication in order to create a more knowledgeable and efficient volunteer force. Without intensive communication, workers are often found to be ill-informed, confused, and unreliable in situations that require great responsibility.
Alumni Networking is the passing of information through social communication. Rather than completely detaching from the organizations, the Alumni of Step on Poverty remain involved with its members in order to help them develop as an organization and as individuals. Members have access to incredibly useful connections and can have their questions answered by the leaders of the past. The Step on Poverty Alumni Network stimulates growth, rather than allowing their predecessors to wallow in historical problems.
Member Development is a crucial component in avoiding Generational Decay. It is expected that most members coming into the organization will not have a proper understanding of the Step on Poverty mindset and will therefore go through intensive training and lessons that will teach the importance of economic pragmatism, nonprofit potential, and uniting the youth. By building a foundation, Step on Poverty is creating a cohort of cerebral and compassionate individuals.