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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MICHAEL LINEXECUTIVE DIRECTORMy passion is problem solving. Naturally, this led me to become a member of Model United Nations early in high school. I admired how veteran members developed effective speaking skills and advanced negotiating abilities. Throughout my years as a member, every conference improved my diplomatic acumen. However, as I grew as a student, I realized that all of my knowledge could be used for practical application. I did research, and ventured out into the local community.
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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.
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MAHEEM SYEDEXECUTIVE FIELD EXPERTWhere do I even begin? The amount of educational concepts contained within this very organization is more whelming than what meets the superficial glance. Although my fellow board members will talk about generosity, success, and inspiration, I see an extravagant system. Step on Poverty’s nonprofit structure is a tasteful combination of economics, politics, philosophy, environmental science, business, etcetera.
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CINDY XIONGEXECUTIVE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICERThe first time I participated in a Step on Poverty event was one of their first shoe packing events from the previous school year. When I first walked in, I was a timid girl who met an entire sea of unfamiliar faces. Since then, I have befriended many people that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet otherwise.
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PUJA KUMAREXECUTIVE SECRETARYIf there is anything that I have learned from my many siblings, it is that results are necessary. When one of my baby sisters begged for food, she would not be satisfied until she was given sustenance, and even then, the meal had to fit her preference. We could prepare a grandeur feast for a regular evening, yet it was guaranteed that one or more of my baby siblings would still be unsatisfied due to the slightest error in something as minute as slippery utensils. Although many would see this as parental torture, this was my version of “character building” as a child.
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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.