Today I'm speaking with Kathy Houghton, Executive Director at Literacy New York, and Amy Mazur, Director of Operations at Literacy Buffalo Niagara. These institutions focus on increasing the effectiveness of adults in functional literacy, not to enjoy novels, but to fill job applications and speak to teachers in parent conferences. 

In this episode, we talk about the lack of attention given to poor literacy of adults, which is a widespread issue across the country. Kathy and Amy explain how their institutions work, what kind of help they receive from the government, and how people and private companies can help them. They also talk about their background, the digital literacy programs they provide, and the reasons that pushed their careers onto the educational path. 

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

- What Literacy New York and Literacy Buffalo Niagara do, and the services they provide to the community

- What is functional literacy in today’s world, and why so many people struggle with it

- What is digital literacy

- How these institutions communicate with a target audience who can't read very well

For Kathy, coming from a family of educators and volunteers, the countless examples she grew up with led her into the path of giving back. On the other hand, Amy started as a teacher in an elementary school, following her grandma’s steps. Although she never considered being an adult educator, she accepted an interview for a full-time position in adult education, a space she has been enjoying for the past 15 years. 

Resources:

- Literacy New York website: https://www.literacynewyork.org/meet-our-staff 

- Kathy Houghton email: [email protected] 

- Literacy Buffalo Niagara website: https://literacybuffalo.org/ 

- Amy Mazur email: [email protected] 

- Give Back Digital: https://giveback.digital/ 

- Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idabutwin/ 

- Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IdaButwin/ 

Joining us today is Faith Winship, the Youth Leadership Coordinator at GLYS Western New York, a non-profit organization that focuses on providing a safe and positive environment for LGBTQ+ youth to learn more about themselves and create emotional growth and community awareness. Faith collaborates as GLYS's GLSEN WNY SHINE Student Leadership Team Advisor, GSA Advisor Liaison, and Restorative Justice Facilitator. 

We talked about Faith's roles as Youth Leadership Coordinator at GLYS and advisor liaison at Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA). We explored GLYS’ values and mission, and the events they organize such as the GSA Conference, GAYLA, and the Diversity Prom. Faith shared her background, and how she decided to raise the LGBTQ+ flag and fight for it. 

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

- What GLYS is, and how do they serve the community

- How GLYS highlights the concept of identity of young people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender expression

- The relevance of offering sexual health training to students

- What is the best way to collaborate with GLYS

Faith always knew that she wanted to help people. She discovered herself as a feminist in college, so she decided her minor would be in Women and Gender Studies. That is how she got in touch with LGBT+ population, and she started seeing the privileges that society assigned to her just because of being cisgender. She then decided to use those privileges to help others raise their voice and be heard. 

Resources:

- GLYS Western New York, Inc: https://www.glyswny.org/ 

- GLYS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glys_wny/ 

- GLYS YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzTRLiCPIRSABlEYqrnohcQ 

- GLYS Twitter: https://twitter.com/glys_wny 

- Connect with Faith Winship on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faith-winship-a6b17217a/ 

- Give Back Digital: https://giveback.digital/ 

- Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idabutwin/ 

- Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IdaButwin/ 

Today, we chatted with Angelica Whitehorn and Jordan Soldaczewski from the International Institute of Buffalo, an organization created to make West New York a better place for and because of refugees. The Institute offers refugee resettlement and employment programs, provides services to survivors of domestic violence and human traffic, offers translation services, hosts international visitors, and more.

In this episode, we talk about how the Institute helps immigrants from all over the world, and the different circumstances in which people get in touch with them. Jordan and Angelica shared a bit of their background, and how they got into community service. They also explained how businesses can get involved with the Institute's community service.

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

- The background of the International Institute of Buffalo

- What are Jordan and Angelica’s roles at the Institute

- International Leaders Visitors program, and how people from all over the world use it to help the Institute

- What is the Refugee Resettlement Program, and how it works

For Angelica and Jordan, helping the community and asking themselves how to do more has been a driving force since they were kids. As avid readers, once they knew about the struggles of tens of thousands of people worldwide, they felt the need to raise awareness about these issues and learn how to help those populations. 

Resources:

- International Institute of Buffalo website: https://iibuffalo.org/ 

- IIBUFF Twitter: https://twitter.com/IIBuff 

- Connect with Angelica Whitehorne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelica-whitehorne-b2a762142/ 

- Connect with Jordan Soldaczewski on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-soldaczewski-71b88a11b/ 

- Give Back Digital: https://giveback.digital/ 

- Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idabutwin/ 

- Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IdaButwin/ 

Joining us today is Dawn Sinkule, who is the CEO and Founder of Digital Dawn. After a successful career in the retail business, where she managed billion-dollar budgets and teams for over 17 years, Dawn decided to create her own boutique agency. At Digital Dawn, million-dollar e-commerce brands find the proper guidance to take their business to the next level. 

In this episode, we talked about how Dawn integrates her giving back vocation with her company's vision and values.  We went through the many ways entrepreneurs can give back, and where Dawn got the inspiration to contribute to those in need. 

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

- What is Digital Dawn’s specialty, and how they use their resources to provide value

- How Digital Dawn positions its vision in alignment with Dawn's core values

- What Digital Dawn did to help the entrepreneur community during the pandemic

- The different ways Dawn thinks people can help and give back

Dawn strongly believes that giving back and helping others is the right thing to do. Running a business for her is about providing value and assisting people in elevating their business and their quality of life, even if there is no immediate retribution from doing it. 

Resources:

- Digital Dawn https://digitaldawnagency.com/ 

- Digital Dawn on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/Digital_DawnAgency/ 

- Digital Dawn on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/digitaldawnagency 

- Connect with Dawn Sinkule on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnsinkuledigitaldawn/ 

- Give Back Digital: https://giveback.digital/ 

- Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idabutwin/ 

- Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IdaButwin/ 

Today, I'm joined by Alexa Bigwarfe, an Autor, Coach and Publisher, mother of three wildlings, and Host of the Women in Publishing Summit. Alexa is a US Today best-selling author, and an advocate and activist supporting mothers, children, and marginalized voices. 

She started writing as a healing method after her 2 days old daughter passed away. Her primary business is Write|Publish|Sell, a company dedicated to leading authors through the titanic labor of writing and publishing their books. We had a conversation about Alexa's journey into the publishing industry, how writing helped heal her wounds, and why she decided to use literature to help others. 

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

- The programs and services that Write|Publish|Sell offers, and how they give back to the community

- What are Alexa's company mission, values, and vision

- How Alexa chooses the organizations she want to works with and how they collaborate 

- The first steps to start a non-profit organization

When Alexa was going through her Master in Public Administration, she took a class on what makes people want to serve. The topic stuck with her, and after experiencing the ultimate trauma, it was evident for her what was the best way of helping others. 

Resources:

- Alexa Bigwarfe's website https://alexabigwarfe.com/ 

- Book: Alexa Bigwarfe - Sunshine After the Storm: A Survival Guide for the Grieving Mother https://www.amazon.com/Sunshine-After-Storm-Survival-Grieving/dp/0989934713 

- Write|Publish|Sell https://writepublishsell.com/ 

- Connect with Alexa on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexabigwarfe/ 

- Follow Alexa on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/writepublishsell/ 

- Give Back Digital: https://giveback.digital/ 

- Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idabutwin/ 

- Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IdaButwin/ 

Today we have Marty Bensch with us, the administrator of The Genesis Center, a soup kitchen and food pantry located in South Buffalo. They are offering dinner a couple of times a week, lunch on Saturdays, and a full food pantry on Thursdays, where clients are allowed to come twice a month.

Their mission is to help those in dire need, and they aspire to end food insecurity in their neighborhood.  

In this episode, we talked about The Genesis Center's mission and vision, and how they organize their services. We also spoke about the different tasks volunteers can help with at the center and Marty's role in making their experiences memorable. 

Marty gave some advice for businesses and individuals interested in helping but not knowing how, and he gave some valuable insights, especially in clothing donation. 

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

- What is The Genesis Center, and how it serves the community

- Apart from donating food or money, how people can help those in need within their communities

- What we must consider and pay attention to before we donate old clothes

- Why it is essential to call shelters and ask them what are they taking and what they need before donating

Although Marty’s parents never did volunteering work, he grew up with an enormous sense of solidarity. Soon in his life, he understood that the negative characteristics that we sometimes associate with people in need are not necessarily true. Because of that, he always focused on finding the good in people. 

Resources:

- The Genesis Center website: https://www.thegenesiscenter.us/ 

- Give Back Digital: https://giveback.digital/ 

- Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idabutwin/ 

- Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IdaButwin/ 

Today I'm joined by the astonishing Dave Holby-Wolinski, the Co-Founder of EllisKnight International, a B Corp certified ethical recruitment agency using business as a force for good.

A champion for compassionate leadership and a love for charitable fundraising, Dave has raised thousands of pounds for good causes having set over 20 world indoor rowing records, and was awarded a British Citizens Award in 2018 for services to the community. He was accepted as a Fellow into the Royal Society for Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce in 2021.

In this episode, Dave took us through his passionate journey of charitable fundraising, and his lucky encounter with partners that share his core values and philanthropic nature. 

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

- The mission of EllisKnight, and how Dave gives back to the community through his company

- How Dave structured EllisKnight operations around four pillars: workplace, environment, philanthropy, and community

- What kind of events and competitions Dave loves to organize for charity and fundraising purposes

- UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the best way to integrate them in your business

After experiencing the heavy loss of several women to breast cancer in his family, Dave grew up with a powerful sense of gratitude for all he got, and developed an unstoppable desire of helping others with whatever he could. Now, he is fulfilling that desire through his company, and giving back to the community. 

Resources:

- EllisKnight Recruitment https://www.ellisknight.com/ 

- Connect with Dave Holby-Wolinski on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveholby-wolinski/ 

- B1G1 https://www.b1g1.org/ 

- Ecologi https://ecologi.com /

- Oxford Media Business School https://oxfordbusiness.co.uk/ 

- UN SDGs https://sdgs.un.org/es/goals 

- Breast Cancer Now https://breastcancernow.org/ 

- Give Back Digital: https://giveback.digital/ 

- Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idabutwin/ 

- Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IdaButwin/ 

Visiting us today is Sandie Balls, a qualified Coach, an NLP Master Practitioner, Clinical Hypnotherapist, EFT Practitioner, and Rapid Transformational Therapist. She has over 15 years of experience helping entrepreneurs exposing themselves to create passion-led businesses.  

In this episode, we had a fantastic conversation about Sandie's mission as a coach and entrepreneur, how she helped people during the pandemic, and at what moment she discovered the importance of giving back. 

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

- Who Sandie Balls is and how she helps people through hypnotherapy

- The relevance of exposing ourselves and being who we are in order to thrive in our businesses

- Why ignoring our values can affect us dramatically in our business and our personal lives

- How hypnotherapy can unblock things we are not even aware of

- What Sandie wants to change with her hypnotherapy work

Social media created a monster of comparison, and most people compare themselves with what they see online. But we must remember that what we see on social media is just a snapshot, and not reality. When it comes to following our passions, we must put in the work, go the extra mile, and leave setbacks and the opinions of others aside. 

Resources:

- Sandie Balls website: https://www.sandieballs.com/ 

- Follow Sandie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandie_balls/ 

- Follow Sandie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mightymindsetcircle

- Connect with Sandie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandie-balls-585999b2/ 

- Give Back Digital: https://giveback.digital/ 

- Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idabutwin/ 

- Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IdaButwin/ 

Today I'm joined by Susie Liberatore, the Founder and Art Director of Vision2images Creative Services. She helps corporations generate new leads and visibility through great and consistent branding. Susie spent the last decade closing the gap between the global digital market and neighborhood locations for brands like Alair Homes, Homes for Heroes, and Flooring America. In this episode, we spoke about Susie's company mission and vision, and the type of clients she serves. 

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

- How Vision2images Creative Services helps its clients

- Susie's activities at Soroptimist and Synergy

- What are the different ways of helping and giving back without necessarily contributing with money

- What led Susie to decide to start helping and giving back to the community

Once Susie joined Soroptimist International a couple of years ago, and understood the broad set of options available to help and give back, she started to invest heavily in it. For her, it is about putting ourselves in the shoes of those in need, and offering the help we would like to receive.

Resources:

- Vision2images website: https://www.visions2images.com/ 

- Connect with Susie Liberatore on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susieliberatore/ 

- Soroptimist International https://www.soroptimistinternational.org/ 

- Give Back Digital: https://giveback.digital/ 

- Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idabutwin/ 

- Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IdaButwin/ 

Today, I'm joined by Danny Matthews, Creative Director at Danny&Co, a design studio that creates powerful brands with people they believe in. Danny shares his journey into becoming an entrepreneur, and what made him switch lanes and start following a deeper purpose and using his business to give back.

We spoke about his mission, what kind of clients he finds inspiring to work with, and his ambitious goal of being recognized for his impact on UN Sustainability Goals. 

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

- What are Danny's mission and goals with his business

- How Danny uses his business to give back, and what kind of connection he establishes with his clients

- What ignited Danny's passion for giving back

- The inspiring story of the relationship between Danny and a Colombian coffee producer

Although Danny dreamed of working as a designer as a kid, he ended up leaving his dream aside and getting a job like everyone else. He spent years chasing money, working long hours  until his body decided that it was enough. He then decided to give his childhood dream a chance. He founded his design company, learned a lot about himself in the process, and found a new purpose in helping others through his business. 

Resources mentioned:

- Connect with Danny Matthews at www.dannyand.co

- The Brand Confidence® Scorecard - https://dannyand.co/scorecard/

- Ecologi https://ecologi.com/ 

- Give Back Digital: https://giveback.digital/ 

- Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idabutwin/ 

- Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IdaButwin/