For many families, the school bell at 3 p.m. does not simply signal the end of the school day. It raises another question: who will support my child until I return home? For working parents, those facing economic, transportation, or caregiving challenges, these hours determine whether children have safe spaces, enriching experiences, and supportive relationships.

In California, this question is central to conversations on educational equity, family well-being, workforce participation, and community development. To explore these issues, Sewa USA convened a Policy Café on "Bridging the After-School Divide in California: Access, Equity, and Community Partnerships." The discussion brought together scholars, practitioners, and policy leaders to examine how California can move from expanding availability to meaningful, high-quality learning.

The conversation focused on access, geography, system capacity, community partnerships, and institutional coordination. Together, these discussions revealed a reality: access on paper does not always become access in practice. Families may still face transportation challenges, staffing shortages, long waitlists, affordability concerns, and limited responsive programming.

Dr. Andrea Ettekal, Associate Professor at Texas A&M University, highlighted the role after-school programs play in academic learning and positive youth development. She emphasized that "getting in the door" is often the first step toward impact. Successful programs are welcoming, accessible, responsive to students' interests, and supported by adults who build meaningful relationships.

Yet access alone is not enough. Jannelle Kubinec, CEO of WestEd, encouraged participants to view after-school programs as integral extensions of learning, not auxiliary services. She argued that data and evaluation should support improvement, not just compliance. High-quality programs are built on intentional learning and adaptation.

The discussion also highlighted the need for programs to reflect the communities they serve. Dr. Sandra Simpkins of the University of California, Irvine, emphasized culturally responsive programming that fosters caring relationships, cultural and linguistic affirmation, youth empowerment, and real-world relevance. Her insights reinforced the need for models that recognize diverse households and backgrounds.

Mariana Lopez Quintanilla of Bay Area Community Resources further reinforced these themes of belonging. She described after-school programs as the "aunties or grandmas” of the formal education system, trusted spaces that provide care, stability, and belonging. Her remarks reminded us that academic achievement and student well-being are deeply connected.

Erik Peterson of the Afterschool Alliance broadened the discussion to the systems level. He emphasized that families need safe spaces for children while parents work. Strengthening after-school systems requires student voice and choice, workforce development, opportunities for older youth, and high-quality summer learning.

The conversation then turned to implementation and sustainability. Lillian Perez, Director of Expanded Learning at the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District, noted that for many students, the school day effectively extends until 6 p.m. Her observations underscored California's challenge: moving beyond access alone toward sustainable systems that support the whole child and family.

This vision aligns closely with Sewa International USA's commitment to community-based learning and youth development. Through ASPIRE, its in-school and after-school academic support initiative, Sewa serves underserved and refugee children by providing targeted academic assistance, enrichment opportunities, mentorship, and a nurturing environment that fosters both learning and personal growth.

ASPIRE exemplifies how trusted community organizations can work alongside public education systems to address learning gaps, reduce barriers to success, strengthen family engagement, and create supportive spaces where children can develop the skills, confidence, and resilience needed to thrive academically and beyond.

The Policy Café concluded with a powerful shared insight: after-school is not simply extra time. For many children, it is a defining time. By strengthening access, improving quality, and fostering community partnerships, California can ensure every child benefits from those critical hours beyond the classroom, building stronger families and communities.

Anupama Belur,
Serves as the Program Manager for ASPIRE at Sewa USA, with expertise in finance and accounting. Her experience spans HR management, billing operations, and academic intervention in public schools.

Some conversations stay with you long after they end. Hosting Sewa USA's Policy Café on "Ageing with Dignity in America" was one such experience for me.

Through Sewa, I have met seniors, caregivers, volunteers, and families. I have seen neighbors checking in, volunteers offering companionship, and families caring for ageing loved ones. These experiences reinforced my belief that community can make all thedifference.

The Policy Café made me think about ageing more holistically. Ageing is not only about healthcare, retirement plans, or services. At its heart, ageing is about dignity: whether older adults feel connected, supported, empowered, and able to live with purpose, safety, independence, and respect. Three lessons stayed with me.

Nutrition Is More Than Food, It Is the Foundation of Healthy Ageing

One strong lesson was how deeply nutrition shapes dignity in ageing. When Robert Blancato spoke about inadequate protein intake, dehydration, malnutrition, and multiple medications, I thought about seniors I have met through Sewa's work. We often discuss ageing through healthcare or treatment. Yet dignity is also shaped by practical questions. Does a senior have healthy food? Can they prepare meals safely? Can they afford nutritious food without sacrificing rent or medicine?

Nutrition affects strength, mobility, recovery, disease management, and independence. A nutritious meal can determine whether an older adult lives confidently or becomesvulnerable.

Caregiving Requires Understanding as Much as Responsibility

This part felt personal to me. My experience with dementia is not rooted in directly caring for my ageing parents, but in witnessing how my late father cared for my grandmother. She was over 80, and I saw the toll it took on him, the family, and all of us. It was emotional to see roles reversed between a parent and a child. The person who once cared for him now needed his care, patience, attention, and strength.

Because of this, Dr. Laura Mosqueda's insights on elder abuse and dementia resonated deeply with me. Her research revealed something uncomfortable: most elder abuse and neglect occur not in institutions but within homes and communities.

What struck me most was her emphasis on understanding before judgment. Harmful behavior can emerge when caregivers are overwhelmed, unsupported, exhausted, or struggling to understand dementia. This does not diminish abuse or neglect. It broadens prevention. Supporting older adults also means supporting caregivers with information, training, awareness, and early recognition of distress.

Ageing with dignity cannot rest solely on individual families. It requires a culture of empathy and support that helps caregivers before challenges become crises.

No One Should Have to Age Alone

Among all the conversations during the Policy Café, this stayed with me the most. Elena Portacolone spoke about older adults who live alone, many managing cognitive impairment, chronic illnesses, medication schedules, and daily responsibilities without consistent family support. Her observations challenged the assumption that someone will always be nearby.

As families become dispersed, more older adults are navigating life alone. Who notices if a senior misses a meal? Who checks in when they seem confused? Who helps when medicines become overwhelming? Sometimes dignity is preserved through small acts of consistency: a phone call, a weekly visit, a trusted neighbor, or a familiar volunteer.

Through Senior Sewa, older adults are not viewed merely as recipients of care. They are participants, mentors, and community builders. Senior Sewa creates spaces where older adults remain connected, engaged, and valued.

As I concluded the Policy Café, I felt grateful for the chance to reflect on what ageing truly means. Ageing is not merely a healthcare issue. It is a community issue, a policy issue, and most importantly, a human issue. Seniors are parents, teachers, mentors, volunteers, leaders, storytellers, and carriers of wisdom. A society that values ageing creates opportunities for older adults to remain connected, purposeful, respected, and engaged.

Kavita Tiwary,
Executive Director of Sewa USA's Houston Chapter, is a pharmaceutical chemist by training who began her career in drug research.

She later discovered her deeper calling in the nonprofit sector, where she now leads community-focused service initiatives.

Ageing is not simply the process of growing older. It is shaped by health, independence, relationships, financial security, and support systems. To age with dignity means to live later years with respect, purpose, safety, and connection. This question is becoming urgent as by 2030, one in five people will be 65 or older.

To reflect on this reality, Sewa USA hosted a Policy Café on "Ageing with Dignity in America: Community Care, Social Connection, and Healthy Longevity" on 20th May, 2026. The discussion brought together experts from healthcare, academia, advocacy, and community-based work to examine: what does it take to help older adults age with dignity?

The conversation began with nutrition asa key parameter for healthy ageing. As populations age and chronic conditions increase, access to nutritious food has become critical. Robert Blancato, a nationally respected leader in ageing, nutrition, and elder justice advocacy, emphasized that nutrition remains one of the most urgent issues facing older adults. He highlighted inadequate protein intake, dehydration, malnutrition, and the impact of multiple medications on appetite and health.

His remarks underscored that nutrition influences independence, chronic disease prevention, fall prevention, quality of life, and healthcare costs. He also emphasized "food as medicine," especially when nutrition is customized to prevent and manage chronic disease. For older adults, this can reduce hospital visits, lower costs, and support physical and cognitive health.

Healthy ageing, however, extends beyond physical health. Older adults also need dignity, security, and support in daily life. This emerged strongly in the discussion on elder abuse and neglect. Dr. Laura Mosqueda, Professor of Family Medicine and Geriatrics at the University of Southern California, discussed this through her research on elder abuse and neglect. She noted that most elder abuse occurs not in institutions, but within communities and families.

Her insight shifted the focus from blame to prevention. Abuse or neglect may arise from caregiver stress, lack of understanding, or confusion around dementia. Dr. Mosqueda reminded the audience that dementia-related behaviors should not be seen only as problems to control, but as expressions of suffering. This calls for caregiver education, frontline training, and community support.

Dorothea Vafiadis of the National Council on Ageing brought a whole-person healthy ageing lens to the discussion. She emphasized that older adults often face interconnected challenges: food insecurity, rising costs, limited mobility, chronic pain, isolation, and difficulty maintaining healthy routines. For seniors on fixed incomes, decisions can become choices between food, rent, and medication.

The discussion further emphasized that well-being in later life is shaped by medical care and social support systems. Experts highlighted community-based and peer-led wellness programs that help older adults manage pain, remain active, make healthier choices, and build confidence. These initiatives create spaces where seniors feel seen and connected.

Elena Portacolone, Professor of Sociology at UC San Francisco, drew attention to older adults living alone, particularly those experiencing cognitive impairment. She noted that many ageing policies assume a family caregiver, even though more seniors now manage dementia, chronic illnesses, and medication routines on their own. For them, even one hour of reliable daily support can improve safety, well-being, and quality of life.

Together, these insights revealeda gap in ageing policy. As family structures evolve, support systems must adapt. Volunteer networks and community initiatives play a critical role, but they work best when complemented by stable, professional, person-centred services that meet complex and long-term needs.

The discussion concluded with a shared message: ageing with dignity is not only a policy challenge. It is a collective social responsibility. For Sewa USA, this Policy Café was both a reflection anda call to action. A society that honors its elders must protect dignity, strengthen connection, and ensure every older adult has support to age with purpose and belonging.

Dipshikha Dhar,
Program Executive at India House and part of the Policy Research team at Sewa USA.

Her work focuses on policy research, program support, and developing knowledge-led initiatives for social impact.

When I registered for Sewa International’s Policy Cafe on ‘Disaster and the First 72 Hours’ , I assumed I already had a solid grasp of those chaotic early days. Having spent time in the field. I’ve witnessed the rush, the disarray, and the heavy emotional toll that disasters bring. I expected the session to mainly confirm what I already knew.

Instead, it prompted me to pause and reconsider many assumptions.

One phrase from the discussion has stayed with me: the first 72 hours feel like “everything happening at once”. In the field, there’s no tidy sequence - assessments, coordination, supply arrangements, and dealings with authorities all unfold simultaneously . What I hadn’t fully internalised before was the sheer pressure. Within a day or two, responders are already expected to show tangible results even when roads remain impassable, communications are disrupted, and reliable information trickles in slowly. The session reminded me that early response relies far less on flawless plans and far more on experience, strong teamwork, and real-time judgement.

Even after years on the ground, the Policy Cafe made me rethink the concept of stability in the aftermath of disaster. I used to focus on the speed of aid delivery; the discussion changed my view: the way aid is coordinated can matter more than the aid itself. For instance, enabling families to remain close to their homes, schools, and livelihoods even while receiving minimal relief profoundly impacts how safe and supported they feel. Early response is as much about preserving trust, familiarity, and human dignity as it is about material resources.

Logistics was another area of the discussion that really resonated with me. I’ve experienced firsthand how supply bottlenecks can stall an entire operation. The shared stories - of rerouting transport or relying on simple, low-tech tracking when digital systems collapse - highlighted the essential role of flexibility during emergencies. Effective logistics during emergencies isn’t about rigidly following a pre-established plan; it is about continuous course-correction when things don’t go the way they’re supposed to.

The insight that has remained at top of my mind is the critical part the local NGOs and community actors play during the first 72 hours. The discussion underscored that response is most effective when efforts are coordinated yet deeply rooted in local realities. Local NGOs and volunteers, already embedded in the community, understand who is most vulnerable and can act swiftly without navigating layers of external approval. Their speed, credibility, and contextual knowledge make assistance both timelier and more meaningful.

By the close of the Policy Cafe, the session no longer felt like another discussion. It became a space to reflect on experiences I had lived through, but never fully processed. Disasters test not only the immediate response systems but also the relationships, networks, and preparedness cultivated long before the crisis strikes. The first 72 hours lay those strengths and gaps bare. For me, conversations like this are valuable because they transform raw field experience into structured learning, and learning into a deeper, more nuanced understanding of what actually makes a response effective.

Policy Cafe video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boyto9mTUy0&t=407s

Gitesh Desai, is the former President of Sewa International’s Houston Chapter and a community leader actively involved in disaster relief volunteering.
He is also a senior principal engineering consultant and registered Professional Engineer with extensive experience in major infrastructure projects.

The USA has enough food to feed all its citizens and residents every single day. However, hunger continues to be a societal challenge. Two things are clear from this: One, hunger is not the result of insufficient food supply. Two, there must be some failure in our systems that fail to ensure stable, reliable access to it.

To dig deeper into this, Sewa USA convened a Policy Cafe titled “Ending Hunger Together: From Episodic Relief to Systemic Resilience.” The objective was to understand how hunger functions within existing policy and institutional frameworks, and why it remains persistent despite the presence of food and programs. Beyond identifying problems, the discussion included potential solutions.

Bringing together experts from food banks, academia, healthcare, and public policy, the discussion centred on a simple but critical question: if food exists and programs exist, why does hunger persist?

The full conversation is worth watching and can be accessed here. However, four lessons emerged from this conversation.

Lesson One: Hunger Is Defined by Instability, Not Scarcity

The discussion challenged the assumption that food shortages drive hunger. Instead, panellists emphasised the instability of food supply as the defining feature of food insecurity.Dr. Steven Azima, an agricultural economist at the University of Vermont, described food insecurity as a condition shaped by irregular access, fluctuating quality, geographic barriers, and misaligned systems.

Federal programs such as SNAP, WIC, school meals, and TEFAP form a strong foundation for food assistance. Individually, they work. However, collectively they operate largely independent of healthcare, housing, transportation, and labor systems. Benefits are delivered on fixed schedules, while wages fluctuate, health needs arise unpredictably, and transportation access varies widely. As a result, households experience gaps, not because support is absent, but because it is fragmented.

Food bank leaders reinforced this point with lived experience. Bekah Clawson of Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana noted that many food-insecure households are employed, often holding multiple jobs.Jada Hoerr of Midwest Food Bank described hunger as both a cause and consequence of economic strain, one that food assistance alone cannot resolve. The conclusion was clear: food programs reduce hunger, but without alignment across income, health, and infrastructure systems, they cannot eliminate it.

Lesson Two: Rise in Is an Early Indicator of System Stress

Panelists also framed hunger as an early warning signal of broader system failure.

Sakeenah Shabazz, drawing on policy experience in Washington, D.C., explained that rising demand at food pantries often appears before economic stress shows up in official data. Food insecurity surfaces first because food is the most flexible and most vulnerable line item in household budgets.

From a policy perspective, this represents a missed opportunity.

Community food systems function as real-time sensors of distress, yet this data is rarely integrated into monitoring or response frameworks. Hunger is treated as an outcome to manage rather than a signal to act upon. Recognizing rising food insecurity as an early warning metric could enable earlier, preventive interventions.

Lesson Three: Ending Hunger Is a Coordination Challenge

While federal nutrition programs remain indispensable, their impact is limited when disconnected from healthcare, housing, and employment systems.Cindy Baggett of Feeding the Gulf Coast highlighted how rural and under-resourced regions face compounded barriers such as distance to grocery stores, lack of transportation, and limited access to fresh food that food distribution alone cannot solve.

At the same time, emerging models demonstrate the power of alignment.Scott Brummel from Duke University’s Office of Community Health shared examples of healthcare-linked food interventions, including food-as-medicine programs and Medicaid pilots related to these. These initiatives have shown improvements in health outcomes and reductions in healthcare costs, illustrating that coordinated investment delivers cross-sector benefits.

Alignment, however, requires more than funding. It depends on data sharing, institutional trust, and administrative flexibility, conditions that many systems are not yet designed to support.

Lesson Four: Community Infrastructure Is Where Systems Meet Reality

Throughout the discussion, community-based organizations were recognized as essential infrastructure, not temporary stopgaps. Food banks, faith-based groups, and local nonprofits absorb shocks when formal systems falter, adapting quickly to local needs and maintaining trust with the communities they serve.

In this context, community-based efforts play a crucial role. At Sewa USA, the Sewa Pantry operates not simply as a food distribution point, but as part of a community-rooted support system. Grounded in local relationships, volunteer networks, and cultural understanding, the pantry helps stabilize access where federal programs fall short or fail to reach.

From Episodic Relief to Systemic Resilience

The Policy Cafe underscored that hunger is not a single-cause problem, nor can it be solved through isolated interventions. Food insecurity reflects how well or poorly systems work together under stress. Moving from episodic relief to systemic resilience requires designing policies that anticipate volatility, integrate across sectors, and center dignity as a measure of success.

Hunger is not inevitable. But ending it will require institutions to listen differently, collaborate deliberately, and design systems that reflect how food insecurity is actually experienced.

Learn more about the Sewa Pantry and its community-based approach to hunger response:https://www.sewausa.org/SewaPantry

Before attending Sewa USA’s Policy Cafe on Ending Hunger Together, I came with a fundamental question: How does hunger persist in a first-world country like the USA How does hunger persist in a first-world country like the USA

Like many, I assumed the conversation would centre on poverty. I understood hunger largely as an outcome of low income, a downstream problem that followed from economic hardship. When hunger appeared despite the presence of federal nutrition programs and charitable efforts, I attributed it to gaps in outreach or implementation. In my mind, hunger reflected either the absence of policy or its failure to reach the right people.

It was with these assumptions that I entered the Policy Cafe organised on 16th December, 2025, expecting a discussion focused on policy alignment and efficiency.

Instead, what emerged was a reframing of hunger not simply as evidence of policy absence, but as a signal of policy misalignment . Enrollment numbers, distribution targets, and compliance metrics may indicate that a program is functioning as designed, yet they often fail to capture whether those systems actually provide stability. Hunger, in this sense, reflects the gap between how policy is structured and how people experience it in their daily lives.

One of the most powerful shifts in the conversation came through the lens of dignity. Before this discussion, I had not considered dignity and choice as central components of hunger policy. The panelists challenged that omission directly.

The focus moved from whether food is distributed to how it is distributed. Are people rushed or respected? Are they offered choice or assigned aid? Do systems preserve autonomy, or do they quietly erode it?

Food bank leaders shared how they are redesigning distribution models to prioritise agency, creating spaces that resemble grocery stores rather than relief lines, allowing families to choose what they take, and accounting for cultural preferences and dietary needs. These models recognise people not as passive recipients of aid, but as participants in their own wellbeing.

What became clear is that efficiency alone is an incomplete policy goal. Programs that treat people as passive beneficiaries may meet short-term needs, but they often fall short of building long-term resilience. In contrast, dignity-centred approaches, those that pair immediate relief with nutrition education, workforce pathways, or community support, show stronger, more sustainable outcomes.

This emphasis challenged an assumption I hadn’t realised I was carrying: that speed and scale should outweigh experience. The discussion underscored that how help is delivered matters as much as whether it is delivered. Choice is not a luxury add-on; it is a policy design feature that shapes outcomes.

I left the Policy Cafe with a more layered understanding of hunger. It is not simply about food or income, but about how systems show up in everyday life: through timing, access, respect, and choice. Hunger reveals what happens when policies fail to align with lived realities, even when they are well-intentioned and well-funded.

By convening this conversation, Sewa International USA created space to examine hunger not as an isolated social issue, but as a reflection of how policy functions in practice. Ending hunger, as the discussion made clear, requires more than expanding programs. It requires designing systems that recognise people as active agents in their own stability and measuring success not only by coverage, but by dignity.

When disaster strikes, the first ‘72 Golden Hours’ often decide the fate of entire communities. At Sewa International USA, we believe that ‘sewa’ (selfless service) is most impactful when it is fast, focused, and collaborative.

To explore how we can respond better, we hosted a Policy Cafe on ‘Disaster and the First 72 Hours’, bringing together a global panel of experts from the U.S. and beyond. The goal was to capture the lessons from the field and strengthen collective readiness for future emergencies.

The discussion began with a simple question:
What really happens in the first 72 hours?

Experts described it as a time when “everything happens at once”. As Euan Crawshaw, emergency response specialist serving as the Director of International Programmes at ShelterBox, shared, responders face intense pressure, high expectations, and limited information, often while key systems, such as communication, transport, and administration, are disrupted. In these moments, waiting for perfect assessments isn’t an option. Action guided by experience, adaptability, and trust becomes critical.

In this chaotic environment, priorities shift rapidly from broad planning to immediate human needs. Early efforts focus on stabilising conditions and restoring coordination, but attention quickly turns to what allows families to regain a sense of security amid uncertainty. Relief is about more than food or medical aid; it starts with a safe and stable space where people can begin to process shock and trauma.

A key highlight of the conversation was the role of ‘shelter’ during the early hours of a disaster.

Mario Flores ,Director of International Field Operations, Housing Disaster Resilience and Recovery at Habitat for Humanity International, emphasised that shelter is far more than a physical structure; it is about dignity. Immediate shelter prevents mass displacement, reduces long-term risks, and especially protects women and children. Keeping families close to their homes and social networks in those first three days lays the psychological and physical foundation for a faster, safer recovery.

But shelter and dignity can only exist if essential resources reach affected communities. This is where logistics takes center stage. Valerio Carafa, an emergency management specialist at ISRA AID, called logistics the heartbeat of response. Supply chains support every lifesaving intervention from shelter to healthcare to food. When they work, communities get aid in hours; when they fail, recovery is delayed by weeks.

One insight that stood out was the central role NGOs play during the first 72 hours. The conversation emphasized that early response works best when efforts are coordinated and rooted in community realities. NGOs, with their close ties to local contexts, help ensure that support reaches people quickly and meaningfully, especially during those crucial early moments. As Stephen Klein, Chief Executive Officer at NECHAMA: Jewish Response to Disaster noted, these non-profit organizations don’t struggle with bureaucratic delays like a government, and can act with the speed and flexibility that emergencies demand. Their greatest strength, however, is in empowering local communities. By investing in training, preparedness, and coordination long before a crisis, nonprofits professionalize the first line of defense, enabling communities to lead their own recovery.

The Policy Cafe concluded with a shared insight: disaster response is not only about speed or supplies. It is about people, trust, and preparedness built long before a crisis. The first 72 hours expose the fragile gap between intention and impact, policy and practice. A thoughtful early response can protect dignity, reduce displacement, and lay the foundation for long-term resilience.

For Sewa International USA, this conversation was both an affirmation and a call to action: building resilient communities isn’t just a moment of response; it is a continuous commitment to readiness, collaboration, and service.

Some experiences make you pause and rethink what you thought you already understood. Attending the Policy Cafe on “Reimagining Nonprofits: Leadership, Community, and Volunteer Power” was one of those moments. As someone who has volunteered for several years, I believed I understood how leadership and service fit together. However, listening to experts and practitioners discuss the development of volunteer leaders and their retention in a volunteer-led nonprofit organisation opened my eyes to the immense potential and responsibility that each volunteer truly carries.

Here are the three lessons that stayed with me:

1. Volunteers Can Lead—If They’re Given the Space and Structure

I’ve often seen volunteers take on roles far beyond expectations, yet their potential is sometimes underutilized. At the Policy Cafe, Dr. S.P. Kothari (Professor of Accounting and Finance at MIT Sloan School of Management) shared an insight that resonated deeply: “Nonprofits must create and clearly spell out a ladder of growth for volunteers.” That ladder, he noted, can be built through deliberate succession planning. And this, as Geoff pointed out, “is often the biggest challenge for volunteer-led nonprofits.”

Listening to these perspectives made me reflect on my own experiences: the moments when I was trusted with leadership roles were the moments when I grew the most.

2. Building Volunteer Leadership Through Culture and Connection

Another key takeaway was the importance of intentionally harnessing volunteer power. Volunteers thrive when organizations create a supportive environment and, as Mike Young (Executive Director of California EnviroVoters) said, “when they see how their contributions fit into the bigger vision and culture of the organization.” Combined with the deep connections they build in the communities they serve, this approach, as Dr. Nair noted, can spark real social change.

Dr. David Renz (Director Emeritus of the Midwest Centre for Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Missouri–Kansas City) captured this beautifully: “Volunteer’ is a label for a relationship, and relationships only work when there’s reciprocity, authenticity, mutual appreciation, and value.” In my own journey, the times I felt most capable and empowered were always within organizations that prioratized culture, connection, and purpose.

3. Volunteers Thrive When Organizations Provide Structure and Support

I realized that even the most motivated volunteers need systems, structure, and resources to lead effectively. Luis (Partner and Head of Practice at La Piana Consulting) emphasized the importance of planning for capacity and complexity in nonprofits.

Monisha suggested that one way to achieve this is through a hybrid model where staff and volunteers are supported by training and clear processes. But even with the right structures, volunteers can only thrive if organizations, especially smaller ones, have the resources to sustain them. As Ade explained, “Foundations need to increase indirect costs to 25% and/or offer multi-year funding.” With the right support, volunteers can focus on leading and creating impact rather than getting weighed down by coordination challenges.

My Reflection

Seeing how individual leadership, a supportive culture, and thoughtful structures all interact made me appreciate that the impact of a volunteer depends on all three. I walked away with a renewed sense of both the responsibility and the potential inherent in volunteerism.

For me, the most powerful takeaway was recognizing how thoughtful relationships and resilient structures transform service into leadership and into meaningful, lasting impact.

At Sewa International USA, we believe the strength of a nonprofit lies not just in its programs, but in the people who power them: its volunteers. They are the bridge between community needs and collective action. But as demand for services continues to rise across the country, nonprofits are being asked to do more with fewer resources. As demand for services grows, staffing, infrastructure, and funding remain limited. In this context, volunteerism, once central to nonprofit identity, is too often reduced to operational support rather than leadership.

To explore how this trend might be reversed, we hosted a Policy Cafe on ‘Reimagining Nonprofits: Leadership, Community, and Volunteer Power'on September 9, 2025, beginning with one key question: How do we sustain volunteers?

Sustaining volunteers, as the discussion revealed, requires more than appreciation or incentives. It depends on culture, connection, and purpose. When volunteers see how their work contributes to a larger mission, when they feel trusted and part of a collective vision, their commitment deepens. And when their service connects them directly with the communities they support, it transforms both sides of the relationship.

But sustaining volunteers is only the first step. The next challenge is nurturing them into leaders. True leadership in a volunteer-led space must be built through intentional mentorship, clear pathways of responsibility, and recognition of effort. The conversation highlighted that nonprofits must create “ladders of growth” that allow volunteers to see tangible ways to lead. Without such pathways, organisations risk stagnation, over-reliant on a few individuals while missing the potential of many.

But even the most motivated volunteers can only thrive if the organisations they serve provide the right systems, structures, and resources. This led to another critical question: What are the key challenges in governing a volunteer-led organisation while sustaining impact?

The dialogue emphasised that effective governance depends on capacity and complexity. As volunteer-driven organisations grow, they must continually revisit their models based on their capacity and complexity. Achieving this coherence requires clear systems and consistent training that align people and processes. Equally vital is sustainable funding, not merely for growth, but to preserve continuity, transparency, and fair investment in the people who make the mission possible.

Taken together, the discussions around sustaining, growing, and governing volunteer-led organisations made one insight clear: volunteer-driven nonprofits thrive when people, culture, and systems work in harmony. Volunteers are not just supporters; they are leaders, catalysts, and partners in creating impact.

For Sewa USA, the Policy Cafe was a reminder that reimagining volunteerism is an ongoing journey, one of listening, learning, and building organisations where volunteers can lead, grow, and create lasting change.

When I first joined the Policy Cafe hosted by Sewa International USA, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d heard of service learning before, but thought it simply meant volunteering. As the discussion unfolded, I realized it’s deeper — it’s about learning through doing good, connecting what we study with how we live and act. It reminded me of my days at Irvington High School in Fremont, where projects often took us beyond textbooks. I still recall the CHANGE Project, where my friends and I partnered with a local environmental group for a beach cleanup and later wrote a paper on community engagement. Listening to educators and policymakers that day rekindled why learning should never stop at the classroom door.

1. Service Learning is Learning by Doing, Not Just Doing

At first, I assumed service learning was about volunteering outside school hours. But as the panelists spoke, I realized it’s actually a pedagogy, a structured way to connect learning with purpose. It’s not just about completing activities, but about asking why those activities matter.

When one speaker described reflection as the “engine” of service learning, that image stayed with me. Reflection is what turns experience into insight. Asking questions like “What did this teach me?” or “Whose story did I not see?” transforms ordinary work into personal growth. I realized that when we take the time to pause, think, and question, learning becomes something we live, not something we memorize.

2. Service Learning Teaches Life Lessons that Textbooks Can’t

The Cafe also helped me see how service learning teaches lessons far beyond academics. Yes, we might be helping others, but in the process, we discover ourselves. Through projects and teamwork, we learn empathy, adaptability, and how to take responsibility for something larger than ourselves.

One speaker described service learning as “education for citizenship,” and that resonated deeply with me. It’s not just about community hours or credits; it’s about learning to collaborate, to listen, and to lead with compassion. These are the skills that help us navigate real life, the kind that no test can measure.

3. Youth are Not ‘Future’ Leaders, They are the Leaders Now

The most powerful message I carried home was this: young people aren’t just preparing to lead someday, we’re already leading today. Whether it’s organizing a food drive, helping younger students with homework, or identifying community challenges, students everywhere are stepping up.

Service learning gives us the space and the confidence to do that. It tells us that leadership isn’t about age or authority; it’s about initiative, empathy, and action. That realization was empowering. It made me see that change starts with us.

My Reflection

Walking away from the Policy Cafe, I understood that service learning reimagines what education can be. It blends knowledge with action, reflection with growth, and learning with leadership. For me, the biggest shift was realizing that education isn’t only about what we know, it’s about who we become through what we learn.