The four causes we picked.

When Tyler started first grade I wanted to start a volunteer gig that I could do each week and feel like I was giving something back to the community. I found that opportunity with Bridging and this year marks my 10th year of helping in their mission to “furnish homes with hope”. Once a week I show up, unpack boxes of donated home furnishings and curate shelves of product so that when a client shows up and shops there is plenty to choose from. People that donate feel good about where their old things are going and the clients are able to come away with everything they need to set up their household from furniture to dishes, art for the walls, small appliances and everything in between.— Tammy

You simply can’t visit Wilderness Canoe Base (WCB) and walk away unchanged. Something about experiencing the pristine yet wild Boundary Waters alongside some of the most incredible people I have ever had the privilege of knowing is nothing short of freaking MAGICAL, and I will forever thank my lucky stars for this past summer that I got to spend doing just that. Spreading this experience to students who might otherwise never step foot in the woods is the driving force of this nonprofit. At base camp, staff and campers cultivate an intentional, loving community through daily shared music, meals, and quality time together. On trail in the Boundary Waters, this community is challenged, stretched, pushed, and ultimately stitched back together stronger with laughter, with tears, and with new memories. It is not easy to pinpoint moments of change in your life, but WCB is an immediate one for me. Anytime anyone even mentions the word “Wilderness” now, I can’t help but smile.— Mazie

Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) works toward a universal, single-payer healthcare system through research, public education, and advocacy. Their goals connect with me through the policy debate topic this year; I’ve spent months researching the healthcare system, and single-payer seems great. With the last two resolutions, there wasn’t really a direct or obvious way to help or contribute, but this one is a very obvious and easy way to support the push for what seems to be a very promising cause. PNHP lets me take what I’ve learned from debate and actually use it toward real-life policy because healthcare shouldn’t be dependent on who won the round.— Tyler