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"Life is about stepping up to our calling.
For me, that means doing what I believe I am supposed to do in the service of others who may need whatever help I may be able to offer."
That's what Lesleyann Samuel, a Jamaican-born engineer and community leader, has been doing for nearly 40 years, she tells the New York Daily News.
Samuel, who immigrated to the US at age 13 and went on to earn a degree in engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in upstate New York, says her passion for community service was ignited at an early age by her aunt, a volunteer in Jamaica's Festival Commission.
"I learned then that life is more than just our day-to-day jobs," Samuel says.
"Life is about stepping up to our calling.
For me, that means doing what I believe I am supposed to do in the service of others who may need whatever help I may be able to offer."
After working for a decade at Verizon in Maryland, Samuel moved to New York in 2012 and returned to her alma mater, Immaculate High School in Kingston, Jamaica, where she still volunteers, per the Daily News.
Samuel, who was recently awarded the Kingston College Old Boys Association USA's Community Award for Leadership and Philanthropy,
Selected Grant News Headlines
A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.
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When Collidescope.io co-founder and CEO Nick Lynch was looking for a new job last year, he came across an ad for a job that seemed like a no-brainer. "I am a software engineer," he wrote. "I...more
Foundation: Community Foundation of Sarasota County
There are nearly 750 nonprofit organizations in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties in Florida, providing everything from health and youth services to education and the arts, per a new...more
When it comes to giving back to their communities, employees of companies are doing more than just putting money in their paychecksthey're giving their time and energy. In fact, more than 27...more
Foundation: Daniels Fund, Colorado Trust, Denver Foundation
The new CEO of the Prosperity Denver Fund says she's "thrilled to join the team at Prosperity Denver Fund, in service to the vision of Denver's taxpayers and their investment in the future of our...more
When the Providence Performing Arts Center was looking for a new artistic director earlier this year, it was looking for someone who would be willing to take on the role of artistic director of its...more
Civic Engagement News from...
Community Foundation of Sarasota County
Daniels Fund
Colorado Trust
Denver Foundation
Gulf Coast Community Foundation
Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
El Paso Community Foundation
Fairfield County Community Foundation
Community Foundation of Western North Carolina
Social Entrepreneurship
Spotlight
Passion for Developing Technology for Social Good Overcomes Legal Disputes
Jim Fruchterman founded the now 24-year-old social enterprise Benetech, a nonprofit tech company that focuses on developing technology for social good. Fruchterman has also launched a new initiative called Bookshare, which is a membership-only crowdsourced online library for people with disabilities.
