In moments when the state of the world feels overwhelming, like the sobering reality around the unjust and traumatic loss of Alex Pretti, it is easy to slip into despair or detachment. Yet, as Niila Hébert, Executive Director of The Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement, shared in an interview on the Dana’s Priceless Advice with Leaders of Volunteers podcast, what we do today creates the future we want for all, and helps reframe grief as a starting point, not an endpoint.
Volunteering and donating are often framed as charity, but they are also quiet, persistent forms of activism. Giving time or resources to organisations working on justice, care, and community is a way of refusing numbness and choosing participation. Even small, consistent actions help shape a future rooted in dignity and accountability.
Activism shows up in many ways, and there is a space for quiet activism, like reaching out and hugging loved ones, creating space for peer support conversations, donating to a cause positively pushing the social justice needle, and lending a hand through volunteering. Whatever your risk tolerance, every act of compassion and care, no matter how big or small, makes a positive difference. Be safe, compassionate, and well, everyone!
The Middle Slice 