Be the Change

Quotes from BTC 2008 "This is my community, if I do not stay involved who will? That is enough reason for me to volunteer as often as possible" -Amanda Baydoun, Wayne State BTC Volunteer "The KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now) project gave me an opportunity to interact directly with a community in need. People have had such a good experience today that I can see them following through, getting regularly involved with the organization beyond the annual Be the Change event."    -Janie Maniar, New York BTC Volunteer Watch Raaj Jayadev speak to BTC Volunteers in the Bay Area Be the Change 2009 Guide [PDF] Be the Change 2009 Flyer [PDF] 2008 National Partners   With generous support from:

What is Be the Change?

Be the Change is the annual national day of service coordinated by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) to inspire and foster civic engagement through volunteerism and community service. Every year, thousands of participants across the country collectively contribute innumerable hours of community service in the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi's famous quote: "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

In 2008, over 2000 people contributed 4000 service hours in 40 cities and campuses across the country.

How can I get involved?  

  Be the Change 2009 is Saturday, October 3rd in cities and campuses across the country.  This year's theme is "Giving in Action," which reflects the variety of ways volunteers give back to their community in the spirit of service. 

Join a City or Campus Be the Change Planning Team, become a National Partner and/or volunteer for Be the Change 2009! 

1) Host Be the Change on your campus - If you are interested in coordinating Be the Change 2009 on your campus, please fill out this form and we will send you the Be the Change 2009 Guide, your resource to help you coordinate service projects and connect you to the national Be the Change effort.

2) Host Be the Change in your city- If you are interested in coordinating Be the Change 2009 in your city, please fill out this form and we will connect you with others on your city's Be the Change Planning Team. We will also send you the Be the Change 2009 Guide.

3) Become a National Partner for Be the Change - National Partners are crucial to the Be the Change effort through providing service projects through your chapters, and/or a volunteer base for Be the Change through your membership.

*Volunteer registration for Be the Change 2009 on Saturday, October 3rd will be available in August.

If your organization, professional association, or youth group would like to partner with SAALT, please email us at btc2009@gmail.com.

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Where is Be the Change 2009? [updated 6/29/09]

Cities:
Atlanta
Bay Area
Boston 
Chicago
Florida
Hartford, CT
Los Angeles
Murray, KY
Washington, DC

Colleges/Universities:

Baylor University
Boston University
Brown University
Drexel University
Emory University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Harvard University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Michigan State University
Northeastern University
Ohio State University
Rutgers University
Temple University
Texas Tech University
The College of New Jersey
University of California - Hastings College of Law
University of Central Florida
University of Connecticut
University of Houston
University of North Carolina
University of Oklahoma
University of South Florida
Wayne State University
Wheaton College

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In 2008, SAALT decided to host the first ever t-shirt design contest for Be the Change. SAALT is proud to announce that the winner of the contest is Jonas Angelet with his innovative and unique design! Originally from Kentucky, Jonas Angelet is a gifted graphic artist with a bachelors and master's degree in Fine Arts. Angelet has done freelance work for many organizations including Legacies of War, Give Children A Choice, the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, and several other organizations that involve community leadership. According to Angelet he enjoys "that type of work because it is rewarding to collaborate with folks that have a vested interest in enabling communities in the role of advancement." Currently, Angelet lives in the DC area with his wife. For more information about Angelet and his work, please visit his website at www.jonasangelet.com.