NEST

08/31/2026

We at NEST4US were honored to host our signature Nourish2Flourish service project at the Welcome Reception of the 2026 Points of Light Conference, bringing together more than 1,600 local, national, and global attendees from the nonprofit and business sectors to turn collective action into meaningful impact! 💙

Together, we packed 500 grocery bags filled with essential resources for community members facing food insecurity across the Washington Metropolitan Area!

Having been part of the Points of Light family for the past eight years, this opportunity and collaboration made the experience even more meaningful. We’re incredibly grateful to Points of Light for their continued trust and partnership, as well as to our amazing volunteers and every attendee who showed up ready to serve.

After all, when nonprofits, businesses, volunteers, and communities come together around a shared purpose, the impact truly extends far beyond a single project! 🌎

www.nest4us.org

08/30/2026

What does it mean to celebrate a birthday? 🎂

For a child, it can mean the excitement of opening a gift chosen just for them, making a wish over a cake, and knowing that the people around them are glad they’re here.

At NEST4US, we believe that dignity is found not only in meeting essential needs, but also in making room for joy. Through our NEST Buddies birthday-in-a-box program, our volunteer family comes together to create Birthday-in-a-Box packages for children and families facing financial hardship. Each box includes the essentials that help turn a birthday into a real celebration: gifts, cake, balloons, decorations, and more! 🎉

For our volunteers and supporters, it’s a meaningful way to put kindness into action, and for a child, it's a powerful reminder that their community has made space to celebrate them.

A NEST4US Birthday-in-a-Box may be small, but the message it carries is powerful: you're seen, you're valued, and you're worth celebrating! 💜

Help us make a child’s next birthday brighter. Sponsor a Birthday-in-a-Box today: https://nest4us.org/nest-buddies/

www.nest4us.org

08/28/2026

Here at NEST4US, we believe that volunteer mobilization isn't about simply recruiting people to complete tasks. It’s the driving mechanism of building the social infrastructure for people of all demographics to become active shapers of their communities! 💡

Even when people recognize the challenges facing their communities, meaningful engagement can be difficult without clear opportunities to act. However, thoughtful volunteer mobilization closes that gap by creating accessible entry points for people to show up, take action, connect with others, and see how their time, skills, relationships, and lived experience can be part of a larger solution.

In the NEST, we see service function as a pathway rather than a one-time activity. A volunteer may start coming regularly, taking on a leadership role, connecting others to opportunities, or even becoming an advocate for a community issue they resonate with. Each step expands the network of people equipped and motivated to serve! 💜

This is what fuels our mission: people-powered action that treats volunteers not as extra hands, but as essential partners in building more responsive, connected, and kind communities.

Read more about how NEST4US brings that belief to life every day in our latest blog: https://nest4us.org/join-the-nest/people-powered-action-why-volunteer-mobilization-drives-real-impact/

Browse through more stories Inside the NEST: https://nest4us.org/blogs/

www.nest4us.org

08/26/2026

Our COO Esha Venkat is excited to join the YAWASH Initiative as a keynote speaker leading the “From Local Action to Global Impact: The Blueprint for Youth-Led Community Transformation” webinar!

She’ll be sharing lessons she has learned from building NEST4US over the past decade, particularly around how young people can move from identifying a problem in their community to leading social impact projects, mobilizing volunteers, developing programs, and creating measurable impact at scale.

This conversation will bring together young leaders, students, volunteers, and development professionals from across Africa to discuss what makes youth-led initiatives sustainable and how local solutions can grow into broader movements. Can’t wait! 💚

www.nest4us.org

08/25/2026

At NEST4US, our work is about more than just spreading awareness…it’s about taking intentional community-centric action to create impact! 🤩

Through community resource distributions, we’re meeting families where they are by offering practical support and essential resources that strengthen their overall well-being.

At the same time, we’re creating spaces where people from different generations and backgrounds can come together to make a powerful difference, reflecting the heart of NEST4US: building stronger communities through hands-on service, collaboration, and compassion! 💚

From distributing supplies to offering smiles, there’s a role for everyone—get involved by signing up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E084AA4A729AB9-48334079-nest4us #/

If you or someone you know requires food assistance, register below to receive support.

Client Registration: https://forms.gle/y79VHp282a5YaRPLA

www.nest4us.org

08/24/2026

Today marks Esha’s last first day of classes at Georgia Tech as she begins her final year pursuing her Master’s in Public Policy!

We’re incredibly grateful for the people, opportunities, and special moments that have shaped Esha’s years at Georgia Tech—and for the fact that she gets one more year here as a Yellow Jacket!

There’s something especially bittersweet about knowing this is the beginning of the last chapter of Esha’s time at Georgia Tech. But more than anything, we’re so excited for the year ahead!
Here’s to one last first day! 💛🐝

08/22/2026

Access to basic school supplies remains an often overlooked component of educational equity.

Through our NEST Tutors’ Kits4Kids initiative, we work to expand students’ access to the essential supplies and resources needed for learning all year long.

This year, we at NEST4US were proud to distribute hundreds of school supplies to students in need, working directly with Title I schools to help prioritize communities with high levels of need. These supplies support day-to-day classroom participation and help reduce the out-of-pocket burden placed on students, families, and educators.

We’re grateful to the corporate partners, local organizations, and the broader community whose support made this year’s outreach possible. After all, cross-sector collaboration is essential to meeting immediate student needs while advancing more equitable learning environments! ❤

Support our efforts here: https://nest4us.org/donate-items/

www.nest4us.org

08/20/2026

08/19/2026

We at NEST4US and Youth Service America (YSA) invite you to participate in the 9/11 Day of Service New Era of Youth Service in America Virginia Statewide Partner Forum on Sunday, September 6, 2026, from 10:00 am–12:30 pm EST via Zoom! 🤩

America250 marked the launch of YSA’s New Era of Youth Service in America, a national strategy to double youth participation in volunteering and service, voting and civic engagement, and joining and leadership over the next decade.

In recognition of the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, NEST4US is collaborating with YSA to bring together nonprofit, education, government, business, and youth leaders from across Virginia to explore how these national priorities can be adapted to our Commonwealth’s unique opportunities and needs.

This statewide forum will create space to:
- Explore YSA’s New Era priorities and their relevance to Virginia
- Identify opportunities to advance youth service, volunteering, and civic engagement
- Develop a Virginia Youth Service Strategy
- Explore the formation of a Virginia Youth Service Alliance
- Build stronger cross-sector collaboration to expand youth-led pathways to service and leadership

We invite you, members of your team, and youth leaders representing your organization to join this important conversation and help shape the future of youth service across Virginia.

Register here: https://forms.gle/iQpJH8w4dMphFRqP8

Learn more about YSA’s New Era priorities: https://ysa.org/newera/

Together, let’s honor the spirit of 9/11 through service and help shape a New Era of Youth Service for the next generation! 💙

08/17/2026

Every service project at NEST4US brings together volunteers from all walks of life to assemble resource bags filled with essentials for neighbors facing food insecurity.

It sounds simple, and, in some ways, it is. And that’s exactly the point.

What may look like just a service project is actually many things happening at once: expanding access to essentials, reducing environmental waste, and building the kind of community connection we’ve designed for over the past ten years.

The volunteers who show up are not just helpers, but are part of the infrastructure. And the more people who join, the stronger that infrastructure becomes. Our model is simple by design because the most durable change happens when the barrier to participate is low and the reason to come back is high! 💜

This National Nonprofit Day, we are especially grateful for every volunteer, partner, and community member who continues to build the NEST with us.

Come experience the fun and get involved: www.nest4us.org