Wired for Good: Meet the Exelon Employees Making a Difference

The Dream Academy Foundation’s mission is to make a powerful impact on youth through programs that help them attain career, academic and personal goals. These programs include mentorship, personal and leadership development programs, as well as community, cultural and social engagement events. The organization cultivates young men and women in skill areas, including Life Development, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (S.T.E.A.M.), Community Engagement and Entrepreneurship.

Daryl currently serves as the director of volunteer engagement and is committed to advancing the organization’s mission of creating lasting positive change within the community. Daryl has spent more than 100 hours planning events, fostering engagement with the community and corporate partners, and promoting volunteerism. Daryl shared that one of the most profound aspects of his involvement with the foundation is the impact on his children. His daughters have benefited from the programs the organization offers, helping drive their academic achievements and personal development.

Invisible Book Bag Inc. is a non-profit established in 2018 with a mission of enhancing and positively impacting the lives of disadvantaged communities in the Chicago neighborhoods of Austin, Lawndale, Garfield and Englewood through various programs and services. Invisible Book Bag Inc.’s efforts include mentoring, educational support, violence prevention, athletics and community events that promote social engagement.

Shane has been a dedicated volunteer with the Invisible Book Bag, Inc., for three years. Currently, he is mentoring multiple high school students and ensures they have a positive role model while also helping them stay on track for a successful future. Working with talented and passionate young people has provided Shane with a sense of purpose and helped him find stability in his own life.

DuPage County Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics ( ACT-SO) runs a year-long enrichment program to encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African American high school students. The program features three components: mentoring, academic enrichment and competitions. The organization works to raise cultural awareness, showcase talents, academic achievements and entrepreneurial skills. Vanessa has been volunteering with ACT-SO, administered by local NAACP branches, for more than seven years.

Vanessa participated in ACT-SO for all four years of high school. As a parent, she enrolled her child in the DuPage County ACT-SO and began volunteering, beginning as the snack parent and increasing her commitment over time. Over the past two years, she has helped to modernize communications by improving the member management website/portal, introducing Slack for instant messaging, and digitizing event registrations. She is currently the co-chair of the Executive Steering Committee and spent 185 hours in 2023 volunteering with the organization.

The Caroline North Little League is the Ridgely and Greensboro community’s only local league. The organization offers children the opportunity to advance their baseball skills while also teaching valuable life lessons such as good sportsmanship, dedication and teamwork.

For the past five years, Ian has held three different positions, including Safety Officer, Fundraising Chair, and Player Agent, where he oversaw the drafting of the complex safety plan, inspected field conditions, organized field maintenance and supported fundraising events. Ian has also volunteered his time through coaching and has served as the groundskeeper/maintenance department for the league. In addition to those roles, Ian has spent time maintaining the baseball fields and working the cook shack. He notes that coaching offers the chance to share the game he loves with the next generation while helping them learn life skills.

The Tuckahoe Equestrian Center is a family and youth-oriented non-profit organization located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in Tuckahoe State Park. The organization works to foster a love for horses for people of all ages through equestrian activities, such as trail riding, driving, jousting, parades and horse shows.

Katherine Shinski has been a dedicated volunteer for the Tuckahoe Equestrian Center for five years and has previously participated as an active organization member. In her work with the center, Katherine helped to revamp Fun Day shows where riders of all levels can practice their skills and execute their spring and fall camping weekends for more than 100 riders. Katherine made significant contributions to the organization’s efficiency by developing new operations forms to track registration and volunteer signups, in addition to actively participating in cleanup days.

The Elkton Little League is a volunteer-based community little league baseball organization that supports athletics in baseball and softball for youth in the Elkton, Md. region. The Elkton Community Little League provides a fun and safe environment where children can learn to fall in love with baseball and softball, while also nurturing a strong sense of community where kids can forge friendships and find a sense of belonging.

Since volunteering with the Elkton Community Little League in 2023, Kregg has filled several key positions in the organization, including his role as a softball coach. Before coaching his eldest daughter’s team, Kregg supported the league by cleaning fields, setting up before games, and even stepping in as an umpire – all to ensure a safe and enjoyable playing experience for the kids.

The Elmhurst Yorkfield Food Pantry (EYFP) was founded in 1983 and supports more than 600 diverse client populations with access to a food pantry across nine local communities. The EYFP’s mission is to provide nutritious foods and personal care products to individuals and families residing within the service area of northeastern DuPage County and two communities in western Cook County.

Debbie has been volunteering with EYFP since 2022, where she helps fulfill grocery orders that the pantry receives from clients. When clients arrive, they are checked in by one of the volunteers and are given a grocery list to select items they wish to get, allowing volunteers like Debbie to fulfill requests promptly. Whether in the pantry, the mini-mart or going through the checking-in process, she works with her team to ensure clients are taken care of and able to get the food they need. She is also a leader among more experienced volunteers, who look to her for guidance and support.

Housing Forward is an organization based in suburban Cook County that is dedicated to serving more than 2,700 men, women and families with individualized services focused on resolving homelessness and housing issues quickly and permanently – all without any threshold requirements. Housing Forward provides ongoing case management, housing location and pre-tenancy services, an employment readiness program, street outreach and a homeless prevention program. Over the last year, they have also delivered 43,800 meals.

Destiny has been volunteering with Housing Forward for three years. She proudly serves as the organization’s chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee, which allows her to ensure that the board composition and board function can effectively support the organization’s demands and that it can set its course for the future. Now, she is the second Vice President on the executive committee.

The Chicago Roundup is an LGBTQ+ focused conference for queer people recovering from alcohol and drug dependency. The multi-day conference is a non-profit organization that works to create a safe place for members to enrich their sobriety, make new friends and celebrate their recovery.

Over the last two years, William implemented innovative strategies to attract more people of color and non-cisgendered persons to their events and annual conferences. As the organization’s current co-chair, William leads efforts to showcase the diversity of their 2023 conference by creating video testimonials and impact letters that highlight the stories of attendees and the impact of the organization.

As a Black gay man recovering from addiction, William personally shares the mission of Chicago Roundup. Due to his tremendous efforts in 2023, the organization has a benchmark to strive for each year for diversity, equity, and inclusion in those who lead workshops and panels. William has helped tap into potential outreach and ways to promote the organization’s presence and message. He has proposed creative areas to expand reach in terms of attendees, service members and fundraising, including calls to action via mailing lists and locating websites with comprehensive event directories in the LGBTQ sober community.

Joy to the Child, Inc., is a non-profit organization based in New Jersey that established a Teen Aviation program to work with high school students in STEM areas and to develop skills in aviation-related career fields. The Teen Aviation program allows students to build an actual, flying two seat experimental aircraft under the supervision and mentoring of program mentors. The program is designed to help students develop skills like reading technical drawings and manuals, teamwork, hands-on building experience and leadership.

Brian has volunteered with Teen Aviation of New Jersey since its inception in fall 2021. When Brian started as a program mentor, he helped recruit other mentors and renovated a donated hangar. He recruited participants, conducting informational interviews with the youth and their parents to ensure they were a good fit for the program. To generate interest, Brian worked with other volunteers to plan an open house where he and other pilots flew and displayed their personal aircraft and even provided free rides for potential youth participants. In the summer of 2022, Teen Aviation had its first weekly build session. Since then, Brian has volunteered five hours every Saturday as a mentor.

Hoop Dreams’ mission is to empower and expose youth from underserved communities to uplifting experiences, aiming to strengthen participants’ social and interpersonal skills through various enrichment programs. Their programs educate young people about teamwork, communication, and perseverance while encouraging higher education and careers. Two of their key programs are the Hoop Dreams Basketball Academy and A Cinderella Story Prom Drive. The Basketball Academy is a training camp that helps student-athletes enhance their basketball skills while developing leadership skills, exploring education and career options, learning STEM subjects and financial literacy. Through the basketball academy, Hoop Dreams renovates basketball courts throughout Philadelphia. A Cinderella Story Prom Drive provides free new dresses for high school girls to wear to prom.

Nadia has been volunteering at Hoop Dreams Inc. for the past 3 years. As the Executive Director of Hoop Dreams, Nadia’s primary responsibility is to obtain corporate and community partnerships and develop marketing strategies. She has planned and executed three main programs within Hoop Dreams, which consist of A Cinderella Story Prom Drive, the Basketball Academy, and the Community Holiday Dinners and Toy Drive. Nadia manages logistical challenges, such as securing a venue space, insurance, guest speakers, marketing and obtaining event sponsorships.

Accion Comunal Latino Americana de Montgomery County Inc. (ACLAMO), is a nonprofit organization that empowers Latinos and other community members to fully achieve their potential by providing educational programs, social services, and access to health and wellness programs. The organization serves all of Montgomery County, as well as parts of Delaware and Chester County in Pennsylvania.

Steven joined the board of ACLAMO in September 2023. Since joining the board, ACLAMO completed phase one of a major renovation to a 38,000 sq/ft building, serving as an education department for the community. As a part of the infrastructure committee, Steven has assisted in hiring contractors and project managers, reviewing architectural drawings, proposing design changes, discussing best practices from a construction perspective, and ensuring the group is working through the job on budget and meeting deadlines. In addition to this role, Steven has accepted the Secretary of the Board position. Recently, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Early Learning Center that was completed, Steven could see the kids in the community go to their new classrooms and enjoy the areas that he had helped make possible through his volunteerism.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's (AFSP) mission is to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide. The voluntary organization leads grassroots efforts to engage families, mental health professionals, community and local business leaders, school administrators, and others to serve at the forefront of suicide prevention.

Since 2022, Kenneth McCabe has served as the Community Engagement Chair with the Developing Young Professionals D.C for the AFSP. Fueled by a personal connection to the cause, Kenneth is passionate about the foundation's mission to raise funds for scientific research, educate the public about mental health, advocate for public policies in mental health, and support survivors of suicide loss. In his volunteerism, Kenneth negotiates sponsorship agreements, prepares leaders for public speaking engagements, and coordinates marketing collateral, among other responsibilities. He also manages the relationship between the AFSP, PHI Corporate Relations/Corporate Community Impact, and Pepco teams to garner support for the annual Out of Darkness Community Walk.

Mission Trip Birdsboro and Beyond (MTBB) was founded in 2014 and re-established in 2021 as a volunteer-driven non-profit that works to provide home repair, landscaping, cleanup services and more to those in the Birdsboro community. The organization aims to help homeowners in need, in addition to supporting a range of community improvement projects. While the majority of their work is performed during a designated week in July each year, MTBB works strategically throughout the year to meet the community’s needs as they arise.

Monica Black has been a volunteer for MTBB since 2016, working in various roles to support their mission to provide home repair, cleanup services, and landscaping services throughout the community.  Monica first volunteered as a site worker, helping to perform construction and safety repairs on homes where the homeowner is either physically or financially unable to do the work themselves. Now, as the Chair of the distribution team, Monica plays a leadership role, reviewing proposed jobs and determining the necessary materials and tools needed to perform the jobs successfully.

Pilipino American Association of Delaware (PAAD) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the cultural and social well-being of Filipino Americans in the State of Delaware and surrounding states. Its mission is to foster a strong and connected Filipino American community while preserving the culture’s values of hard work, family unity and spirituality. One impactful program is its summer school, Paaralan Pilipino, where children are taught the elements of Filipino culture, history and language.

Rowena McKenna has volunteered with PAAD for six years and serves as the organization’s auditor. As auditor, Rowena coordinates fundraising events through connections with local Filipino vendors, solicits donations for auctions and volunteers her time to the organization’s summer school. Her fundraising efforts are directly reinvested in the community, providing support to community members for funeral costs, food security and more.