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Category: Changemakers Consul 2017

For volunteers who continue to make a difference in their community and remain dedicated to their initiative.

 

2017 Winners: Dallas Changemakers Group, USA (Sanjeeb Samanta, Elisa Lizarralde, Ernesto Marcano, and Jenya Teplitskaya)

2017 Honorable Mention: Temenuga Bakalska in Munich, Germany

 

Why They Won

We are really proud of our InterNations Changemakers Consuls, who continue to donate their time and skills to people in need around the globe. When determining the 2017 winner for Changemakers Consul, we specifically looked for Consuls who go above and beyond, connecting with local NGOs and pooling the talent of members in their community to make their home community a better place. We narrowed the winner down to not one Consul, but rather an entire Consul Team, who work together to make a difference in Dallas.

One of our Jury Members says, “The Dallas Changemakers Team seems to always go above the call of duty to ensure members are informed of various initiatives in their community. Usually posting an average of five unique activities a month, this team truly supports those in need and helps to make the world a better place. We selected our Dallas Changemakers Team, since this group remains an example for InterNations members all around the globe. They are extremely active with local NGO’s and show how a team should operate. They always remain positive about how to get active. We have to say, their energy is contagious!”

What motivated you to become Changemakers’ Consuls?

Being responsible for bringing together such a cultural mix of individuals of different nationalities who have so much heart and want to help others is the single biggest reason we are Consuls. Secondly, to give back to the community that has embraced all of us as members when we arrived in our second, third, and fourth home base. Our members have compassion and sincerely want to help, and this differentiates them from many other groups. Most of our members have directly seen, and in some cases experienced, very real human hardships and this motivates our members more than the average person to step forward and want to help.

 

What do you do at your activities to get members excited about your initiative and make it a memorable experience?

One of the main reasons we are successful is the way the Dallas Changemakers Consuls work as a team. While different Consuls take the lead on different activities, we collaborate and discuss all activities. As a team, we’re able to keep a much wider pulse of our members and what their needs are, periodically reviewing what their main motivation is  to select the appropriate activities, but also ensuring that activities are organized and taking care of all possible details to make them as flawless as possible. We are clear in our communication and in setting expectations, we are always at the activity venue early to welcome our members, we focus on getting to know our members, and we establish very strong relationships with our partner organizations. All of our activities are with organizations that benefit communities in our metroplex. Many of our activities are directly providing services to those in need, such as an employment workshop for refugees, and utilizing professional expertise among our members. Our members have come to trust in the quality of activities provided and the Consul’s commitment.

 

What are you most proud of when it comes to your group and the difference you are making in the world?

We are most proud of the strong community we are building with our members and partner organizations, and of having engaged a constantly growing group of members who steadily participate in activities, and have since also interacted directly with the organizations. We are witnessing a double effect that our activities produce where both the InterNations community and the organization we support leave in a much better place than when we arrived. Love and care multiply! Also, regarding the Consul Team culture, we are like a family and have been since the beginning. Our members engage in each activity with their hearts, and are always available when we need them. Our choices of community partners have turned out to be pretty amazing and have taught us so much.

 

Congratulations to the Dallas Changemakers Group, 2017’s winner for Changemakers Consul, as well as our honorable mention, Temenuga Bakalska in Munich, for all of your altruistic efforts in 2017! Thank you for making the world a better place!

 

About the Winners:

Sanjeeb Samanta has been a Consul for the Dallas Changemakers Group since February 2014. Originally from Ipoh, Malaysia, he has been living in Plano, Texas for more than 25 years. He has a real passion of bringing expats together and always tries to think of new ways to motivate members to make a difference in their community.

Ernesto Marcano was appointed back in September 2016 and is also Consul of the Dallas Science & Technology Group. He certainly has an international mindset and likes meeting people from all around the world!

Eliza Lizarralde was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and took on the Consul role in October 2016. She has a real interest in local initiatives alongside organizing activities with her Co-Consuls in the group.

Jenya Teplitskaya became Consul back in December 2016. Originally from Ukraine, she enjoys getting involved and spreading the word to InterNations members on how to make a change in their community. 



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