Giving Back: Changing Systems, Changing Lives – Including Yours

By: Lynn Purdue, Partner at The PMA Agency

Giving back to your community isn’t just about volunteering hours or writing a check. It’s about investing in people. It’s about believing that every child, every family, and every neighbor deserves the opportunity to thrive. And it’s about recognizing that when we strengthen our communities, we strengthen ourselves.

For me, service has always centered on one core passion: creating a better world for children.

Through my role on the board of the Children’s Advocacy Alliance, I have the privilege of working at the systems level to help shape state and federal policies that lead to better outcomes for Nevada’s children and families. Policy change may not always make headlines, but it creates the foundation for generational impact. When laws, funding, and public systems are designed with equity in mind, children have a better chance at safe homes, quality education, and long-term stability.

Real change happens when we build structures that support families, not just in moments of crisis, but every day.

Follow your passions when you choose to give back. Whether it’s stable housing, access to food, or educational opportunity, collective action works to create change.

Working at the systems level where you are working on the decisions that are made at the legislature or within governmental departments - can require patience and significant time between celebrating wins. Luckily, change also can happen one life at a time.Through my involvement with Rotary International, I’ve experienced what I like to call “starfish moments”—those deeply personal opportunities to support just one child at a time.

One of the most transformative programs we participate in is the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), an immersive leadership experience for high school students.

I’ll never forget one young man who returned from RYLA visibly changed. He had discovered his voice. He gained confidence and clarity about the kind of life he wanted to build. With newfound strength, he made the courageous decision to help move his family out of an abusive home environment. He stepped into leadership roles at school, continued to challenge himself, and ultimately broke the cycle of poverty and hardship he was born into.

Today, he thrives, and he gives back whenever he can.

That is the ripple effect of service. When a young person finds their voice, they don’t just transform their own future, they inspire others to do the same.

Giving back matters because it:

• Creates real, visible impact

• Strengthens your sense of purpose

• Builds meaningful connections

• Sets an example for future generations

• Invests in a better future for all

You don’t need wealth to make a difference. Time and compassion are powerful resources. Mentorship, encouragement, advocacy, and presence can change someone’s life in immeasurable ways.

And if you are wondering if investing this time is good for business, remember that people want to do business with those they like and respect. When you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with someone and do good in the community, they likely are going to turn to you when they need a business partner.

Strong communities don’t happen by accident. They happen when ordinary people decide to contribute, at the policy level and at the personal level.

When we help a child discover their voice, we help reshape the world.

And sometimes, changing the world starts with helping just one.