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A typical birthday for most people involves a couple of presents, a few texts from friends, and perhaps culminates in a dessert topped by a lit candle brought into a dim room by a handful of singers. 

But Barbie Marcoe, whose birthday happens to be the same day as this interview, isn’t most people. 

“We’re expecting 60 high schoolers to be here today, starting in just a few minutes,” she calls out across the room as a volunteer walks through the door on this gray Friday morning. “And I have the perfect job for you!” 

As one of the top students in his elementary school, Don Gallimore was selected to integrate his Wisconsin junior high school in 1968. He then went on to be one of just a few black students at his high school. He remembers when another black student, the school football star, was selected by the student body to be prom king. When the white prom queen was announced, the ensuing uproar caused the administration to cancel prom altogether.

Amy Dewitt-Smith has combined two big ideas — senior villages and the community time exchange— to create the Neighbor Network of Northern Nevada, also known as N4. The new non-profit organization is committed to connecting people and giving them the tools to help each other. While it is available for anyone who would like to participate, it has a focus of seniors and people with disabilities. 

Imagine a baby or toddler being forced to sit in a wet, dirty diaper or an old plastic grocery bag because his or her parents can’t afford diapers. For anyone who has had a baby or been around a baby, this is practically unfathomable.

Liz McFarland started her full-time volunteer role in 2012 after a reduction in workforce by the Gannett Corporation, but she says volunteerism has always been part of her DNA. “I come from a volunteer-crazy family,” she says. “Most of the members of my family would donate their shoes or buy groceries to help someone else.”

And this dedication to giving back goes back generations. McFarland’s grandmother was the first director of the emergency food bank in Stockton, Calif.

When Sean Cary and Anton Novak purchased Rounds Bakery, they knew they wanted it to have a higher purpose. So they made a commitment to each other that they would treat all of their employees fairly and to give back to the community however they could. 

In the five years since then, they have donated more than 25 tons of food to organizations helping the homeless, as well as more than $200,000 in donations. Oh yeah, and all of their employees are paid a living wage and receive insurance and a retirement plan, among other benefits. 

It wasn’t until Janet Phillips finished her 21-year career as the Director of Water Resources at Sierra Pacific Power (now NV Energy) that she really got to work. That was back in 2001, when she got the idea to develop a 114-mile trail paralleling the Truckee River from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake. The long-time river advocate saw an opportunity – to give folks ready access to the entirety of this beautiful community resource.

Tell us who you are and what do you do for the community that has a positive impact?

We are N.E.A.T. – Nevada Equine Assisted Therapy. So many people in our community, from young children to senior citizens, struggle with social, emotional, behavioral and mental health issues. Through work with horses, we provide a path to growth, change, learning and healing.

Trish and Stefano Miraglia take their commitment to community as seriously as they take their espresso. Inside their bike shop – Orange Pedal Cycling, located in a strip mall at the corner of Booth and California streets – they’ve built a coffee shop equipped with a La Spaziale espresso machine where they serve LavAzza Italian coffee and select local roasters. The storefront was never intended to be a traditional bike shop, but rather a neighborhood spot to connect with others – over cycling and a good cup of coffee.