Bright Spots
December 1, 2025
As we move deeper into the holiday season, there’s a moment on the calendar that invites us to pause and turn our attention toward generosity: Giving Tuesday. Tomorrow is a day when communities shift from celebration to service, choosing to give back through donations, volunteering, and simple acts of kindness. It’s a welcome counterbalance to the swirl of consumerism, and it’s become one of the most powerful reminders that people genuinely want to care for one another.
This year, we are marking the day by making a toast to you and to everyone who fuels the work of the Wassmuth Center through the many gifts you share all year long.
Here’s to the people who inspire us.
To the volunteers who show up early, stay late, and serve as amazing champions for human rights.
To the program participants who stretch, question, and engage with courage.
To the donors who turn possibility into reality through generosity.
Every act of connection, curiosity, and commitment strengthens our mission to advance human rights and build a more just and joyful world. So this Giving Tuesday, our message is simple and heartfelt: thank you for making this work possible.
This spirit of appreciation is at the heart of the Wassmuth Powerful Practice Notice and Name Bright Spots. When we intentionally seek out the moments – big and small – when care, courage, and creativity shine, we bring this practice to life. Noticing and naming bright spots means paying attention to what’s working, where growth is happening, and how people are showing up for one another. When we name these bright spots, we affirm what matters, strengthen what’s possible, and create momentum for meaningful change.
Recognizing bright spots also affirms human dignity, reminding people that their efforts are seen, valued, and impactful. It sparks motivation by highlighting what is already moving us forward. And this practice builds a powerful feedback loop for learning, helping us understand not just where we’ve stumbled, but where we are succeeding and why.
Idaho’s human rights landscape is full of bright spots – moments and people who illuminate what’s possible. Bill Wassmuth transformed personal threat into courageous leadership, standing up to extremism and helping build a community infrastructure rooted in justice. Marilyn Shuler devoted her life to advancing civil rights, shaping policy, expanding access, and ensuring that dignity and fairness remained at the center of Idaho’s public life. Their legacies endure because they consistently chose compassion, courage, and conviction, especially when the path was difficult.
This fall, the Wassmuth Youth Leaders carried that legacy forward in powerful ways – from facilitating a story exchange with community members experiencing homelessness, to connecting classmates with mental health resources, to creating art that amplifies lesser-known human rights issues. These young people are emerging human rights leaders and huge bright spots in our community.
Progress grows this way: through the steady presence of people who choose kindness, justice, and human dignity day after day. Each time we notice and name one of these bright spots, we strengthen the light for everyone.
This week, we invite you to join us on our social media channels as we shine a warm spotlight on the people who make our mission possible, working hard to create a more just and joyful world for all. Join the celebration by tagging someone you’re grateful for, sharing a story of connection, or simply taking a moment to thank someone who shows up for others on our upcoming posts. As the season fills with gatherings, let’s send a ripple of gratitude across our corners of the world.
Here’s to giving, generosity, and the people who make this work and this world shine. Thank you!