Gresser Family
It was 2015 when Ava Gresser experienced her first Honeycomb project at Indian Road Woods, supporting grassroots conservation efforts. Now 13-years old, Ava and her family continue leading by example, showing Chicago’s youth and families how to be accountable for not only local, but global issues.
Prior to the pandemic, Helen Dixon, her husband Seth and their children Ava and Alec (age 8) were very active with Honeycomb. “Depending on our schedules, we were volunteering between 1-3 times a month,” she says. “And still during Covid, it was important for my family to remain active for Ava…to stay as a collective bond.”
During Covid, the Dixon-Gresser family rallied behind Honeycomb-At-Home projects. But Ava wished to take it one step further. Helen says, “there were so many pressing issues, such as health, education and environment.” “While Ava was at home during Covid, she still wanted to address these issues…so she started a live Instagram account and called it Advocating with Ava.”
@advocatingwithava was born out of the pandemic. Ava’s Instagram account promotes self-advocacy, encourages others to make informed choices and hopes to influence lasting change. “This is a way for Ava to present her topics. It’s a call to action for kids to start using their voices and that no matter what the age -- that they can make an impact,” stresses Helen.
You can find Ava out in the field as a Youth Correspondent for Honeycomb. She goes live onsite at projects to show thousands of followers on social media what’s happening in real-time. Ava interviews project coordinators, parents and youth volunteers to get the full scoop on the day’s work.
“Ava and I credit these live Instagram sessions to Honeycomb,” Helen says. “Honeycomb cultivated Ava into this type of leader…she learned to take action and be a part of turning something around. She is helping to develop young leaders and inspire others to advocate for themselves.”
The Gresser family resides on the South Side of Chicago and appreciates being able to connect with families in different neighborhoods through Honeycomb programs. Helen is an HR consultant for Non-profit, Education and Healthcare organizations and Seth is a Facade Project Manager for Lerch Bates. Alec loves karate, basketball and ninja gymnastics. Ava enjoys dance and volleyball and hanging out with her friends. She was recently awarded the 2022 Hershey Heartwarming Young Heroes Award. You can follow Ava on Instagram @advocatingwithava.