Millions of young people look up to R&B stars like Usher Raymond, who has made service a big part of his public life.
Raymond, more commonly known as just plain Usher, testified before a Congressional committee this week on how to engage young people and build a national spirit of service and volunteerism.
"Far too many young people are living in places where life is hard [and] the notion of service is still that of a ’sentence’ handed down by a judge," Raymond said. "But we can make it cool to serve by supporting initiatives that think outside the box."
The Boys and Girls Club in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee was Raymond’s first exposure to community service, he told the committee. Although young people sometimes get a bad rap, the youth generation is committed to helping others, he said.
"When I stand on the stage and see my young fans, I am always blown away by their energy," Raymond said. "[B]ut I am even more blown away when I come off the stage and see them in action in their community."
Due to his past philanthropic work, including through his New Look Foundation, which mentors young people from diverse backgrounds, Raymond will soon be honored with this year’s emerging philanthropist award at the 18th annual nonprofit summit held by the Georgia Center for Nonprofits in Atlanta.
Some of Raymond’s other work includes the "Our Block" program, which helped over 750 families in New Orleans re-establish housing and provided over 1,200 families with food and clothing, according to the website Singersroom.
Most recently, Raymond implemented the "I Can’t But You Can" campaign to mobilize youth voter registration. 
