How One Leader Has Spent Two Decades Empowering His Community

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Harnish Parikh. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

For more than 20 years, Harnish Parikh has been a driving force behind countless community service efforts in Jacksonville, Florida. As the site lead for the Prudential Jacksonville Office’s Community Engagement Council, Harnish has turned passion into purpose—organizing, leading and participating in volunteer events that bring colleagues together for the greater good. His steady dedication has not only strengthened the company’s culture of service, but also inspired others to take a more active role in getting involved themselves.

His journey began with simple acts of participation, but Harnish quickly rose to become a leader in the council, known for his ability to build strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations and mentor fellow council members. Through his years of service, Harnish was selected to participate in Leadership Jacksonville, a prestigious program that helped him expand his impact beyond Prudential. He developed skills that led to his role as a nonprofit board member for HandsOn Jacksonville, where he eventually served as co-chair before reaching term limits. Even after stepping down from the board, his commitment to service didn’t slow down—if anything, it expanded.

In addition to corporate-led initiatives, Harnish frequently volunteers on his own or with his family. Whether it’s cooking meals for unhoused individuals or helping clean local temples, he embodies the spirit of selfless service. Some months he logs four hours; others, up to 50. Regardless of the number, it’s the consistency and heart behind his work that makes the biggest impact. For Harnish, volunteering isn’t about recognition—it’s about remembering your roots and lifting others along the way.

Tell us about your volunteer role and your work at Prudential.

At Prudential, I’m a director of Strategic Sourcing in our Global Sourcing & Procurement Organization and I work in our Enterprise Vendor Management Business Unit. On the philanthropic side, I am also currently the site lead for the Prudential Jacksonville Office for Community Engagement and have responsibility for coordinating, leading, participating in and executing on local volunteer events for Prudential employees. This has been ongoing for 25+ years.

I was an active board member of a local nonprofit before rolling off after I reached term limits. I participate regularly in volunteer activities independently and with family, such as cooking meals, serving meals and cleaning up for those in need or at the local temple.

Why is volunteering so important to you?

Volunteering is important to me for many reasons. I value having the ability to choose an important cause and being able to contribute to it by lending a hand to help a local nonprofit or an organization that is doing things to better the lives of others. I tend to gravitate to the helping underserved populations or children—I was blessed to have what I have today and want to do what I can to help others achieve their goals or through difficult times as we all deserve the opportunity to flourish! Additionally, getting involved in my community by helping with the local temple or by helping clean areas within our communities is important to me.

What inspired you to get started with these initiatives?

Prudential had a Community Engagement Council when I first joined the company, and the varying volunteer events got me hooked—from cooking at local shelters to helping with building homes with Habitat for Humanity. The importance of getting involved in my community was seen in what Prudential did. The program allowed me to regularly attend volunteer events and ultimately led me to become the site lead for the local council at Prudential. Just seeing the end product and knowing I helped with that was pure satisfaction. But what inspired me most was the matriarch of our family. My grandmother instilled values in us and two of them were to “never forget where you came from” and to “always try and make the lives of others better!”

What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?

I want to get back into board service. I’d like to serve on a board that continues to drive results that are aligned with my values and important to me personally. I want to continue to lead the local Prudential Volunteer Council as well, as we are now getting back into a groove of regularly volunteering and see this growing. Many of my peers onsite are awesome volunteers who love to give back as well and want to continue to provide options to make our community even stronger.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

Just knowing I have the ability to make positive changes in the community or in the lives of others is the most rewarding. This is what my grandmother wanted us to do. I have the ability to pay it forward, so am going to use that ability to do just that.

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?

We all have something that is important to us—children, the environment, education, literacy—so why not take that energy and drive what is important in the community where you live? If we all contributed to each important cause, can you imagine how much of a difference it would make in our lives and the lives of others? And, I promise you, you will end up going back to further enhance that cause.

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?

Start out at a small event that interests you and give it a try. You will then know what it takes and can decide how frequently you want to contribute your time and effort, whether it’s a few hours out of your week or a few hours out of your month to make a change. As the Nike slogan goes, just do it.

What do you want people to learn from your story?

We all have a keen interest in making our communities and the lives of others better—let’s act upon it and make a difference!

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Harnish? Find local volunteer opportunities.