Greetings, readers. I believe some introductions are now in order. My name is Jeff Ahking and I’m a new summer volunteer for the Purpose Project. How are you? Feel free to leave a simple “fine, thanks” in the comments section, or whisper the words softly to your computer monitor. Better yet, smile at somebody you pass on the street or say ‘hello’ and ‘how are you’ to someone you stand next to at the bus stop. Like gravity, interpersonal connections are what make the world go ‘round.
In fact, our purpose at The Purpose Project is to connect experienced social changemakers with the next generation of up-and-coming leaders. Our goal is to inspire and equip members of both generations to address the challenges facing our communities, country, and world. I chose to get involved because I like to think of myself as one of these up-and-coming leaders, but I suppose only time will tell. Here’s a short autobiographical story about myself and how I found The Purpose Project. I ended up here after looking for a way to get involved with the community between a semester in Cairo, Egypt that ended in June and my return to Hofstra in September where I’m majoring in Political Science. My original plan to drive an ice-cream truck fell through when monsoon season struck Connecticut earlier this summer in the midst of the nation-wide economic typhoon. I turned to the United Way website for places where I could volunteer, and now here I am.
On my first day here, I spent some time learning about The Purpose Project’s goals from Matt & Michelle, and we decided that I could help them identify the most noteworthy social leaders here in Hartford. While The Purpose Project is national and even, dare I say, global in its scope, its home is here in Hartford, and we are launching several local programs this fall that will help us determine how to bring different generations of social leaders together most effectively. Hartford also has a long history of social involvement dating back to the abolitionists and the Beecher family, and as I will soon find out, this proud tradition of involvement is kept alive today.
I decided the best way to start acclimating myself with the organizations in this community would be to take a walk around Hartford. In this digital age, a walk may seem like a rather ineffective method of gathering information. But you’d be surprised at how much you can find out just by keeping your eyes open to your surroundings, or in this case, your community – and that is just what I did.
As I walked around the city I found lots of social work going on. I spotted a Hartford Guardian Angels flyer on a lamppost in Bushnell Park. They are a national volunteer organization that conducts safety patrols through dangerous neighborhoods. I discovered that they and their leader, Curtis Sliwa, are trying to set up a chapter in Hartford and needed volunteers. Next, I decided to stop by Sacred Heart Church, where I found a clinic set up by the Malta House of Care. The organization was founded a few years ago by philanthropist Jean-Pierre Rooy, and offers free health care throughout the week at various churches around Hartford.
Continuing down Windsor Street, I found another flyer posted by the Community Renewal Team, one of the larger state-wide community service organizations in Connecticut. They provide human services ranging from day-care to addiction counseling. I also decided to stop into a few banks and see if they supported any community organizations. I found out that Citizen’s Bank is affiliated with Co-Opportunity, and that Bank of America is supportive of a large number of community organizations through the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Finally, on my way back to the bus stop, I passed by the Boys and Girls Club of Hartford, but I didn’t stop inside for fear of missing my bus.
On my way back home, I thought about how easy it was for me to find organizations working to support the community in Hartford. Surely this was a sign that there was much good work being done throughout the city, even if it is not always immediately apparent on the surface. At The Purpose Project, we believe that if we can help others discover how rich the community is with resources, and good works, they will be more likely to get involved. I was certainly inspired by this little exercise, which helped me discover how many ways people in Hartford have found to get involved. It confirmed that opening one’s eyes to the community can reveal many ways to make a difference in it.
In my next blog post, I’ll be looking at the leaders themselves of these organizations. With a mixture of internet research and first hand interviews, I’ll be uncovering the inner-workings of social leaders. But in order to get my story straight, I already know that I’ll need to go for a short drive; a walk won’t be enough.
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