In an organization that is amidst its 5th year of existence, one can only imagine the effort that goes into a day as a non-profit worker. At SPARK the Truth we seek to ignite social action amongst Boston students, and create environments that foster our living philosophy of UBUNTU. Ubuntu is a word from the Bantu language of South Africa that gives light to a way of living; it simply means “I am because you are”.
Being placed in an environment where this is a guiding principal it is our sole mission as workers that all of our actions reflect a communal thought process. One large component of communal interconnectedness is the presence of a support system. But what’s a support system without people? SPARK thought about this years back when they applied for a MACC/VISTA. The organization knew they needed a backbone for its growing membership but obtained little to no fiscal foundation that would permit a full time employee to support the organization. With that said, every time I walk in my office I am reminded that my position is not for me but rather to sustain a message that has to spread. This means that my role here is important to me but vital for our community.
When I attended SPARK the Truth’s first Board meeting, I was overwhelmed with much anxiety and questioned if I would even be good enough for the task at hand. My thoughts began to clutter my mind and before I knew it I was walking into the meeting. Upon my entrance a young women quickly sprouted from her seat and exclaimed “You must be the New MACC/VISTA!” I was enthralled by her excitement and every negative thought quickly vanished. It was at this moment that I realized the significance of my role and the importance of belonging in an organization that truly needs your time, talent and input!
At our first board meeting I wasted no time and began to help with strategic planning for the New Year. I was so comforted by the warmness of the founders, advisory board members and my new supervisor. They have all made things begin to click for me, I have thought a lot about “doing service” as an AmeriCorps VISTA member and I have realized that I am suppose to be doing this, I am suppose to be at SPARK, because SPARK is serving the world. I recognize that my role as a vista helps sustain UBUNTU, and there is no better solution to a problem than filling organizations with individuals who want to work, serve and change their communities.
I cannot offer a specific story but I can convey a feeling that has evolved in me over the last month. I presume this is something that my fellow MACC/VISTA’s have experienced. I encourage us all to remember our stories, but most importantly for us to capture the feeling of knowing you’re doing what is right!
We are doing what’s right, we are making progress and we are growing.
- Brittany Wheaton
MACC AmeriCorps *VISTA at Wheelock College
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment