Day of Service – Boys Hope Girls Hope
What one word would you use to describe yourself?
On the surface, it may seem like an easy question to answer but go a bit deeper. That’s the challenge we posed to the Boys Hope Girls Hope of Colorado scholars during our winter 2019 Fireside Day of Service and to be honest, the answers astounded us!
Each quarter, we devote a half-day to serving a nonprofit client. This Day of Service was a bit different. No cleaning or sorting supplies or gift wrapping. Instead, our gift was time… time and conversation.
The mission of Boys Hope Girls Hope of Colorado is to support and guide academically-motivated students to succeed in school – and life, to help them navigate the challenges of applying for and paying for college or other career pathways. Many of these young people will be the first in their families – like me – to attend college.
So, for this Day of Service, we simply shared a meal with these scholars. Some ate and studied. Some spoke of their struggles and aspirations. We listened. We laughed and it was wonderful. To get to know each scholar a bit more, we asked them – and each member of the Fireside family – to jot down a word that identifies who they are. Watch the video to see what we came up with… I think the descriptions will surprise you.
This is also a great exercise when considering your personal brand.
I often emphasize the importance of your personal brand – knowing it and living it. What do you stand for? What qualities do you embody and how can you use them to be of service in your personal and professional life? Identifying your personal and professional brand can be a guiding star as you navigate life… a lesson that’s powerful to learn as young scholars ready to embark on the next phase of the lives!
