Small groups of citizens need one another

It’s true that it only takes a small group of citizens to change the world.  But it’s important that these groups not operate in a vacuum.

It was while working as a store manager for Starbucks that I first heard about Fair Trade.  I immediately began promoting it and was recognized for my efforts by a well known Starbucks critic on her website (greenlagirl.com).  Then my partnership with a local school was featured in TransFairUSA’s e-newsletter.  It showed me how important it is to build relationships between organizations, in this case: between those who care about Fair Trade Certified coffee and those who sell it.

I now work for a nonprofit organization that serves food and provides job training to individuals in need.  I also volunteer for two organizations, one that represents foster children and one that promotes Fair Trade Certified products in the Bay Area.  What has surprised me is how frequently the causes each of these seemingly disparate organizations converge.  It shocks me that it happens nearly everyday.

This shows me that, instead of working to confront different sides of the same coin, organizations ought to spend more time talking to one another to find out how what we all are already doing can help solve real-world issues, especially the underlying concept behind Fair Trade: inequality.

If selected, I will bring a deep level of experience and compassion to this expedition and will be able to return with enhanced energy to help resolve these issues at home.

When working for Starbucks, there was a plan to send all store managers to Costa Rica, a trip that was cancelled to funnel resources to other important company initiatives.  Some Starbucks executives called me to say how sorry they were that I was unable to meet coffee farmers because they thought I was one of the few people they knew who would benefit from that trip in a way that would make a difference.  In a way that would profoundly change me.  And through that, I could help my friends change the world.