By Brittney Raymond
To begin learning about local nonprofit organizations and how they do their good work, we have begun reading a few chapters from the book, Giving Hope: How You Can Restore the American Dream by no other than our very own professor, Ira Silver. The chapters that we read focus on examples of individuals whose lives have been drastically changed for the better by NPOs working in Massachusetts such as HomeStart, Pine Street Inn, Future Chefs, Year Up, Nurse Family Partnership, and Room to Grow, to only name a few. These examples are incredibly valuable and motivating to us as we commence our research to decide on a nonprofit to donate the $10,000 that has been cordially given to us by the Learning by Giving Foundation. Grounding ourselves in the local issues and how NPOs are addressing them will make us more educated grant givers.
Real-life stories of people who have beaten the odds enlighten us on the fact that anything is possible and that anyone can climb out of the worst and lowest part of their lives with a little help from people who genuinely care about doing good for others. While the media often portrays the negative aspects of daily society, examples from Giving Hope illustrate that there is a lot more good and positive transformation going on in peoples lives, with some help from NPOs. This insight can give optimism to those going through hopeless points in their lives, as well as proves that it is never too late to turn a life around.
The goal for this semester is to fund a nonprofit that aids those who are sufferers of America’s opportunity divide. Examples of this kind of justice work are displayed in Silver’s book, such as finding permanent housing for the homeless, helping children who are at the low spectrum of the opportunity divide have equal chances at success, and ensuring that there is no child left behind, regardless of the situation they are born into. All of this work assists in restoring the American Dream. In reflection to these examples, all of the NPOs who do their jobs well must remove their negative judgments and view those they are helping as equal to themselves. Stigmas contribute to hardships. Reading about these people’s experiences enables us to understand our own story and how we all fit into the system, including where we originate within the opportunity divide.
Within every example I came across in Giving Hope, there were relatable aspects that allowed me to grasp the common humanity that we all share. Circumstances are the only things that differ me, a student who is about to graduate from a four-year college, and a homeless mother who is receiving aid from an NPO in order to put her children into daycare. We must all have gratitude for our circumstances and where they have led us. As our own grant-making process unfolds, we must define our own priorities and the kinds of transformations that we want to contribute to. I think professor Silver explained it best in his book when he said, “The good news is you have a critical role in effecting change… your giving can make a significant difference for people who otherwise have few prospects for getting ahead. You can provide a vital source of help, measurably improve people’s lives, and foster opportunity for all” (Giving Hope 157).
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