We are at the halfway mark of our fellowship, which is unbelievable. Time really does fly by! As I continue to meet more of Zora’s House’s ambassadors (who are the organization’s essential volunteers) and work on the employee and operations manuals, I have been thinking more about what it means to work in an environment where your humanity and uniqueness is recognized. This has also made me think about what it means to serve a community, and what it might look like in practice. This week’s Learning Session on Collaboration and Partnerships further showed how important it is to begin thinking about people as humans, by recognizing people’s vulnerabilities, strengths and resilience at the individual and communal levels. Although this approach can be deemed “radical” because it is counter to the American individualism we are socialized into, at Zora’s House it seems to be more of the norm than the exception. 

At the Ambassador Dinner held Thursday night, I was able to see how this people-centered approach drives Zora’s House practices and events. We started the dinner with a check in, and people discussing their highs and lows since the last dinner was held. As people began to speak, I saw how many felt comfortable enough to be vulnerable in front of their friends and peers. Although the dinner was mostly to discuss the ambassador program and introduce the new ambassadors, the dinner was also a time to just be yourself and talk about things that mattered to you. The great part was that the check in didn’t feel forced, but rather it felt like people actually cared. I felt comfortable enough to talk to the group as well about what was on my mind, and it felt great to hear and feel the care from others in the room. It made me reflect on how I have felt in other workplaces, and how good it is to be in an environment where you’re not just an employee, but you’re a person. I think this is something that needs to be carried into how we serve others as well. We want people to feel like their needs are being met not just because they are in need, but because they are human (if that makes sense). We also want people to feel like they have the agency to decide their own destiny, and figure out what works best for them and their community. 

Nonprofits have the opportunity to not only deliver services that are needed for people to survive, but they can also help cultivate an environment that allows people to thrive and build on their collective and individual power as people.