Standing in the oneness of our similarities rather than the separation of our differences!

I have been with Union Rescue Mission for 3 months now.  I love the work and I love the dichotomy of my new world.  On one end is the enormity of the work to be done. Los Angeles has more people experiencing homelessness than any other city in the U.S. and Skid Row has so many concentrated in one area that the City of Angels has also earned the distinction of being referred to as a "third-world city".  

On the streets surrounding the Mission homelessness is on full display. By day the sidewalks are teaming with activity; at night tents and cardboard boxes join the fray. There are antics and anger and sadness but also smiles and joviality. Inside URM we are part of the solution ~ offering those experiencing homelessness meals, shelter, spiritual encouragement, training, classes, counseling and clinics. 

The employees, my co-workers, are hard-working, committed, no-nonsense yet fun. The mission is evident throughout the building: "We embrace people experiencing homelessness with the compassion of Christ ~ giving hope and healing for a changed life ~ helping them find their way home". As I drive in each day I chuckle to myself at how different my surroundings are from everywhere else that I have ever worked. As I drive away I am proud that today I made a contribution in a way that deeply matters to me.  

The other side of this world, also very different from my previous career, is working with donors - people who give their time and resources to a cause with the sole purpose of making a difference. When I joined URM I was pleased to join the planning meetings for one of URM's largest events, the Hearts for Hope Gala given by the Hearts for Hope committee. 

Hearts for Hope 2014

The Committee, with URM's input, plans and hosts this annual event benefiting Hope Gardens Family Center, URM's facility exclusively for women and children located away in the foothills of Angeles Forest. Each year this group of women pour their hearts into creating an event that raises money and support for the women and children of Hope Gardens.  

Saturday, March 8, was the 2014 Hearts for Hope Gala; what a wonderful introduction to fundraising it was!  The committee came early to set up and were later joined by spouses, family and friends. URM and Hope Gardens staff also showed up in droves, many staying from early morning to late evening.  Moms who have restored their lives through Hope Gardens also joined and one shared her story. In my opinion, it was the perfect illustration of why I wanted to do this work ... uniting those who need help with those who can provide it ... giving the same dignity to the "givee" as the "giver" ... acknowledging the responsibility that we all have to one another and most important to me ... standing in the oneness of our similarities rather than the separation of our differences. It was a stellar evening!  

Hope Gardens Staff

Guest Laila Ali and Entertainers Kylie Hughes and Joy Enriquez

CEO Andy Bales and Honorees Roma Downey and Mark Burnett

I am elated to do my part as a Major Donor Development Representative to bring these two worlds together. I am amazed at how right it all feels. I know, as I knew when I worked to make this happen, that this is God-inspired. It is bigger than me and I am grateful. And certainly for Career Passionists everywhere, this does not mean that my new role does not have its challenges, it simply means that I finally connect to the purpose within the challenge!

This month's Career Passionist ~ Lupita!

This past Sunday Lupita Nyong’o won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role as Patsey in Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave.”  Lupita came to acting relatively recently yet took home the Oscar for what was, amazingly, one of her first films! 

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress

I loved the fact that Lupita remembered in her moment of glory to salute the "why" of the passion behind her work.  In her acceptance speech she shared ... I want to salute the spirit of Patsey for her guidance. And for Solomon, thank you for telling her story and your own ... it doesn’t escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else’s. 

... and take on the pain she did!  

Lupita said [on portraying Patsey in '12 Years a Slave']  I was heartbroken by her (Patsey) story. I just felt so sorry for her. I recognized then that I had a lot of work to do to get to a point where I could play her, because feeling that kind of sympathy for someone is no way to actually inhabit them.. She was just simple and she was trying to get by on a daily basis. She's not sentimental about her pain. I had to have the same kind of attitude.  

[on retaining overnight the elaborate scarring makeup on her back, incurred in the brutal sexual scenes with the sadistic plantation owner] They were haunting. I could only sleep on my belly. I was just so aware of them the whole night. I remember fretting and weeping, and then it occurred to me that my discomfort was temporary, and the woman who I was playing, her discomfort was permanent. It just really centered me, and really quieted my soul for the next day's work.

With preparation like that, an Oscar definitely seems appropriate!  The best part however was at the end of her Oscar winning speech, Lupita gave "Career Passionists" everywhere hope and inspiration with these words...  "When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid."  

Career Passionists your dreams are valid too, and as if you needed it, you have my permission to pursue them!  

My pick for this month's Career Passionist ~ Lupita Nyong’o!