Dearest RARE Family,
I vividly remember having a conversation with a member who was facing significant obstacles during their first few weeks of service. Through this conversation we spoke about the importance of a good challenge, noting that it’s often when we come to grow the most as individuals. That member offered up a quote that stuck with me ever since and has certainly been my mantra for 2020 – “the bigger the challenge, the bigger the opportunity”.
The last ten months have presented challenge after challenge, and yet this community always finds a way to rise to the occasion and make the most out of the situation at hand. I truly find myself inspired on a daily basis by the RARE team, our members, and community partners; all of whom are going the extra mile to make sure every we continue to get things done for rural Oregon! So what does this all look like in action, you ask?
Looking back to last year’s (2019-20) cohort, our 29 members organized 291 community volunteers for 4,147 additional service hours in their communities. These amazing individuals leveraged over $1,000,000 in grant funding for community specific projects. And this is just the tip of the impact iceberg! While I had significant concerns when the pandemic first hit, last year’s members proved that with the right amount of passion, energy, and drive that just about anything is possible. How about that for turning a challenge into an opportunity!
As you read through this edition of our Alumni Newsletter, reflect on your service, making sure to take note of the personal and professional challenges you faced. Each of those challenges likely has a story, a learning moment, and an opportunity for growth. Each of those challenges makes you who you are today. So when times are tough, like have and continue to be, let us never forget about the importance of a good challenge!
In Service,
Titus Tomlinson, Years 13 & 16
RARE Program Director