So, today I was down at the Me to We office. I got to review some spreadsheets (it was actually fun) with super awesome MOB intern, Erica Baker, and also super awesome core team lead Jen Dibble. Sandi dragged me literally, to the door of the office because she gets so stoked every time we go there- she gets lots of attention.
Anyways, here’s my story.
Last year, around this time actually, my life was kind of sucking. Well, it probably sucked less than I thought it did, but I was having one of those times where I felt like everything was falling to crap and I was possibly wallowing a little bit in self pity. I did have reasons, I promise, but I was kind of just sitting in the dirt (figuratively) always waiting to get kicked again.
It was actually a complete and total coincidence that I stumbled across the MOB application form. I was stalking the Me to We website and came across it. I read about it, and, decided to apply. I’d just like to say that before this last year and half or so, I didn’t get involved in anything. I was the kid that usually wasn’t at school and said about five words a week when she was. It was only just before discovering the MOB that I started to become a little more outgoing (now you can’t shut me up, sorry about that).
In September we had our kickoff, I met Jobin and Kelsi (our epic and fearless leaders throughout this last year) and my mob leads, Gaby Silano (whom I now love dearly) and Marc Lombardo (whom I also now love dearly), and way too many more people to name whom I also now love dearly, and thus began the year with the people and movement that would change my life.
I had known about Free the Children before, but had never been really involved, and had no idea exactly where I was going with my life. First I wanted to be a vet (yeah, cliche) and then it was a Marine Biologist (this was probably after I saw Flipper or something) and then it was a doctor (probably something to do with Grey’s Anatomy, although when I hit high school I realized how much I hated maths and science. Not to mention the fact that I am one of the worst people at math on the face of the earth) and so on.
In getting involved with the MOB, I found my passion. Helping. I also found a group of people that I didn’t think existed. They were kind, non-judgmental, and they genuinely cared about the world. I went from knowing absolutely nothing about what I was getting into, from loving every second of being involved. Over the last year, as the MOB (personally I’m a Core-Team Lead for Toronto Central, and next year North Toronto, REPRESENT) we’ve done things like volunteering at homeless shelters, to joining forces and doing everything we could when disaster struck Haiti, to simply making sandwiches on one of the coldest days of the year and handing them out to the homeless in Toronto. It’s a group of people that are committed to helping, no matter the conditions.
Evem more incredible: everybody brings something different to the table. If you have a passion for photography, great! Bring your camera out to events and be a photographer! If you’re great with visual arts, you can help design items for campaigns, if you love public speaking, we can always utilise that! If you love numbers, spreadsheets, the technical side of things, even better! There’s something for everybody, and that’s one of the things that makes us unique. We’re all different, but everybody contributes something that’s part of a story that’s so much bigger than just us.
Over the last year, I’ve had my share of trials and tribulations, everybody has, but one of the things that kept me going was the MOB and the network- I can’t even say enough about how incredible all these people are, and how amazing it is to be involved in such a movement. We’re doing big things, and we’re doing them together. We believe in a better world, and we’re committed to social change. We live the movement of WE.
I’m going to cut my story off here, because I could probably go on forever, but my point is, that the MOB is incredible. Incredible people, incredible movement, incredible opportunity. And YOU should get involved. Are you idealistic, dedicated, and dynamic? Walk with us. Join the MOB.
You can check us out HERE
To join the MOB, click HERE
To learn more about BaseCamp and hear what the supa cool MOB intern Erica Baker has to say, click HERE, HERE, and HERE
For some ridiculously awesome knock-knock jokes, click HERE
this made me tear up! what a wonderful family we have here 🙂 I’m so thankful and grateful I met each and every one of you.
the first thing JP told me when him and I first met, was how wonderful it was to be in one room with so many people who know exactly what you’re talking about, who you feel comfortable with, and who care.
thats exactly it.
Love you!