A Sense of Family at the Workplace

This month has been a whirlwind, explaining why I haven’t posted in a while. Last week, I finished my time with the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving as a Senior Grants Associate to start a new job with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford as a Grant Writer. Parting ways with the foundation was difficult because I formed so many great relationships with people during my time there, just over two years.

When I first started, it was quite an adjustment as my wife had just given birth to our son a couple weeks prior. My first week on the job was anything but glamorous. My memory was fuzzy and I was running on on two hours of sleep each day. Despite all that, I was surprised by the amount of warm greetings I received from the other staff. Some commented how the foundation advocates for those who have children and provides flexibility when needed.

As I grew in my role, I definitely got a sense of family from not only the foundation, but the staff. For me, having a sense of home is important in the type of work I do. Call me an idealist, but I would rather take the pay cut to work a job that I found fulfillment in. After working a couple jobs prior, I found that sense of home at the foundation.

Pope John XXIII in Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth) writes on family:

“The family, founded upon marriage freely contracted, one and indissoluble, must be regarded as the natural, primary cell of human society. The interests of the family, therefore, must be taken very specifically into consideration in social and economic affairs,” (no. 16).

I found myself going back to this when I reflect on my experience working at the foundation. It’s important for a workplace to advocate for individuals who have families and to provide the necessary support in order for them to succeed. We live in a society that puts so much emphasis on results that we have forgotten that people are responsible for producing the results.

Millennials such as myself yearn for meaningful work. When you think about it, working full-time, one spends more than 2080 hours in a working environment. If your work leaves you unfulfilled or compromises your mental health, you have to take care of yourself first because you can’t wait around expecting someone else to do that for you. A healthy organization is one that recognizes the importance of family.

Growing up, my mother always reminded me that people may not remember what you said, but they remember how you made them feel. I can say without hesitation that it was one of the best organizations that I had the privilege to be a part of. The staff gave me a sense of home and I will never forget that as I grow in my new role. I will take those memories and feelings with me, protect them and advocate for them.

My supervisor always encouraged me to try to leave an organization better than when you first started. For me, it was the interactions and relationships formed over the last couple years that was the sign for me that the foundation was left a better place. It all starts with us. To close, I end with a quote from St. Teresa of Calcutta:

“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”