Day One
Today was the first day of the rest of my life.
So to speak.
In actuality it was the kick-off to the Urban Exposure Project. I had signed up for the project having seen an acquaintance’s final showcase the year before. The photos were amazing, and the stories behind them were even more exceptional. I was inspired by the buzz and fervor around the exhibits and thought to myself, “This is a project that I would love to get involved in.”
And so I found myself making my way to the Kahanoff Centre on a Tuesday night to find out exactly what I had signed myself up for. I had a vague understanding of the project, high expectations, and the feeling that a life-changing experience was afoot.
When I arrived at the meeting, I found myself in a room filled with other young 20-something Calgarians, even recognizing a few former classmates and putting a face to the people I have been talking to over email. It seemed like a group of really smart, open-minded, and collaborative people and I start to get excited at all the potential new friends I will make. I was impressed with the diverse group of people on hand; I found myself sitting at a table with a software developer, a lawyer, an executive assistant and a communications professional like myself.
The United Way is known as the main fundraiser for many service providers in Calgary, but has brought a newly-found focus to working on projects to enact social change and awareness. The United Way and BeCause (a special intiative of the United Way that aims to engage the next generation of Calgarians to build a better future) are the force behind the Urban Exposure Project (UEP). When the meeting begins, it is clear that the strength of the UEP is due, in a large part, to the project facilitator Rhiannon MacDonnell. Rhiannon is a vivacious and lively woman with a great passion for the cause. Her presentation is filled with humour (and a few self-deprecating quips) and I knew I could look forward to working with her for the next 6 months.
Community is the theme for this year’s Urban Exposure Project. To break the ice, we were put into groups to talk about our own communities that we live in, what the good and bad parts were, and how we could improve the communities we were part of. Everyone at our table lived in a different neighbourhood in Calgary and had unique experiences based on their locations. But what stood out was the fact that we all found that our communities could still do better – and we could be a part of that change. One person noted how a neighbour had helped her carry her groceries to her door – but found her neighbour to be surprised that she still remembered his name a few days later. Our solution seemed to be that making connections with people was an important part of community. But that also meant making the effort to step outside of your comfort zone in order to get those connections.
Its clear that even from Day One, I will be stepping outside of my comfort zone. I’m ready for whatever the UEP will send my way.
Urban Exposure Project 2011 