Mad about MADNESS

Happy New Year from the New Heights office!

This month has been incredibly busy for me and the rest of the New Heights team, as we figure out our strategies for growing and changing in the year ahead. Our biggest fundraiser, MADNESS, is coming up in a few months, and the entire team is already busy making plans for the venue and event. It’s amazing how much time and effort goes into the production of an event this large (we typically have several hundred people in attendance) and how much we all depend on one another to get everything done on time. I also think it’s really inspiring how much help we get from a much larger network of civically-minded individuals and organizations. At larger events like MADNESS, and other opportunities within the nonprofit community, it’s plain to see that there is a whole movement that is dedicated to ensuring educational equity and fighting NYC-area poverty. Knowing that I’m part of something that is so much larger than my individual position really encourages me to bring my all to my work.

I’ve been pretty impressed by how much interest and involvement there’s been from the larger New York community. Our event planning committees draw upon tons of different subcultures, from artists to business-owners to athletes, and each individual has their own reasons for getting involved and their own ideas of how they can contribute. Learning how others approach civic engagement and nonprofit work is, I think, a pretty crucial step in appreciating how my work creates meaning for myself in the world. The side conversations that I’ve had in the office and at fundraising events have been learning experiences that add a lot of depth to everything that I’m learning on the job.

MADNESS is going to require a lot of work from everyone in the office, but I’m really excited to see how everything comes together – and to hopefully meet some interesting new people in the process!