Hope Springs Eternal
Written by Jené Liggins, Center for Advancing Community Board Member since October 2024
Buckle up, folks! We’re at the top of 2025’s fourth quarter, and this year has been filled with so many twists and turns. Personally and professionally, all of us have probably experienced some interesting combination of joy, frustration, excitement, sadness, and hopefully, contentment. At this point, organizations are entering the year-end slowdown, when fundraising ramps up, but team members are exhausted. Typically, the last few months of the year involve a push to meet annual targets and finalize projects. Add competing personal obligations to the mix, and it can be overwhelming.
I recently came across an article in Forbes Magazine, entitled: Gen Z and millennials are burnt out because older generations worked just as hard, but they ‘had hope’. The headline immediately caught my eye. We’ve all heard about intergenerational dynamics and the complex interactions between employees of different age groups who bring unique perspectives, communication styles, and expectations to the workplace. But, this article put it rather plainly: “Younger workers face the same demanding schedules as previous generations, but lack the fundamental belief that hard work will lead to meaningful advancement.” It immediately made sense. These days, pensions are rare; job security seems like a thing of the past; traditional milestones of adulthood are delayed; and “the American Dream” is a dream deferred.
When facing an uphill battle this steep, I suppose it’s hard to have hope, defined as “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” I’ll admit it; when people have shared far-fetched plans and wishes with me, I’ve responded, sarcastically, “Well, hope springs eternal.” But, in these times, what do we have, if we don’t have the audacity of hope? Don’t get me wrong; hope without action isn’t effective, but action without hope isn’t meaningful.
Inevitably, the country will continue changing, and this is especially true in the workplace. So, where do we go from here? Are we meant to live through constant “unprecedented times”? How do we steady ourselves in the midst of all this change and uncertainty? Somatic practices for mind-body connection, gratitude, mindfulness, nutrition, breathwork, movement, journaling and countless other techniques come to mind, when it comes to mental and physical health. When it comes to finances, it’s a really good idea to have multiple streams of income to withstand economic fluctuations and maintain financial stability.
It’s important to remember that multiple streams of income require diverse skill sets and capabilities, and this is the moment when organizations like Center for Advancing Community (CAC) are needed. I’m proud to serve on the board of directors for CAC, which empowers youth to build strong, connected communities through evidence-based programming, collaboration, and open dialogue. Specifically, CAC creates and facilitates structured, intergenerational conversations that bring youth and adults together to build understanding, strengthen relationships, and inspire shared solutions to local challenges. Through various offerings, the organization provides holistic training and development in leadership, facilitation, communication, restorative practices, self-advocacy, coalition building, financial planning, and strategy development. When alumni were asked about the impact of the fellowship, they frequently mentioned feeling empowered to speak up and share their views, years after their participation. The qualitative insight from these conversations speaks for itself:
83% reported that the fellowship had a positive influence on the way they feel about themselves.
92% feel inspired to participate in leadership roles.
96% reported that the experience helped prepare them to reflect on their own behavior and ways of thinking.
92% reported that the fellowship experience impacted their ability to empathize with others.
Just look at the words our alumni shared. What stands out to you? I’m drawn to “inspired”, “empathy”, “feel”, and “reflect”. These words demonstrate a critical outcome of CAC’s work: not only does it provide skills that can be monetized as an income stream, but its work also reinforces the human element that can’t be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI). As AI grows and continues expanding the ways we work, our humanity, civility, empathy, and connectedness will be the differentiators that matter. On top of it all, CAC’s programming is significant because it emphasizes facilitation of constructive dialogue that fosters hope by creating connection, encouraging belonging, and building the agency needed to envision and work toward a better future. In a time when healthy dialogue is so necessary, the younger generation is gaining valuable skills to humanize others, bring diverse groups of people together, and inspire collective action. This gives me hope.
Tenacious, dedicated organizations like CAC are determined to find, hold, and cultivate hope in their work. “Even a small lighter can build a bridge” is a favorite lyric by Kendrick Lamar, one of my favorite artists. Even the smallest belief in an end result can lead to considerable and enduring outcomes. So now, when I say “hope springs eternal”, I’ll leave out the sarcasm. There’s simply no room for it.
