HOMEGROWN
HEROES
INSPIRED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
by linda sechrist
“I
f not me, who; if not now, experience. “It made me realize that
when?” may well be the while meditation left me peaceful, it
mantra of today’s con- put me in a sort of spiritual coma,”
scious citizen activists, who says Bucko, “and up until then, I
feel led by an inner spirit to was only feeling the edges of my
decisively achieve positive life.”
change in their communities. The momentary collapse of an
In The Hope: A Guide to invisible, protective buffer be-
Sacred Activism, pioneering tween these two different worlds
author, scholar and mystic broke Bucko’s heart wide open. “It
Andrew Harvey inspires allowed me to understand that the
readers to become sacred pain of others was also my pain,
activists and to participate and that my desire for spiritual lib-
in radically transforming eration from the world ultimately
the world. Awakened to our prevented me from making true
divine purpose, Harvey pro- spiritual progress,” he explains.
poses, we each can become Bucko’s second insight was equal-
an effective and practical ly significant: The goal of spiritual
agent of change for social jus-
“Service is the road to
work is not just to experience God
tice and sustainability. He urges us to but also to bring God’s presence into
find the particular focus that ignites our profound and lasting joy.” the world, so that we, as well as the
individual passion. In doing so, we will
~ Andrew Harvey, sacred activist
world, can be transformed.
come to understand that, “Service is Today, this former monk is the
the road to profound and lasting joy.” spiritual driver of the Reciprocity
Natural Awakenings has met
Adam Bucko, Activist
Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit
scores of joy-filled travelers through-
for Homeless Youth
that enables homeless and high-risk
out our nation who have chosen this During the 1970s and early ’80s, youth and young adults to perma-
action-oriented path, becoming an Adam Bucko, co-founder and man- nently exit the social services system
inspiration to others far beyond those aging director of The Reciprocity and start meaningful, sustainable
they help. Among them are these five Foundation, lived in Poland under careers in the creative economy of
“Homegrown Heroes,” who daily a communist regime that denied fashion, design, marketing and public
choose to shelter the homeless or its citizens freedom of speech and relations. Bucko, who is also a trained
abandoned, feed the hungry, advocate opportunities for self-actualization. sociologist and veteran homeless
for animals Dissatisfied, Bucko immigrated to the youth program coordinator, says the
and ener- United States at age 17 and, in his foundation aims to build a national
gize the quest for a purpose-filled life, spent network of programs. Expanding from
economy. time in several monasteries here and its current base in New York City, he
Seeing the in Thailand and India. has his sights set on cities such as
world with One day, on his way to follow- Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco,
eyes of ing a detached life of contemplation Seattle and Austin, Texas.
compas- and prayer in a monastery in India,
sion, they Bucko encountered a homeless child Contact The Reciprocity Foundation,
are making who lived on the streets of Delhi. 100 Church St., Ste. 1604, NY, NY;
a marked The brief but meaningful interaction 347-546-2670;
difference. became for him a transformational ReciprocityFoundation.org.
Adam Bucko
24 Phoenix
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