A-LISTS community spotlight by david vera
you’re doing it, and they invite their friends to get involved as well. Consistency is the great organizer.” Considering the multitude of cities his travels have shown him, San Diego
attracts him for particular reasons: “San Diego is different from any other place I’ve lived…Although the ‘city’ of San Diego is quite large, coming from New York, I’ve always considered San Diego to be a town. That ‘town’ element gives San Diego a unique charm but also presents challenges as it relates to doing business here. I’m a native New Yorker—a good challenge keeps me focused. I believe my biggest challenge has been that very few business leaders in San Diego truly un- derstand the value in serving the community. Ultimately, life is about people, not strictly about balance sheets. Carving out a permanent place in the consumer’s consciousness has far more to do with the personal connection that is made with the consumer than the product itself.” Embrace is known for bridging universities with local government to create
an outreach/service learning model that puts college students at the helm and alleviates community troubles on a volunteer basis. Ultimately, the hope is to spur legislation that makes community service mandatory for all students of state-funded institutions. One wonders if Sean himself thought this up. “Not at all. When I was a student I was as self-absorbed as the next person! There
MOTIVATING MASSES AND CHANGING LIVES
With terms like “nonprofit” and “charity” being tossed around more frequently
SEAN SHEPPARD
than the latest mutation of the flu, it’s getting harder to find true examples of a fo- cused organization that simply wants to help out. But as Sean Sheppard, founder and CEO of Embrace, proudly asserts, consistency is key. Spreading peace, love and compassion is the name of the game—at the grassroots level. Sean has been living in San Diego off and on since 1990. After cementing his stay
here in 2000, Sean has organized a number of incredible community programs like “Serving the Homeless,” which coordinates with the San Diego Food Bank and assembles student and lay volunteers to deliver healthy food and bottled water to homeless people three days per week, all year-round. “I’ve discovered that when you care about people in need, it attracts others
who care as well,” said Sean. “When you consistently demonstrate that you care, week in and week out, people know where you’re at, what you’re doing, when
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RAGE monthly | APRIL 2010
“I believe my biggest challenge has been that very few business leaders in San Diego truly understand the value in serving the community.”
always have been and there always will be less fortunate members of society, and I didn’t begin to focus on that fact until well into my 30s. My coaching career gave me an appreciation for young adults in college. As time passed by, I realized that a typical 22-year-old is energetic, creative, optimistic, well versed in technology, connected to hundreds if not thousands of others through online social network- ing and they truly do care about the world that they live in. We adults simply continue to overlook their value.” Sean recalls one particular instance when his efforts had more of an effect than
he expected. “We organized an event in November, 2009 called ‘Embrace The Streets.’—mobilizing college students to collect blankets, nonperishable food items, clothes, food and shoes for the homeless. Over 100 students volunteered and we passed out over 1,000 items to the homeless that evening. The homeless were deeply appreciative, which is where I thought the story would end. That night I returned home and got online only to discover how many students had rushed to the Embrace fan page and friend-requested me personally. I received dozens of messages from students who took the time to thank me for creating an opportunity that affected them profoundly…One message was particularly moving. One girl who volunteered that night simply wrote on her Facebook wall, ‘I saved lives tonight.’ Up until that point, I had no idea that the people I was leading to volunteer may have been getting more from the experiences than the people we were helping. Those words still make me a little ‘verklempt.’ It takes far less effort and resources than you think to change a life, including
your own. Start with something that seems insignificant like saying “good morn- ing” to people every day. These little shifts away from self and toward others seem to have a spiritual snowball effect in that you’ll find yourself wanting to do more to help others…Starting is the hardest part.” When he doesn’t have a lineup of social issues to tackle, we’re likely to find
Sean “…spending downtime with my best friend Michelle. A good glass of wine coupled with salsa music is good for my soul. So is a long weekend in Guadalajara. When I’m not working in and with the community, truth be told, you’ll more than likely find me relaxing at home. I’ve misbehaved and had enough late nights out on the town to last two lifetimes. Life has slowed down for me considerably and I’m happy that it has. Whodathunkit?”
The latest Embrace event “Take It to the Streets,” takes place April 18 and spotlights a number
of local restaurants feeding homeless individuals. Visit embrace1.org for more details on how you can make a difference in someone else’s life, as well as your own.
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