Shared Effort

By John Shriver, Program Manager

Hello to all of our friends and supporters in the Boston area and around the country! I recently had an action-packed 27-hour tour of everything PP55 is doing in Bean Town. This trip made me so excited about all the Boston area committee has accomplished, and what they have planned for the year ahead. Rebecca Nemec ’05 and the rest of our Boston volunteers have been working hard to offer our fellows an exciting year of service in the public interest and to expand the opportunities for Princeton alumni of all ages to get plugged into the PP55 community.

My trip began when I arrived in Boston’s Back Bay around 12:30 Monday afternoon, September 28th,on the Amtrak. After a restful trip up from Princeton, and with just enough time to grab a delicious fish sandwich on Washington St, I headed to a meeting with Annie Gayman ’09, our fellow at Children’s HealthWatch.

PP55 Fellow Annie Gayman '09 and her supervisor Stephanie Ettinger De Cuba from Children's HealthWatch

Annie and her supervisor, Stephanie Ettinger De Cuba were kind enough to show me their offices at Boston University, and share the ways Children’s HealthWatch has been working to address the needs of children growing up in poverty. Since Annie started her fellowship in July, she has been hard at work: preparing briefs on policy, interviewing children in the emergency room, and generally learning the ropes of the organization. Look for updates from Annie and the other PP55 fellows on the PP55 Fellows blog.
After meeting with Annie and Stephanie, I rushed to check into my hotel before heading down to Jamaica Plain for a meeting with the great volunteers on the PP55 Boston Area Committee.

As I mentioned before, Rebecca Nemec ’05 heads this committee of diverse and talented alumni. Jana Holt ’08, a second year High Meadows fellow at Environmental Defense, has taken on the task of planning this year’s seminars. Jana has worked with the Center for Public Interest Careers at Harvard (CPIC) to develop seminars on topics ranging from homelessness to social entrepreneurship. Karen Jeng ’08, a former fellow at Children’s HealthWatch is the PP55 Mentor Coordinator. Bob Amick ’55, previously on the PP55 Board, and John Hamilton ’55, former Chairmen of PP55’s Board, are a huge help to Rebecca with everything from arranging logistics to big-picture thinking.

At our meeting, we reviewed plans for the fellowship orientation breakfast the next morning and were able to discuss our thoughts and goals for the year ahead. One example of the great things in store for our community in Boston is a screening and discussion of former fellow Katrina Browne’s ’89 documentary, Traces of the Trade, co-hosted with PANE (Princeton Association of New England). The event will be held on November 10 as part of PP55’s national celebration of our 20th Anniversary. Stay tuned to our online newsletter Shared Effort for more details.

Tuesday began with a quick walk through the beautiful Back Bay neighborhood and a ride on the T downtown for a meeting with John Hamilton ’55. As I have come to expect, I heard a lot of wisdom and humor from John as we ate breakfast and prepared for the fellowship orientation in the offices of WilmerHale. Before long, I was saying hello to the twenty members of the local Princeton community who came to meet this year’s fellows and learn more about what PP55 is doing locally.

John Hamilton '55, Andrew Hoffman '89 former PANE President, Chris Milton '69

We were honored to hear from former fellow Sherry Riva ’92, who is the founder and director of Compass Working Capital, an organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty. I also had the opportunity to meet Andrew Hoffman ’89, the former president of PANE. The orientation breakfast was a great success, a reminder of just how many Princetonians are truly working “in the Nation’s service”.
On the heels of that inspirational morning, I headed out to Fenway for a meeting with Warner Slack ’55, another founder and a member of the PP55 Board. Warner too is an exemplar of PP55’s values. Over lunch, we had the opportunity to discuss the recent Board meeting and PP55’s interest in better engaging Princeton alumni of all ages. Before long, though, I was rushing off to a meeting with a potential new partner organization, Boston Healthcare for the Homeless (BHCHP). While BHCHP is already hosting summer interns through the Princeton Internships in Civic Service program, sponsored by the class of ’69 Community Service Fund, they are considering how they might continue to connect with the Princeton community through PP55.

All too quickly though, I was back on the train and headed south for Princeton. As for my time in Boston, I could not have asked for a more productive 27 hours. From a film screening to the many seminars the area committee will be opening to the wider Boston community, this is sure to be an exciting 20th Anniversary year. If you would like to learn more about all PP55 will be planning in the area, or to get involved, please be in touch me at jshriver@alumnicorps.org or with Rebecca Nemec ’05 at Rebecca.nemec@gmail.com.