Post #19: A Letter to SSP Staff Members

A little context:
This week over 40 staff members for Sierra Service Project (www.sierraserviceproject.org) began their training for the summer. As mentioned in my last entry, that organization means a lot to me and I have been thinking about this group during much of my spare time for the past week. I’ve also been reflecting on just how important staff members and the employees of SSP have been to me over the past 11 years of my life, and how because of them I am where I am today.


Dear SSP Staff,
I know you’re very busy with Training Week right now and I want to say I’m extremely excited for you and wish you the best of luck in the coming weeks. You are in a very unique position right now. You have a very important role to play this summer and because of that role you will have countless opportunities to make huge impressions on the lives of many people; young and old.
There is no question in my mind that the life path that I am currently on would not be possible without the influence you (SSP Staff Members) have had on me. To sum up a long & boring story I’ll just say that without your presence in my life I would be a completely different man. The sense of self-worth and self-respect I had in high school and now carry with me today came from my experiences in your camps each summer when I was a teenager. I didn’t really know what those things felt like before then. It was important for me to know during each year that there was a very real setting outside of high school where peer interactions between all high school social classes could be uplifting and positive. You gave everyone the opportunity to meet each other on the same level and to develop into young adults side by side. These experiences were made possible because of your example of the “New Standard of Cool,” where harsh and sarcastic jokes & behavior were no longer the main form of communication and interaction between youth. Instead, those things were seen as immature and were unwelcome in the community you built. It was a safe haven for all of us, whether we were dorky 14 year olds who literally feared our peers, or the popular kids who were afraid to take off their cool jacket because they were so nervous of what everyone would think if they acted a little differently than what they were used to. I can’t thank you enough for being the amazing sources of encouragement, empowerment and love that everyone needs during those incredibly awkward teenage years. Some do need it more than others but the great thing about what you do is you give everyone the chance to participate in a community driven by lessons of self-worth and real Christ Love. You also always did a great job protecting that community when some of us broke rules and tested boundaries, which could have had potentially negative effects on others. In those cases you punished us (rightfully so), but when the punishment was complete you gave us second chances and did not label us right away as problems or trouble makers. Those were great lessons in forgiveness.
The atmosphere that surrounds you is so powerful that it has the ability to influences major life changes on everyone who experiences it. And honestly, that goes for many adults as well. I think it is a true testament of your hard work and your ability to positively effect other people’s lives that there are counselors who return to your communities for 10, 15 or 20 plus years!
What you do in the lives of those volunteers is extraordinary. Understand that it’s not necessary for you to have a deep conversation with someone for you to make an impact in their lives. There are staff members who have taught me big life lessons and inspired me simply through their behavior and interactions with others throughout the week. You will make impacts in the lives of people who you have very few words with but they will remember you and your influence on them for years to come. You are truly tools of God this summer and the amazing thing is you won’t even be able to recognize all the ways you will be serving some people
Keep in mind that regardless of whether this is your 1st summer or your 6th you too will have opportunities for personal development and growth. Other Staff Members continued to mold me and shape me every single year I served on staff. I can’t tell you how many times over the past 8 months I’ve thanked God for the lessons I learned and the skills I acquired while working at SSP. My life right now would be a much bigger challenge if it weren’t for my experiences on staff, along side so many incredible individual. You are my inspiration.
Thanks to all of you unique role models working on staff and the year round dedication & efforts of the individuals in the office in Carmichael, Sierra Service Project is a force that offers powerful new perspectives and pathways for the volunteers to explore in their own lives. You truly are modern heroes and thank you in advance for what you will do this summer. Good luck and God bless.