It’s quarantine. A week since I got the pleasure of breathing some of that sweet, fragrant air outside: I’m losing my mind. That’s why I decided to interview Josie Lauritsen Lee, founder of the non-profit organisation Everyday Humanitarian. By learning about someone who was brave and bold in her mission to help the world, I’ve become inspired to use my time in quarantine to contribute to society as well. And I urge you youths to do the same; to use this time to develop your interests so that you, too, can save our world.
I began by asking Lee to tell me more about her organisation. “Our mission is to empower people to use their talents to fund global causes,” she said. “We do this using online platforms that support fundraising opportunities.” To me, the word online stood out; it's becoming ever more clear how much we can achieve in our world through technology.
To Lee, the sheer creativity of how others use their talents to fundraise is the most inspiring part of her job. “It's amazing to see a family baking bread in their kitchen, raising thousands of dollars to fight malaria. Or to see how an artist's work helps fund critical supplies in refugee camps. It's empowering to see that unique talents can make a difference on the other side of the planet.”
Questioned about her motivations for founding this global non-profit, Lee explained that when she “stopped jetting off to remote villages, I found it difficult to find ways to do meaningful global social change work without disrupting my family life. I met many people who wanted to make a difference, but didn't know where to start. I started the organisation to address this need.” This struck me; jetting off to remote villages sounds exactly how I want to spend my ideal career. But I have never even considered how family could affect this.
But, like anything, running a large nonprofit doesn’t come without challenges. “The biggest challenge is having big ideas but a small budget. Finding funding is always difficult, but the challenge forces us to get creative and be scrappy and that’s a good thing.”
Ultimately, Lee’s story speaks to the power of taking risks. “I was terrified to start this. It was a steep learning curve that forced me to get out of my comfort zone in big ways.” But she speaks positively of the setbacks she’s had to overcome. Her advice to young people is to “create a tally on your wall with the headline "Rejections, mistakes, failures.” The more points you get, the more likely it is that you’re undergoing personal growth.” Lee’s last words spoke loudest: “Regardless of results, celebrate every time you do something that scares you.”
So, if you are a master-chef baker, or can freestyle rap, why not develop your own skills during isolation? It may be that using these skills for others’ benefit may have the unmatched power of changing lives across the globe.
Allie Gruber
