When You Understand Your Purpose…
The Possibilities Are Endless.
As a personal coach, my role is helping clients navigate a career transition, set and achieve specific goals, and have accountability and support while making change a reality. Speaking personally, I have always been the happiest when my time is spent leveraging my strengths as well as being in situations (personal and professional) with people who share my values.
One technique I use is life purpose coaching, which is designed to help an individual uncover their purpose and establish a life path that aligns with their dreams, goals, and desires. Here is mine: Helping people place an intentional focus on making impact through purpose.
Like the headline says, “when you understand your purpose, the possibilities are endless.” For those who read this and know me, it explains why I am passionate about giving back and being a diversity, equity, and inclusion advocate. I often tell others, “it is just how I am wired.”
The same approach is used when a nonprofit organization like CAMP Rehoboth is created. It is a best practice to define its mission (the reason it exists and the need it is meeting in the community), and its vision (an aspirational statement that describes CAMP Rehoboth’s goals for the future and the impact it aims to make on the world).
In Board Vice President Leslie Ledogar’s February 2 column, she highlighted the work of Dr. Peter Boyle from Yale University, who teaches a course on connected leadership. She noted Boyle’s belief that [when engaging in] “…connected leadership, one is anchored to one’s individual purpose, and works from one’s personal values in service of the greater world. Daring and transformative leaders share power with others and empower and inspire people to develop their own ‘power within.’ They know their ‘why’ and lead from that position.”
The next step in CAMP Rehoboth’s strategic planning process is setting core values which articulate what we stand for; what behaviors we value over all else. At the February Board meeting, I asked each Board member to state five to eight values they believe represent the essence of what CAMP Rehoboth stands for. The word COMMUNITY was at the top of the list.
What excited me about this consensus is its alignment with one of our four strategic goals: Making CAMP Rehoboth an even more active and engaged member of the southern Delaware community and beyond. A perfect example of how we hope to achieve this objective was our February 23 Young Professionals Happy Hour, designed for young professionals (and those young at heart) to meet other like-minded professionals, network, and support each other.
Thanks to the leadership of Board Member Michelle Manfredi, Communications Manager Matty Brown, community member Kasey Gonzalez-Cruz, and Executive Director Kim Leisey, more than 50 people attended the event. Based on feedback, it was a huge success. Attendees represented professions ranging from the arts to education, public relations, and hospitality.
“I was so excited to see such a diverse group of young professionals at the kickoff happy hour. Southern Delaware hosts such a variety of professional backgrounds—we look forward to providing a space for folks to connect and support each other through socials, networking events, and development opportunities,” said Brown.
Manfredi summed up the event like this, “People networked and were amazed that so many people interested in CAMP Rehoboth came together to learn about each other’s lives, find common ground, and make new connections.”
Community member Dennis Diaz, who co-hosted the last Young Professionals event in 2021, addressed the group and said, “Networking hit a whole new level at CAMP Rehoboth Community Center’s Young Professionals event! CAMP really did a great job creating an event that proved that you don’t have to go it alone.”
More events are planned so sign up for CAMP Rehoboth’s newsletter to get the latest information when available.
Meanwhile, it seems the LGBTQ+ people in Lewes were looking for alternative gatherings where they could meet new people while staying somewhat close to home. So, Kevin McDonald and Barry Dunkin decided to do something about it. The Lewes Rainbow Social Club (LRSC) was the answer—it’s a group that hosts monthly happy hours. LRSC attracted more than 200 people to its February event.
Steering Committee member Ruth Kloetzli got involved because LRSC was a social group—not just women or just men. The only requirements to join the Facebook Group are that you are of the LGTBQ+ community, and that you live in our area.
“That’s the beauty of this group and it shows at our events! It’s certainly like CAMP Rehoboth in that way of inclusions. I believe when we met about offering sponsorships and CAMP was brought up, we all said, ‘if it weren’t for CAMP, half of us wouldn’t be living here!’ LRSC is happy to partner with CAMP Rehoboth in the future.”
Executive Director Kim Leisey tells me CAMP Rehoboth will be sponsoring LRSC events in May and June, creating broader community via this new partnership. Make sure to check out LRSC’s Facebook page to learn more.
When you understand your purpose, the possibilities are endless. ▼
Wesley Combs is CAMP Rehoboth Board President.