10 questions with Meredith Fraser  

Summary:  There is sometimes a disconnect between opportunities to get involved in our community and their perceived relevance or importance to members of our generation.  I think presenting community engagement and involvement as a way of life might help bridge this gap.  Involvement and engagement should not just be viewed as things you ‘do,’ but rather as things you ‘are’ – that is to say, being involved and engaged…it’s an active state!

1. Where do you work? What do you do?
   I work at LUSO Community Services, where I have the privilege of serving as the Program Coordinator of the Anti-Hate and Anti-Bias Program.  In my role, I provide support to people who have been targeted by hate, bias, and discrimination.  I also strive to raise community awareness about hate and bias activity, discuss consequences of hate incidents for individuals and communities, and develop strategies for responding to hate, bias, and discrimination both appropriately and effectively.  In addition, I work toward creating positive social change; this work is informed by the belief that a kind, caring, and compassionate community is a healthy one – and, further, that a healthy community is resistant to hate.  Given this, promoting kindness is a central part of the work that I do at LUSO, most recently through The 1,000 Acts of Kindness Challenge 2009.
   
   
2. How long have you lived in London?
   About 9 years now.
   
   
3. What is your involvement with fundraising and/or volunteering?
   I have been involved in both fundraising and volunteering for as long as I can remember.  In my professional life, I currently have the pleasure to work with talented and committed volunteers who share their talents, skills, and energy in service to the community.  In my personal life, I try to support innovative community initiatives through a combination of informal volunteer work and fundraising activities.
   
   
4. Why are volunteerism and philanthropy important to our generation?
   I firmly believe that volunteerism and philanthropy are critical for our health and well-being, both individually and collectively.  By choosing to engage in volunteer work and philanthropic activities, we give ourselves the gifts of opportunity, learning, connection, and experience; however, the benefits for volunteerism and philanthropy extend beyond a personal benefit to encompass the communities that we form part of and engage with on a daily basis.
   
   
5. You have $20 to your name. How do you spend it?
   That’s easy – doing random acts of kindness!  Put simply, kindness is a great investment – whether it involves money or not.  The return is priceless: a sense of inner peace, happiness, joy, fulfillment for the person giving kindness and hopefully the same for the person receiving kindness.  Given this, could there really be a better way to spend my last $20 than to use it in service to kindness?  I don’t think so.  Kindness is something that stands to benefit everyone involved; as such, it is a truly positive act that makes an immediate, tangible, and positive difference in people’s lives.
   
   
6. What would you like to see from GenNext in the next 2 years?
   I would like to see GenNext thrive.  By this I mean that I would like to see GenNext catalyze the development of a community of people who are engaged and committed to the health, vitality, and inclusiveness of the broader community and who work toward these goals through skill-sharing, participation, and resource development.  GenNext is a great opportunity, resource, and gift for the community.  It has the potential to encourage, facilitate, and nurture lifelong learning by providing opportunities for community engagement.  For those willing to take up the challenge of looking beyond themselves, taking chances, and learning about experiences and perspectives different from their own, the potential rewards in terms of growth, self-development, and community well-being are immeasurable.
   
   
7. Do you feel our community does enough to involve our generation? Would you have suggestions to change this?
   I feel that there are a lot of great opportunities to get involved in our community and I also I feel that there is sometimes a disconnect between these opportunities and their perceived relevance or importance to members of our generation.  I think presenting community engagement and involvement as a way of life might help bridge this gap.  Involvement and engagement should not just be viewed as things you ‘do,’ but rather as things you ‘are’ – that is to say, being involved and engaged…it’s an active state!
   
   
8. What is the best movie you’ve seen recently?
   I must confess that I haven’t seen many movies lately – and tend to watch documentaries when I do watch films!  That said, I did see “Milk” recently and it was really engaging.
   
   
9. What country or city do you most want to visit? Why?
   I would love to visit Japan – I’ve wanted to travel there for most of my life and I’m not sure that I can explain exactly what has captured my interest and imagination about the place.  My desire to travel to various cities and towns throughout Japan is probably due to a number of things such as the diversity of landscapes, food, and history, to name but a few.
   
   
10. If you were living on the streets, would you rather have food or shelter for the night?
    I would probably benefit the most from shelter for the night; it can be hard to come by and the security risks presented by not having access to adequate shelter are great, particularly in the evening hours.  However, I think that I would rather have food as I find that hunger inhibits my ability to focus, be present, and negatively impacts my sense of health and well-being in a very immediate way.  That said, it is my firm belief that none of us should be without food and shelter as they are fundamental human rights to which we are all entitled.  I know that we have yet to experience of the reality of equal access to these resources for all community members; however, I remain encouraged by the fact that so many individuals and agencies are working hard on an ongoing basis to achieve the vision of equal access to basic resources for all.