This past summer, I had the opportunity to shadow Sean Hanel, the Executive Director of Building Futures Project – a nonprofit US organization that focuses on serving a community in El Salvador through access to food, education, and building homes.
Mr. Hanel was born in Saint Louis, Missouri and graduated from DeSmet Jesuit High School and Boston College. He previously worked at Our Lady of Good Counsel High school for fifteen years in Catholic education and international service. At Good Counsel he oversaw the school’s involvement with Building Futures Project and gathered 615 volunteers, organized 34 service trips, and managed $800,000 in funding.
When interviewing Mr. Hanel, the first question I asked was, “what is your favorite aspect of the program? What would you like to see continue to flourish?” Mr. Hanel replied that his most valued aspect of the organization is the food program as it runs continuously and thus it is able to provide the biggest impact on a daily basis. The aims of the food program are to pack food for people who are unable to leave their houses and serve hot, nutritious meals. When the organization first began the program, they began to weigh the people they were serving (mostly elderly and young children), and have seen an average of a two pound gain per person. His current goal for the food program is to see it grow to a five day a week program.
The next question I asked Mr. Hanel was “how did you see growth and change in the students attending the trip? How did you see an impact on the local Salvadoran community?” When focusing on the students, Mr. Hanel saw them understand that they would not fully complete the construction project on their own, and that is okay. Instead, their focus then turned toward building relationships instead of ideals. In addition, he noticed that there is almost always a continued desire from the students to return on the trip. For the Salvadorians, Mr. Hanel noticed that through a continued presence of groups-building on previous trips and counting on future trips, they have come to understand that their relationship is steady and focused on improving the community as a whole instead of just the volunteers.
The next question I asked Mr. Hanel was, “what would you recommend to Stone Ridge students (or high school students in general) looking to create a global impact in a community they are not a part of?” Mr. Hanel believes that many high school students today lack a sense of empathy whether it be from a focus only on themselves, their friend group, or technology. He suggests putting oneself out there and looking to do something for someone else. Serving is a win-win situation as people are obtaining help and those serving are able to feel content with themselves. He also adds, “society wins when you come back and advocate for people” as we are able to be inspired to serve as well. He believes the real reason for serving others should be to serve others. A lot of times people are overwhelmed by the amount that needs work in the world so they question why they should even start. Mr. Hanels responds to this notion that even “little change has a big impact”. We all have an obligation to serve.
Lastly, I asked Mr. Hanel, “what gave you the courage and faith to fully take on the role of being the Executive Director of Building Future Projects?” Mr. Hanel informed me that it would not have been possible without “the backing of family.” Mr. Hanel credits a lot of his courage to his wife and her support. He also believes that in order to do new things, which are inevitably uncomfortable, one must have the belief that their work is a “just cause.” Mr. Hanel could not imagine dedicating himself to a job that does not have a real world impact and believes that people give strength, whether it be his family or the community in El Salvador.
As a student of the Sacred Heart and an individual that is both deeply passionate about the Spanish language and building connection through service, my job shadow with Mr. Hanel was extremely impactful. I have always been interested in Spanish as it opens a door to creating new meaningful connections and service is an integral part of being a Christian and a part of society as a whole. Through this job shadow, I was able to learn about an organization I otherwise would not have heard of and was inspired by Mr. Hanel’s ability to take a leap of faith and begin a program without a guarantee that it would succeed. He was fully motivated by his passion to serve and let his desire to create change overpower any fears or worries he felt. This experience connects to my work here at Stone Ridge when I serve at the Father McKenna Center for Social Action. I see how serving food can be a way to build relationships and bring God’s light into people’s days. I also am able to use my Spanish-speaking skills at times to make some of the men we serve there feel seen and in return I have the privilege of getting to know them. From what I have gained through learning about Building Futures Project, I advise my fellow peers to seek out learn more about this program and how to be involved as Mr. Hanel would love for Stone Ridge to become a partner institution with the organization.
Learn more…
The organization’s website can be accessed at https://www.buildingfuturesproject.org/.
Watch this promotional video to learn more about Building Futures Project: https://vimeo.com/highrock/review/1089134640/103d038fc3
