On April 5, six Phoenix Connectors met up at Paradise Bakery for the first time. They all came from different backgrounds, ranging from editorial to corporate to education.

From left to right: Anne Furlong, Meg Matlach, David Jenny, Meha Narain, and Cheryl Piedrasanta. Not shown is Tonia Jenny who graciously took the photo!

Amid the sweet smells of baked goods, the group had a lively conversation that got the ball rolling.

“I didn’t have any particular expectations other than a group of open and friendly people. We had a good time getting to know a little about each other and shared book and documentary movie favorites which I particularly liked hearing about,” says Meg, founder of e-card site HarmonyWishes. “I love getting ideas and being inspired to create a better world through others’ stories.”

They talked about what their role as Connectors would be—admittedly waiting on Action Groups to help clarify it—and kicked around ideas about how they’d spread the word once they perfected their ‘elevator pitch.’ Anne suggested they try to get time on the local PBS station, for example.

They also discussed the 3Qs to help inform their next meeting on April 26, where they’ll hone in on Team goals.

For Meg, she’s excited to enlarge her sphere of social good.

“My past volunteer experiences have been very positive but they have been singular in their objective and tied to a specific cause,” she says. “Idealist is trying to expand beyond the traditional model of volunteerism and provide something much larger in scope through their worldwide platform. That’s exciting!”

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