Community, Service, and Leadership in Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen Essay

Meanings of Community, Service, and Leadership in Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen
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Meanings of Community, Service, and Leadership in Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen
Serving the community is important as it helps not only the community but also the individuals providing the services. While working at the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, I gained a lot of insights on what it means to be part of a community, and what service and leadership entail. Through this paper, I will briefly discuss why Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen was founded, its history, mission, and leadership. I will also provide an analysis of the organization’s leadership principles and practices and how they have influenced the success of the organization. Finally, I will propose a leadership plan that can facilitate the success of the organization even further.
Organization’s Profile
Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen (HASK) is part of the Church of the Holy Apostles, based in New York. It is a community organization responsible for feeding the poor and the homeless. It was founded in 1982 and has grown to provide the largest feeding program in New York City (HASK, 2019). Every weekday, HASK provides over 1,000 meals and also provides social services support for people in need of jobs, housing, and health services. HASK has a long history of serving the homeless and the poor since its inception by Father Rand Frew, and over the years, it has served the community after the 9/11 attacks, during power outages, storms, and even Hurricane Sandy (HASK, 2019). The organization is characterized by a culture of hospitality and nourishment of the body and the soul. It embodies community service, the spirit of sharing, and helping the needy. HASK’s main operations are based in the sanctuary of the landmark Holy Apostles Church and it serves all the five boroughs of New York. HASK’s mission is “to feed the hungry, comfort the afflicted, seek justice for the homeless, and provide a sense of hope and opportunity to those in need” (HASK, n.d.). HASK has made considerable efforts over the years to achieve its mission by not only feeding the hungry but also helping them meet their other basic needs such as housing and clothing. To achieve its mission, HASK partners with various stakeholders. These include corporate fund supporters such as Google, Jamestown, and Whole Foods Market, among others (HASK, n.d.). Also, HASK has service supporters such as Amazon, Burberry, and Microsoft, among others. Other key stakeholders include the parish and local community in Chelsea who help with fundraising efforts (HASK, 2019) and volunteers.
HASK operates within the hospitality industry because it provides services such as food services while connecting the homeless with housing opportunities. It has about 22 permanent staff who are assigned to various departments. These include the administrative, communication and development department, volunteer and social services department, and the building, chefs, and kitchen support department (HASK, n.d.). Out of these employees, four are women. These employees are under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Anna Pearson, who is the executive director, and Michael Ottley, who is the chief operating officer. HASK also relies heavily on volunteers. Every year, the organization benefits from over 15,000 volunteers who offer their time and energy in feeding the needy (HASK, n.d.). All these people serve the underserved, disadvantaged population in New York. They also come from very diverse backgrounds, seeing that the people they serve are also diverse. Of the people that HASK serves, 33% are unemployed while 67% are homeless (HASK, n.d.). Also, a majority of them live on the streets and in a shelter home (29% and 21% respectively); while 16% live in public housing. About 4% of them are homeowners. Further, the highest population is aged between 31-64 years of age. Thus, HASK provides solace to all people in New York, regardless of their age, living status, or employment status.
Organization Analysis
The top leaders at HASK are Rev. Dr. Anna Pearson, who is the executive director, and Michael Ottley, who is the chief operating officer. There is also Rich Trifiro, who is the manager of the social services & volunteer manager. Under their leadership, I have seen how leaders lead and empower followers.
Dr, Pearson is a charismatic leader. During her tenure as the HASK’s executive director, she has been able to attract volunteers and employees who are truly committed to the mission of the organization. As indicated by Champoux (2017), a charismatic leader not only win the commitment of followers to the organization’s vision and mission but also impact the aspirations of followers. Dr. Pearson has used her charisma to influence the staff members as well as the volunteers at the Soup Kitchen. As indicated in her leadership profile, she has been instrumental in working with volunteers and supporters in the “work of establishing relationships focused on addressing immediate human needs (HASK, n.d.).” She has not only influenced volunteers but also supporters who have made the mission of HASK their mission in life too. One of the behaviors linked to charismatic leaders is the behavior of inspiring followers matching their intrinsic values with the organization’s mission or the followers’ tasks (Kriger & Zhovtobryukh, 2016). And for sure, Dr, Pearson has displayed this behavior. I feel like she has appealed to one of my intrinsic value of making the world a better place for everyone. Another behavior that Dr. Pearson has displayed is the behavior of communicating with volunteers and employees directly. Champoux (2017) reveals that charismatic leaders have a key behavior of communicating and inspiring vision through speeches and individual conversations with employees. Often, charismatic leaders are admired by their followers who want to be like them. This becomes the source of power and influence for charismatic leaders, enabling them to impart positive behaviors and characteristics in followers (Kriger & Zhovtobryukh, 2016). Dr, Pearson enjoys referent power w...