We’re delighted to introduce our newest team member, Savannah Farr, in her new role as Manager, Volunteer Programs. She’s bringing energy and passion to a role that will motivate New Yorkers to volunteer, and she will work directly with our nonprofit partners on their volunteer needs. Get to know her better here and visit our Team page to read her bio!
What do you love most about New York City? And any favorite places or neighborhoods?
I’m convinced NYC is the best city for people-watching and people-experiencing. New Yorkers are so different from one another, yet thrown in such close proximity. I love it.
It’s the little interactions that often make my day: a dad on my bus bragging about his 5-year-old “born-and-raised New Yorker,” an Uber driver telling me about his new mission to do all the tourist things, the stranger who helped me carry a new mattress up to my (fifth floor!) apartment. On a deeper level, I got to know a woman living on the street outside my house and shared a few meals with her at our bus stop. We watched videos of her favorite 70s bands and just got to be true neighbors. Even in the brokenness found in NYC, there’s so much opportunity for connection.
My favorite place in the city is Central Park—especially when the street musicians are out. Honorary mentions include food crawls in Jackson Heights, biking the West Side Highway, and catching a show on Broadway.
Describe a time when volunteering changed your faith outlook and your desire to support neighbors in need. Is there a community connected to your heart?
The first time I volunteered with The Open Door in East Harlem, the volunteer coordinator shared that they had been short on volunteers but that she’d been praying about the evening’s event. To her amazement, the exact number of volunteers and students had shown up that night, and every student had a conversation partner. She truly made us feel like an answer to prayer, and it expanded my view of what God can and will do through volunteerism.
Thanks to that opportunity, I joined as a weekly ESL teacher, where I built relationships with some amazing students and teachers. Having lived a short stint overseas myself, I feel connected to those neighbors who’ve immigrated here and are bravely learning English and other customs in their new home.
Are there any books or movies you would recommend that impacted your outlook on mercy and justice?
Pursuing Justice by Ken Wytsma helped illuminate the way serving others and living fulfilling lives really do go hand-in-hand. It’s what we’re designed for!
The 3D Gospel by Jayson Georges impacted how I think about Gospel hope and ministry across cultures–relevant to our multi-cultural city.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo was a heavy read—a view into life in a Mumbai slum—but it helped me see the way dreams, emotions, complexities, and struggles are universal, regardless of socioeconomic status.
