Lauren is currently a freelance writer and editor and spends her free time singing with Voices Rising women’s chorus, writing, and spending time outdoors, especially on her bike. Lauren volunteers at 826 Boston because she believes writing is an important tool to understanding the world around you and yourself. “[826 Boston] uses writing as a form of empowerment for youth and offers a positive, creative environment where young people can explore their unique voices. I want to be part of that.”
Her favorite moment volunteering at 826 so far? “One young woman was working on a poem that was almost but not quite finished. After reading it out loud, I pointed out some of what I loved about it—the words she chose to capitalize, the emotional color throughout—and then I asked her why she felt like she needed to protect her family. She offered a single, beautiful sentence about feeling powerless in the face of her mother’s grief, and I asked her if she thought she could get that into the poem. She didn’t know if it would flow, so I encouraged her to just try it. She asked me what I wanted her to write; I said, “What do you want to write?” She then wrote two beautiful lines, read the whole poem to herself, and said, “It flows! It works!” and grinned as she got ready to hand it in. The way she leaned forward as she finished the poem, the way her voice buoyed as she read it out loud, the grin on her face, and the fact that it was all her own work made this moment one of my favorites with 826 Boston.”
Thank you, Lauren, for your commitment to our mission and your incredible enthusiasm. We hope you know how much we adore you and appreciate the contributions you have made to our programs.
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