Friend #41 - Jennifer

Jennifer barreled into the Chandler coffee shop full of purpose.  After a quick stop to say hello to me at one of the tables, she was off on a mission to get herself a cup of coffee, leaving me trailing behind her to the cashier like an entranced child.  After she had placed her order, she asked to speak to a manager.  She’s the PTO president for her child’s school and they were scheduled to have a First Responder’s Day on September 11^th.  She wanted to know if Starbucks would donate coffee to the event. 

She’s a tiny thing but she has a remarkable intensity.  I immediately adored her.

Jennifer explained that her son goes to a local public school in the area.  And it’s a nice area!  But it is in an older part of Chandler, Arizona, so the school is one of the older schools in the district.  It was built in the 1970’s and it is showing the wear and tear of age.  In fact, the playground has been ripped out because it didn’t meet current safety standards and because of budget cuts, it has never been replaced.  Jennifer told me that even though the school is located in a relatively vibrant area of Chandler, the demographics of the children who go to this school are considered lower income.  Why?  Because the other families in Jennifer’s neighborhood can afford to drive their children to newer schools.  Actually, Jennifer could too…but that’s not her style.

She works for a local nonprofit.  She teaches a social injustice class at ASU.  These days, with the current political climate, Jennifer claims the curriculum practically writes itself.  So when no one wanted to step up as the PTO president, Jennifer did it.  Not because she has so much time on her hands but because it was the right thing to do. 

And she wants her kid to have a playground at his school.  The Chandler School District had originally promised to replace the playground when it was taken out.  Years later, the space still sits empty.  All the newer schools in the district have playgrounds.  Jennifer wonders if the children going to this school were from higher economic backgrounds if that playground would still be a dirt lot.  The Chandler School District has now told them if they want a playground, the PTO is going to have to raise the thirty thousand dollars themselves, a task that seems almost insurmountable. 

Yet given the passion in Jennifer’s voice, I feel like she is going to find a way.

And I get the impression this isn’t Jennifer’s only cause.  When her sister found herself married to a man with serious mental health issues, Jennifer packed her bags and traveled to Boston for a month to help her sister get through her divorce.  When she learned of a woman going through a separation due to a domestic violence situation, she offered to help her out…even though this woman is a virtual stranger.  She even has an old dog that her youngest son is allergic to that she can’t bear to exile from the house because of the unfairness of uprooting the dog out of the only family and home she’s ever known. 

In my experience, people who care so much about others know what it’s like to be treated unfairly…but Jennifer and I never talked about that.  Every word she said was a reverberation of how she could help someone else, even though she has a marriage and two small children of her own.  It was:  ‘What can I do?  How can I help?’  It was selfless. 

And in almost exactly one hour, she looked at the time, said her goodbyes and rushed out the door to pick up more donations.  I watched her leave with a bit of admiration stuck in the middle of my throat.  I know in dark moments, Jennifer probably wonders if she is making a difference, not because of anything lacking on her part.  Change happens slowly and I don’t think it can keep up with the fiery trail Jennifer blazes.