Humanity and Hope is all about building community. In that spirit, we started a book club a few months ago with the intention of creating a space for people to come together, read, grow, and learn from one another.
If you’re interested in getting involved in our book club, we would love to have you! We will meet every other week as a Zoom group starting on June 16, 2020, through July 14, 2020, at 6 p.m. CST. We will also meet together on the interim off-weeks in smaller, accountability groups.
We will be reading Enrique’s Journey, a story about a Honduran boy who traveled to the United States to look for his mother, who, unable to feed her family, had left them 11 years earlier to find work in the United States. This is the story of Enrique’s persistence as he travels, relying on his wit, courage, hope, and the kindness of strangers.
The book by Sonia Nazario is based on the Los Angeles Times newspaper series that won two Pulitzer Prizes. It puts a human face to the ongoing debate about immigration reform in the United States.
In this Q&A, Ally Browning and Rebecca Taylor reflect on the first H&H book club and share their thoughts on the power of community building.
1.) What made you decide to start the H&H book club?
H&H had just launched our “Hope Is Contagious” campaign and we were looking for ways to connect people with one another + inspire hope. Rebecca and I have done book clubs in the past together and she asked if I wanted to read another book with her. From there we dreamed of inviting others in and making it a community building opportunity — so we landed on an H&H book club!
2.) Why did you choose the book Beginner's Pluck by Liz Bohannon?
We saw Liz speak at the Global Leadership Summit last year together and she was one of our favorite talks. We both bought her book right after we saw her talk. I had thought of doing this book because of how much we both loved it! Plus, I feel like we are all in a difficult season of life and there is a lot of time to think, dream, and envision where we want our lives to go. Beginner’s Pluck is the perfect book to read — we don’t need to wait to find our passion — we need (and have a great opportunity) to build it right now!
3.) What has impressed you the most about the group discussions?
The dedication and commitment everyone has shown to show up — in more ways than one. We had a solid group of 25-30 people show up every week. They showed up by being vulnerable — and sharing their perspectives and stories. Many people did not know one another, but every single person welcomed one another with open and loving arms.
4.) What were your biggest takeaways from the book?
You were made for more. You aren't always born with your passion, you have to build it!
5.) During quarantine, how has the H&H book club brought you hope?
Having weekly meetups with an incredible group of individuals, who always showed up and were vulnerable, gave me hope in people. It was so nice to meet new people and create new connections that will continue after the book club! Our time together was such a huge success that we decided to continue meeting.