My name is Lauren Wells. I am Primo’s new Development and Communications Associate. As I step into my third week on the Primo team, I am confronted with the concept of legacy. The things that we leave behind. The choices that we make today and the effects they will have tomorrow. What will Primo’s legacy be, and what part will I have played in it? 

I have worked both corporate and service jobs. I know what it is to take care of customers, to email clients, to answer phone calls, but I have never performed these tasks with any sense of true meaning. Until now, my purpose as a professional has been to do my job and to do it well. Nothing more, nothing less. This is no longer a mindset that I can afford to have. Primo’s mission of ending homelessness is one that is too great and too important to be handled with anything less than passionate commitment.  

I knew this when I signed on. What I did not expect, however, was the deep sense of responsibility that I now carry with each task and decision. I am aware that everything I do, every choice, every word must be guided by the mission. Even now, as I write this, I ask myself why. Will this post bring us closer to the goal? Could I say something that has even the slightest impact? And if so, on whom? What if the most that comes from this post is a stronger sense of focus and commitment in my own mind? Is that enough? These are the questions I ask myself. And while I do not have definitive answers, I do know my mindset. It is one I believe my peers share: If we can all do our best right now and every day, it will make a difference. 

Every generation will experience profound change, but it will not occur all at once, with a singular event or choice. And the battle of ending homelessness will not happen overnight, nor will it be won alone. As I become acquainted with more members of the Primo team, I am reminded that despite our distinct roles, we are all working towards the same goal. It is the combined strength, talent, and passion of the whole which will propel us into the future.  

And while it is necessary to plan and strategize, there is something to be said about the small things that we do every day. The seeds we plant, the choices we make that add up over time. There must be a balance between thinking ahead and taking it day to day. I step into this new role aware of the uphill battle, yet still hopeful. 

Even if the living generations of social justice warriors do not complete the mission, we will have built upon what was given to us and left behind good work and progress for those who come after. Even if we do not see all the fruits of our labor, the seeds we plant are still worth watering, because we do not undertake this work for our benefit alone. Primo’s legacy will not be a fortune or an estate. It will be people. Our legacy will live on in the people we’ve served, the policies we’ve changed, and the lives we’ve touched.