Remarks made by Jon Hysell '72, P'04 prior to the award presentation to Rev. McArn follow:
"It is my personal pleasure to present the Samaritan Counseling Center's Good Samaritan Award to my friend and colleague, the Hamilton College Chaplain Reverend Jeffrey McArn. Jeff is a most deserving recipient – and it is not a simple task to convey the full measure of Jeff's contributions to our community in these few minutes.
I think I can approximate Jeff's work best in a word – "selflessness." The Bhagavad Gita says, "For those who wish to climb the mountain of spiritual awareness, the path is selfless work." I find this quote a fitting way to speak of the Jeff's life labor. As with so many of the past and current Good Samaritan recipients, Jeff's work in our Mohawk Valley community goes largely unheralded – his work is not about Jeff but about his personal mission to live up to the charge God gave humankind in Genesis – to bring order out of chaos. Jeff's endeavors succeed in creating value through his support of others – individuals and the communities they live in.
I think I can approximate Jeff's work best in a word – "selflessness." The Bhagavad Gita says, "For those who wish to climb the mountain of spiritual awareness, the path is selfless work." I find this quote a fitting way to speak of the Jeff's life labor. As with so many of the past and current Good Samaritan recipients, Jeff's work in our Mohawk Valley community goes largely unheralded – his work is not about Jeff but about his personal mission to live up to the charge God gave humankind in Genesis – to bring order out of chaos. Jeff's endeavors succeed in creating value through his support of others – individuals and the communities they live in.
For ten years Jeff has been the driving force behind HAVOC (Hamilton Association for Volunteerism, Outreach and Charity), a student-run organization that reaches out to a variety of non-profit agencies in the greater Utica area, providing student volunteers who do everything from tutoring kids to playing Bingo with the elderly to hammering nails on Habitat for Humanity houses. While the stereotype of Hamilton students might be that of affluent young adults who simply pass through our community on their way to careers outside of the Mohawk Valley – that image does not match the reality for the students that Jeff advises. Local agencies that have benefited from HAVOC involvement are many – and I will read a few to give you a sense of their and Jeff's reach:
|
|
Additionally, Jeff joined the board of Johnson Park Center (formerly JCTOD) in 2003. As noted on their Web site, the Johnson Park Center (JPC) is a faith-based non-profit organization that promotes positive change, revitalization, and community development in the heart of Cornhill, the poorest neighborhood in the City of Utica, New York. They provide emergency and supportive housing for women, children, and families, as well as a range of community-based support services in the areas of nutrition, recreation, mentoring, and advocacy. Their programs build hope and empowerment, and help individuals become self-sufficient, contributing members of the community.
It's nearly impossible to name all people and agencies Rev. McArn touches with his life. But, I will mention a few others to give you a further glimpse into the nature of this good man. He has been a powerful force for positive social change, no more so than while advising Hamilton's Alternative Spring Break program. Each spring teams of students travel to various locations – 6 last spring – to assist with re-building homes on the Gulf Coast, performing environmental clean-up in Appalachia and various state parks and the construction of homes for Habitat for Humanity. Jeff facilitates fund raising, identifies and organizes trips to areas of needs and mobilizes Hamilton students who spend their spring breaks in places other than Cancun and Ft. Lauderdale. Under his guidance, the number of teams of students and the numbers of trips to areas of need has dramatically increased. Other impactful initiatives Jeff has been involved with include holiday gift drives for Hospice, the Cosmopolitan Center, Martin Luther King days of service for both Hamilton staff and students, Make a Difference Day, the Christmas in April projects - now called Rebuilding Together Mohawk Valley and the Bonner Leader program.
As if all these community interactions were not enough, Jeff has been a driving force behind the creation of Hamilton's Community Outreach and Opportunity Project – the COOP. With the formation of the COOP, Hamilton hopes to be able to create more sustainable relationships in the community, and provide more opportunities for our students to learn experientially and to come to know themselves better via serving others.
As if all these community interactions were not enough, Jeff has been a driving force behind the creation of Hamilton's Community Outreach and Opportunity Project – the COOP. With the formation of the COOP, Hamilton hopes to be able to create more sustainable relationships in the community, and provide more opportunities for our students to learn experientially and to come to know themselves better via serving others.
Since he would never place himself in the center of things – I will do so briefly now. Emblematic of Jeff's quiet work in our community is the peace, and safety and comfort that students, friends, community members and colleagues feel talking and being with him. He genuinely cares about each person he interacts with and acts on that care with generous allotments of his time and himself. Jeff is a superb listener and never imposes his view of how things "should" be - but rather allows time and space for people to think and to talk so that they may work things out in a way that is right for them. In so doing he empowers others to be Good Samaritans – and I am certain they empower others to do the same - and the circle repeats itself and grows larger each year.
His friend and colleague Amy James summed things up very well indeed when she said, "I've realized that if someone calls him from the community and has a need, he'll simply try to fill it." Please join me in applauding Jeffrey McArn – a true Good Samaritan."
