THE MAGAZINE OF FRANKLIN PIERCE UNIVERSITY spring 2013

Community ServiceCreating SolutionsJoe Gonzalez ’94 knows whatcommunity service is all about. Atheatre/lightingdesign major, Joeis a creative soulwith a big heart.During his timeat Franklin Pierce,Joe says, “There waslittle to no community connection orinteraction.” But he set out to change that!Photo by Jeff LazellWhen Joe found out that the elementaryand middle schools in town had notheatre program of any sort, he and hisfriends decided to develop a program:Drama Outreach. They created a weeklydrama club at Rindge Memorial andJaffrey-Rindge Middle School, whichculminated in original productions inboth schools. From there, they expandedtheir efforts to include workshops in otherschools in New Hampshire and Vermont,introducing theatre to more than 1,500students in the region.The success of the program only fueledJoe’s passion to contribute. He gotinvolved in other aspects of communityPhoto courtesy of Citta.orgservice and was ultimately given an awardthrough NH Partners in Education inrecognition of his volunteer hours andinitiative. Joe was intimately involvedin the creation of the on-campusCommunity Relations Liaison position,initially held by Marabeth Farmer. Hispassion for service was infectious, andcommunity members soon began toask for student volunteers to help withtheir programs.Joe graduated and embarked on a careerthat involved all aspects of theatre andTV production and management. Hecurrently lives in New York, where hecontinues to do freelance work in thosefields. The community service aspect ofhis life has also continued to thrive.“I spent more and more time educatingmyself globally about the scope of issueseveryone is facing around the world,” Joesays. He would often discuss his ideas withhis friend, Tara Bracco, over dinner. Whatemerged from those conversations is TheProject Solution, a nonprofit that they cofoundedto encourage philanthropy andcreate quantifiable change in distressedSite of current project in Nepal.areas of the world. The organization isbased on a model that allows people withsmall gifts of $25 or $50 to see the impactof their contributions.In just over three years, the organizationhas funded seven infrastructure projectsin Cameroon, Zambia, Uganda, India,Nicaragua, and Haiti, serving nearly4,000 people. They are currently workingon a new project in Nepal. All of theprojects selected by The Project Solutionare “shovel-ready” and 100 percent of thedonations go directly to them; those witha heart to give no doubt find these projectsvery compelling. “We want our donors tofeel part of the community project,” Joesays. “And you deserve to know whereyour money is going.”The Project Solution website states thatpeople without significant means aregiven the chance to “be the solution,”embracing the idea that a little effortfrom a group of people can lead to socialchange. Franklin Pierce is proud of Joe;he sees needs in the world and he createssolutions. Visit the website and be inspired:www.theprojectsolution.orgwww.franklinpierce.edu 3