LGM Program Day Reflection – Community Involvement Day 2026
T
here is something special about a “first”. First impressions, first breakthroughs, first time waiting for a school bus in the cold winter morning as an adult. Leadership Greater Manchester’s first Community Involvement Day was exactly that type of milestone. A day that opened my eyes, stretched my thinking, and reminded me why stepping into leadership means stepping into service.
To start the day, our class rode a school bus from Derryfield Country Club 
to Manchester Police Athletic League (MPAL). We heard from eighteen different community partners and were brought face-to-face with five topics that matter deeply to our city: housing, homelessness, childcare, veterans, and nonprofit boards. Leaders and advocates from the nonprofits and service organizations shared real life stories about these complex topics that painted a bigger picture of the opportunities and challenges shaping Manchester. These folks, their stories, and their resilience emphasized my belief that with enough collaboration, our community can move mountains, or at the least make a meaningful dent in some of our toughest issues.
I learned that solving childcare challenges sometimes feels like trying to complete a puzzle with pieces from three different boxes, yet the Granite YMCA, MPAL, Noah’s Ark, and Girls Inc make incredible progress every day in their own ways. REACH Crisis Services, Dismas Home NH, and Webster House shed light on the harsher realities that lead to our neighbors being unhoused. I walked away with a clearer sense of both Manchester’s obstacles and pride in our city’s progress to these issues.
A tour of the Veterans Affair Hospital reminded me about our neighbors who serve and sacrifice, and how important continued support is for our veterans when they return home. To wrap up the day, our class rode the bus back to Derryfield Country Club where we dug into what it means to serve on a board with purpose. BlueLion, FEED NH, Coca-Cola Northeast, and NH Center for Nonprofits emphasized the importance of finding a board that aligns with your passions or one where you can share your skillset.
Each person’s commitment and passion made the day feel less like a seminar and more like a call to action. Community Involvement Day is a reminder that leadership isn’t about having all the answers. Leadership is about showing up, using your voice, never quitting, and being a champion of the people. In a world that often can be challenging, these community partners are a reminder that there is a lot of good to be found, if we only decide to look.
