Given: Kansas City

I facilitate a program called Leadership Tomorrow, a state-of-the-art internship program designed to immerse exceptional, Jewish, college students in the social service community of Greater Kansas City. Participants have the opportunity to network with peers and mentors, refine their personal brands and develop skills that position them for future success in their careers, while doing meaningful service work in the community. Interns get first-hand experience on the ground with Kansas City's top-rated organizations. Individuals grow in leadership skills and personal development. Teams collaborate to write grant applications and make funding pitches for organizations they choose. Each participant receives one-on-one mentoring from proven professionals. The culmination of the summer is a celebratory lunch and grant presentations. This year, it was also my last day of work with the organization. I placed one Tikkun Token at each seat and shared with everyone that I have "caught" them making the world a better place and that I now bestow upon them the chance to find someone else who is making a difference, to continue to encourage these acts of kindness and justice. I could see how much this literal "token" of appreciation meant to everyone and how symbolic is was of their hard work, passion and dedication to repair the world.