Westport News Article
At the height of the financial downturn, Westport News featured The Good Search CEO Krista Bradford on its front page, praising her ingenuity in helping unemployed executives. An executive recruiter, Krista, formed a Facebook group called Westporters Helping Westporters to enable neighbors to assist unemployed executives in her town. The article written by Anthony Karge of Westport News is featured below. Download a PDF version of the article to read. The full text of the article is copied below. Dan Woog of the blog 06880 also featured the effort to help Westporters help themselves
Westporters Helping Westporters Article
Back in the “good old days,” as Krista Bradford described the time well before she was born, there used to be barn-raising events where the entire community would work together to help out a neighbor. She wants to foster that mindset in Westport and is using social networking tools like Facebook and LinkedIn to bring people together and lessen the pain of unemployment. To do this, she created a “Westporters Helping Westporters Network” on those websites. “There are no better-networked people than those living in Westport, and it seems insane not to leverage it,” she said. The idea to do something to help people came indirectly from her daughter, then a sophomore at Staples. It seemed like every day her daughter would come home with news about a parent who had lost their job, so Bradford decided to bring the issues to the Internet.
Helping Neighbors in Westport
Bradford doesn’t limit the group to one particular need. Job hunting, supporting struggling businesses, and other problems all fall under the group’s umbrella. The goal is for people who join to become connected in ways that may boost business at a store, get a foot in the door in a job hunt, or simply obtain or share valuable advice. “The thing I thought that was cool about this is that it’s an opportunity for neighbors to help neighbors,” she said. The problems of the difficult job market are particularly top of mind for Bradford, since she owns an executive search firm that helps companies fill top positions. She explained that many companies are flooded with resumes, but with a little help from a friend on the network, a person who’s out of work might land a job.
A Simple Introduction
“How much effort does it take to put in an introduction?” she said. “All it takes is a phone call.” Recently, she learned that approximately a half-dozen seniors at Staples have had to change their college plans due to their parents’ finances. “We’re Westport,” said Bradford. “That shouldn’t have to happen.” “When somebody goes unemployed in Westport, it doesn’t affect them,” she added. “It affects the future of their children.” Upon hearing about struggling students, she set up a Facebook page to accept donations for the Staples High School Tuition Grants committee, which aids students facing financial hardship. “If people can give a dollar, $20, or give up a latte or a pedicure, then it’d help,” she said. It’s OK to ask
Check In On Your Neighbors
When someone loses their job and faces financial difficulties, Bradford said it’s difficult for some people, especially Westporters, to ask for help because the ordeal can be so damaging. “Westport is a place where people are reluctant to come forward when they’re having problems,” she said. She hopes people will see that there is no shame in suffering, but if they are still concerned about privacy, they can message individuals in the group rather than post their problems for everyone to see. Local business owners are also encouraged to post. “I put it up, but I don’t own it,” she said. “Everybody is free to post.”
Helping Each Other Benefits Westport
As of Monday, there is a modest following of 15 members and several discussion topics on the board. Also, $125 has been donated for tuition grants. Bradford hopes that more people will pitch in to help as the group becomes established, even if it isn’t out of generosity.”There’s a big self-interest to help too,” she said. She explained that if someone doesn’t want to help simply out of kindness, helping people find jobs and stay in their homes will maintain property values and benefit everyone. No barns have been raised just yet, but Westporters Helping Westporters is working toward that kind of communal experience.
Westport News
The local Westport, Connecticut newspaper, Westport News, has been folded into Connecticut’s No. 1 statewide news source, CTInsider.com. The website covers everything from sports and politics to breaking news stories and compelling features about Connecticut residents and businesses. The Article by Anthony Karge is republished from the 2/25/2009 issue of Westport News.
