At first blush, it might strike some as odd that Tricia Hyacinth has entered the nonprofit world after recently earning her MBA from the University of Connecticut and successfully co-founding and managing sales and marketing for a Stamford computer training company. Yet, her new position as a project manager at Hands on Hartford makes sense given she spent a recent vacation in a tropical location helping others.
Hyacinth, who likes to travel internationally, visited Guatemala with her twin daughters and husband for two reasons: to broaden her children’s knowledge of Spanish and to volunteer for an association that cares for malnourished children. The family spent their time feeding, changing and playing with the children being cared for. “Going forward, we would like all of our vacations to have a volunteer component,” Hyacinth said.
“I decided to look specifically at nonprofits because I have an affinity for nonprofits,” said Hyacinth, 35. “I am a volunteer at heart. I wanted to work at a place where I could help people directly.”
Hands On Hartford, a Hartford-based volunteer action center and social services agency, added Hyacinth to its Community Engagement team. Her first project was to promote activities related to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which Hands on Hartford wants to make into a signature event. Among the activities is a Home Décor drive to make its HIV/AIDS facility less institutional and more homey.
The local nonprofit also is part of Disney’s “Give a Day, Get a Day” program where people can get a ticket to one of its theme parks in exchange for volunteering at a nonprofit. People can come to Hands on Hartford and do the volunteer work requirement.
“We’re one of the agencies offering opportunities for people to participate,” she said.
Originally, Hyacinth intended to pursue a career in law, which is why she earned her master’s in political science from Southern Connecticut State University and a bachelor’s in political science from Brooklyn College. Instead, she focused on building her and her husband’s business. Now she happily makes the 53-mile drive each day to Hartford from her home in Monroe. “I’ve grown accustomed to commuting,” she said.
