Empowered Voices – What Can I Do for You? Remembering Chuck Short
By Leah Bradley, ETA Executive Director
It is with a heavy heart that I write this October blog in memory of a legend. Chuck Short was a friend, a mentor, an ETA advisor, and an ETA volunteer. He was also, for more than eight years, my monthly coffee date.
On the 1st of every month, a reminder popped up on my calendar: email Chuck. That was the start of our ritual of finding a date and sitting down for coffee. I always knew what he’d order, except in Winter. Once in a while, Chuck would order hot chocolate. It was also one of the ways that he connected with his grandkids, so it was never just a drink. Chuck understood that a small treat, shared with the right people, is rarely small.
Our coffees covered everything: our personal lives, life as residents and professionals in Montgomery County, the challenges he was working through to help other nonprofits, and whatever ETA was tackling that month. Every single one ended the same way, with Chuck asking, “What can I do for you?”
This October, ETA’s monthly theme is Transparency, and I can’t think of a better example than that question. There was no hidden agenda. Chuck put it plainly and left the door wide open: tell me what you need, and I’ll help. It taught me that being transparent means being direct enough to ask, and honest enough to answer.
ETA’s theme for this year is Meeting the Moment, and Chuck lived it. He was introduced to me by another of my mentors, Austin Heyman. Both men knew that intergenerational programs mattered not just in the short term but for the long haul. When ETA was only a concept, Chuck offered to strategize, plan, and assist. As ETA took shape and I learned how to lead, he stood beside me every step of the way.
I know I’m not unique in this. It’s who Chuck was. If he saw something that needed doing, he found a solution. If he saw someone in need, he connected them with a resource. He had a gift for seeing the best in people, and even when they didn’t know what they needed, he did.
On my computer, there’s a folder labeled Ideas from Chuck. It’s full of the suggestions, strategies, and nudges he offered over the years. I’m grateful for it, because it means the conversation isn’t over. Those ideas will keep guiding ETA as we address the challenges in this community that Chuck loved so much.
Join Me for Coffee
Chuck taught me so much and I will forever be grateful. So, I’ll keep the tradition going. I’ll continue having a monthly coffee in the community and I’d love for you to join me. Bring your ideas, your stories, or just your interest in a good cup of coffee. If you’d like to join me, email me at leah@empoweringtheages.org. And I’ll ask you the question Chuck always asked me: What can I do for you?
