Above is a picture of Robin Standifer (second from right) in a Hartford News article in 1997. He along with six others received neighborhood service awards at SINA’s 7th annual Neighborhood Service Awards dinner. Robin was recognized for being the founder and board member of the Southside Family Center as well as a Scoutmaster with Boy Scout Troop 57. His involvement at the time was driven by his desire for his son, Robin Jr.,  to live in a good community. “My son has always been my intent for my involvement,” he said. “I felt that helping the community was something I should do.”

Robin did not set out looking to become a dedicated volunteer, he was pulled into it. It started by getting a flyer at his son’s school, M.D. Fox. A Baptist church on Fairfield Avenue was starting a boy scout troop. Robin showed up to drop off his son. He was only planning to register Robin Jr. and then be on his way. But following that meeting, the pastor invited Robin into his office for a conversation. The pastor explained how they only had one senior scoutmaster but needed another volunteer due to the troop’s large size. He told Robin that the boys in the troop desperately needed positive adult male role models. He asked Robin if he would step forward and volunteer. After looking at the reverend’s collar, around the room, and thinking over the situation, Robin knew what he had to do. The troop would have two Robin Standifers. 

Robin’s involvement with the Southside Family Center also started with a flyer. His son was attending a before and after care program run by Trinity College at MD Fox. A social worker announced the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving was looking for parent organizations to propose designs for family centers. Robin and other parents worked hard and their initial proposal was selected. They then worked during the second round hosting community events to get other feedback from other parents and refining their idea. Ultimately their application was selected and the Family Center was built on Newfield Avenue.  The center originally had classes to serve single parents and then added on programming to help people finish school.  Robin sat on its board for many years. The center is still operating to this day run by Catholic Charities. It has grown since then and added on many more programs.

In retrospect, Robin is glad that he said yes to those opportunities. “The experience with the boy scouts was eye opening,” he said. It gave him a deeper understanding of some of the challenges that young people face. “It also gave me the taste of the positive benefits of community involvement.”

It also gave him the chance to advocate for and support single dads. Whenever Robin would get the chance he would share how there are not enough programs supporting single fathers. In his experience, there are many potential single fathers who are more than fit for the challenge, but who hesitate to fill the role because they feel they are incapable. When Robin first found out he would be a single father he had his own self doubts and asked himself, “can I do this?” Whenever Robin met another single dad he would share his phone number. “Call me if you need anything,” he would say. And many took him up on that offer.

So where is Robin now?

I’ll start with Robin Jr, the boy who motivated his father to get involved in the community. Robin Jr. graduated from high school and then got his Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Morehouse College. He went on to receive his MBA from the Wharton School of Business. Robin Jr. worked for Amazon and Audible and then moved to Los Angeles working for AT&T and then Lyft in leadership roles. In 2021 Robin Jr. left Lyft and is now working to develop a new app funded by venture capital. Looks like those knot tying lessons paid off.

As for Robin Sr., he is still working as an Orthopedic Technician, now at CT Children’s instead of Hartford Hospital and living in the Frog Hollow neighborhood. After Robin’s son graduated from high school, he took a step back from volunteer work and was less visible in the community. He would look for small opportunities here and there but didn’t take prominent leadership roles. Last year, he was walking down Broad Street on a Saturday morning in April, coming back from his walk at the CT river. He noticed some volunteers planting small shrubs at a community garden which had just been constructed through a love your block grant. I approached him and asked if he would be interested in gardening. Once again, Robin fell into a volunteer opportunity, and once again, he said yes.

Since saying yes Robin has helped beautify the art garden through spreading mulch, pulling weeds, and moving wood chips. He has emceed a number of community clean up competitions, showing off his charisma which decades ago landed him in leadership positions. He has also become a regular grill master (pictured below) at community events. I had no idea that he was a former neighborhood service award winner until I started researching for this article. If he hadn’t walked by the garden that day he would have been another unrecognized name on a 30 year list.

I asked Robin if there was anything else he wanted to share. He said that eventually, there must come a moment where a person moves beyond complaining and analysis.  “Either you’re going to complain about the problem or be a part of fixing it,” he said. To sit around complaining about an issue you can change but are doing nothing about takes a negative toll on your mental health. “People need to reach beyond their inner circle and into their communities, stretching beyond their comfort zones.” They need to say yes to unexpected opportunities which could lead to unexpected outcomes. A flyer from a social worker could lead to a family center. An offer from a pastor could help pave the way for a Hartford boy to build companies in Silicon Valley. You never know.