The Infrastructure of Care: How Building Better Systems Helps Put People First

Before this summer, I assumed social innovation meant creating something entirely new– a website, an interactive map, or building a program from scratch. Instead, I learned that some of the most meaningful innovation happens behind the scenes. At Freedom Reads, an organization that expands access to literature and meaningful human connection for people who are incarcerated through books and literacy programming, I discovered that creating lasting change depends on the systems that support people-centered work. Parsing and analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data became one way I could contribute, strengthening the infrastructure that allows the organization’s mission to thrive. The work I did went beyond data entry: I designed workflows, cleaned thousands of records, reconstructed historical datasets, and built organizational infrastructure. Supporting Freedom Reads mission showed me that innovation isn’t always about creating something new. More often, it’s about building and improving the systems that help meaningful work reach more people.

At least once a week, I find myself in conversation with Freedom Reads team members about the importance of our work and the ways it affects people’s everyday lives. Whether on a small scale or a large one, every interaction is rooted in treating people with dignity and respect.  Those interactions, whether through a book in the library, a ballot, an author talk, or even an e-message, connect us directly to the people Freedom Reads serves. 

I realized this is the kind of work that has always inspired me. Through my work as a Peer Liaison at La Casa, I have grown to truly value work that supports people daily, no matter how big or small that impact may seem. My experience at Freedom Reads helped me recognize that this commitment had been growing throughout my time at Yale. Being motivated to support others helped me push myself to innovate and automate my own work, so that the people-facing work that happens daily can continue. This realization completely reshaped my understanding of my role and what social innovation could look like.

Much of my internship has been spent creating and improving spreadsheets, databases, and organizational systems. I learned to navigate Airtable and Asana to organize information more effectively across the organization, making it easier for the team members to access and use. My primary responsibility has been supporting the Inside Literary Prize by collecting, uploading, and organizing responses from over 200 judges. By the end of the summer, I will have created a comprehensive database that connects judges’ reflections with their experiences participating in the prize. 

I’ve also been helping restart the Book Circles program. Beyond inventory management, this work has involved reconstructing the program’s history. By organizing years of records in Asana, I’ve created a clearer picture of which facilities have participated, what materials have been distributed, and where Freedom Reads has made an impact. These improvements will make the program  easier to manage and more sustainable as it grows.  When the data systems work well, the team will spend less time fixing databases and more time responding to letters, facilitating programs, and communicating directly with participants.

One of my biggest takeaways I have had is that even though documentation is essential, the experience itself is what matters most. Spreadsheets support the work, but they fall short of representing the time spent reading, writing, discussing ideas, and building something meaningful, whether inside or at the office. Engaging with people in prison is the team’s priority. 

Attending the Tribeca Film Festival with the Freedom Reads team and seeing Dwayne's story brought to life through documentary film helped me understand where this mission came from. The goal isn’t to reach one major milestone someday; it's to support people everyday. Many team members bring personal experiences with incarceration into their work, allowing them to approach every interaction with genuine empathy and understanding. The people I work with are the ones who make the experience great because they are always thinking about how they can give back to their communities and shape the nonprofit to keep supporting as many people as possible. Every conversation eventually came back to the same question: How does this help the people we serve?

I’ve learned that social innovation isn’t about replacing human connection with data. It’s about building systems that support that connection, preserve its impact, and help it reach more people. Part of the work is carrying those experiences beyond prison walls and helping others understand the people behind the stories.The innovative part is turning those experiences into systems and stories that allow more people to understand and participate in the mission to actually see people’s lives on the ‘inside’ and feel the impact we make. 

Data can easily strip people of their personhood. Used well, however, it can preserve their stories and ensure they continue receiving the support they deserve. Good data should never replace human connection; rather, it should strengthen them. Putting people first means listening carefully, responding thoughtfully, adapting to feedback, and meeting people where they are. It means designing systems that make compassion more consistent, not less personal. 

This summer changed how I think about leadership, social innovation, and the kind of work I hope to do in the future. I came into this internship expecting to build new tools. Instead, I learned that the strongest organizations are built by creating systems that put people first. That's the kind of impact I hope to continue creating long after this internship ends.