Thoughts on Leadership from Hands On Greater Richmond Day

Several Jepson students, alums and even one Dean (thanks Dean Williams!) participated in the first Hands On Richmond Day.  Our job was to provide “back-up” for Hands On staff as they checked folks in and signed them up at the kick off.  The rally actually got me awake and alert on a Saturday morning, not an easy feat.  After the kick off, I went to volunteer at Southside Child Development Center where I got to see one of my colleagues in action as true leader.

Shelia Pleasants is the Director of Southside Child Development Center, a center providing scholarships and subsidized child care to 2-12 year olds in the Richmond area.  Southside is one of the oldest child care centers in Richmond and has a long tradition of dedicating high quality services to low-income families.  I knew Shelia because Southside participates in Success By 6’s STAR project, a comprehensive quality improvement and professional development program for child care centers. 

When I arrived at Southside on Saturday, Shelia gave me a big hug and a paintbrush.  She had three projects going simultaneously– painting a room inside, laying new mulch and painting a rusty fence to give it a new look.  As I got to work on the fence, Shelia never seemed to stop.  She had a shovel of mulch in her hand while she was problem solving for the painters inside.  As soon as we finished one section of the fence, she had another section ready to go.  There was Shelia up on a ladder sweeping cobwebs.  And a second later, back off the ladder with “goop” to clean our paint-splattered hands.  Every moment she was upbeat, focused and thankful.  Every moment she made me want to work harder on the task at hand. 

Shelia is truly a servant leader.  She dedicates her days, even her weekends, to making sure the kids of Southside have the best and most nurturing experience in their early years.  She walks the walk and talks the talk of what a caring and trustworthy leader should be.  She does all of this without fanfare– just consistent, quality care and leadership.  I think Shelia is a gem in Richmond’s nonprofit community and I hope that other Jepsonites will get to experience leadership like Shelia’s during the 150 Days of Service.    

  

Jepson alumni and students on the front lines for Hands On Greater Richmond Day of service

What a difference a day makes is the idea Saturday, Oct. 18, when hundreds of volunteers will tackle 30 community enrichment projects for the Hands On Greater Richmond Day. On the front lines for the kick-off event at the Richmond International Raceway, Jepson alumni and students will check in registrants and help get the day off to a good start.

Emily Griffey, class of 2001, organized this project as part of Jepson's 150 Days in a Lifetime of Service Campaign, an ongoing virtual service campaign that invites students, faculty, and alumni of the school to report their volunteer hours leading up to Reunion Weekend 2009.

Hands On Greater Richmond's mission is to inform, inspire and engage volunteers through meaningful service and leadership opportunities to create positive change in our community.

"I'm glad that Richmond area alumni could kick off their involvement in the 150 Days of Service Campaign by participating in this day of service,” Griffey said. “This event represents a great way to reconnect with Jepson, the Richmond community and our role as leaders by finding the time to give back."

Saturday morning, metro media celebrities Bill Bevins and Julie Bragg will emcee the event that includes corporate sponsor speakers as well as remarks by the Richmond public schools' superintendent and the head of the city parts and recreation department. Participants signed up for various projects scattered across the metro area. Tasks ranged from landscaping at Chimborazo Park, cardmarking with ElderFriends, pinting a mural at Maymont and others.

More information:
www.jepson.richmond.edu/anniversary/service
http://www.handsongreaterrichmond.org

“Why Not?” – Making the Most of Service Opportunities

Maybe the kick-off of the Jepson School's 150 Days in a Lifetime of Service campaign is just what I needed to get reengaged in service to others. Although I've had every intention to find a cause to which I could devote my time and energy in recent months, the truth is that I've fallen back on a variety of excuses not to: I just moved to a new city (Charlotte, NC) with my wife; we're looking for a house; I just started a new job in June; I'm traveling for business; I just want to relax with friends on the weekend; it's football season€¦ the list goes on.

The funny thing is that this is the first time in six years that I don't have a weekly or biweekly commitment to serving others. Like many Richmond alumni, I moved to Washington D.C. after graduation and settled into a routine of working hard, going out Thursday through Saturday nights, playing sports on the weekend, and sleeping in whenever I could. It wasn't until 2002, when my good friend Jeff Thompson (Jepson class of 2000) and his then-girlfriend-now-wife Elizabeth Hopfinger (also Jepson class of 2000) moved to D.C. that I finally found something worthwhile to do with my Tuesday nights.

You see, Elizabeth took a leadership position with a faith-based organization for teenagers with special needs in Northern Virginia. She organized bi-weekly "club nights" with games, skits, music, and inspirational talks. You'll also be proud to hear that on alternate Tuesdays she would host "Leadership Development" night for a handful of special needs teens. (I think she still owes the Jepson School some royalty fees for borrowing its curriculum!) I was living with Jeff in Arlington, Virginia at the time, and one night he and Elizabeth asked me if I wanted to come to "club" and see what it was all about.

I figured, "Why not?" and showed up at the house of a family in the community promptly at 6:30 p.m. What followed next could best be described as sheer bedlam as about 40 teens – so excited to finally have an accepting and encouraging social environment in which to interact – laughed, shrieked, clapped, bounced and howled. It was amazing to watch, and more than a little intimidating for a newcomer.

I had never worked with people with special needs before. I hadn't even been around them much. I did my best to befriend a few of the kids I met, but still felt like I was a complete outsider. Elizabeth asked me if I would be a "buddy" to Marjorie, a very sweet 16-year-old girl with special needs, for the rest of the evening.

Just as the group formed lines to begin an egg-carry relay on the lawn, I realized that Marjorie – a young woman of few words – didn't have an egg. I gave her a plastic spoon and told her to hang tight for a moment while I set out to find her an egg so she could participate. Just as soon as I found her an egg, one of the other volunteers grabbed me to assist with another teen who needed help. About ten minutes passed before I made my way back outside. There I found Marjorie, standing in the exact same spot I had asked her wait, smiling broadly, and still holding the plastic spoon in her hand with her arm bent at a right angle. It was as if we had consented to an unspoken game of Simon Sez, and I had forgotten to break the spell.

I quickly realized that Marjorie was just happy to be someplace where she could be herself and have fun with other teenagers – both typical teens and those with special needs. Any apprehension and self-consciousness I felt when I arrived had disappeared – it was all about making sure Marjorie and her friends were having a good time.

With only a few exceptions, I didn't miss a Tuesday night club for three years in the Washington D.C. area and then two more in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where I moved in 2006. The friends I made throughout those five-plus years were among the most genuine and accepting I'll ever encounter. And in the end, it began because I answered, "Why not?" when friends asked me if I wanted to help them serve others.

I'm all out of excuses here in my new community. It's time for me to find new service opportunities, to meet new people and make new friends, and to get reacquainted with the Jepson spirit. On behalf of myself and Jonathan Zur, who is co-chairing the 150 Days in a Lifetime of Service virtual community engagement campaign, I hope you'll join me and say, "Why not?"

First weekend of 150 Days of Service

The Fall is such a great time to serve.  With so many outdoor events and political events, you almost have to spend your time deciding which event to do!

Since kick off on Thursday…

I’ve attended a Fan Woman’s Club meeting on Women & Politics (2 hours) where we heard from our state delegate and school board candidates- all women.  I volunteered at the SPCA’s Furball selling raffle tickets (5 hours).  What a fun event to get dressed up, head to The Jefferson and you can even bring your dog as a date! 

This week I’m planning to:
1) Canvass for Obama!  I love to share with people why I’m supporting an exciting leader!
2) Attend a Mayoral Candidates Forum… I really need to learn more about who will make the best leader for Richmond right now.
3) Mentor at Chandler Middle School as part of the AMP! Mentoring program.
4) Attend Junior League training on Community Involvement.  I think I’ve got a pretty good handle on it but I’m interested on their perspective
5) Volunteer at the Richmond Folk Festival.  A new favorite fall event in Richmond!  Volunteering here is fun– I’ll be pouring wine!
6) And although its not volunteering… I’ll be cheering on the Spiders vs. JMU on Sat. Go Spiders!

And see… I just submitted my volunteer hours and plan for the next week! 

The following week I’m looking forward to Hands On Greater Richmond Day with Jepson alums and current students.  Look for a link and more info about Hands On soon!  (When I learn more about how to blog…. this is my first post ever!) 

Leadership and nonprofits

To get things started here, I thought it would be a good idea to review the importance, in economic terms, of nonprofits in VA. So I’m pasting in a good part of the op ed that appeared in the RTD a while ago. 

The joint report of the Johns Hopkins Nonprofit Economic Data Project, the Connect Network, and the Community Foundation serving Richmond and Central Virginia presents a clear case that nonprofits generate significant economic benefits in this state. With 31 billion dollars in revenues and 211,000 paid employees in 2005, the data show significant levels of nonprofit impact.  The nonprofit sector is the second largest employer in the state, behind only retail trade in terms of numbers employed.  The equivalent of another 139,000 full time workers volunteered for nonprofits. 

For many of us, these are astounding facts.  All-too-often we think of nonprofits as the social and economic equivalent to an organized self-help group that survives mostly on donations. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries British friendly societies did provide a mixture of recreation, ritual, fraternity and insurance for working-class men and their families. 

Today, the landscape of the nonprofit world has substantially changed.  It now extends to paid employment.  No longer are nonprofit services provided exclusively to those who have joined a club.  Instead, 31 billion dollars in revenues generated indicate that a great number of people now purchase the services of nonprofits. 

So, institutions of higher education like the Jepson School of Leadership Studies and hospitals represent a significant segment of the nonprofit world today, alongside vast numbers of smaller organizations.  In 2005, Virginia hospitals employed fully 35 percent of the nonprofit workforce, nursing and residential care, 11 percent, and elementary through post secondary education employed 13 percent.   

What are we to conclude from the joint report?  The state, the economic impact of nonprofits is strong.  A major implication of this study is that nonprofits constitute a significant piece of the economic landscape.  More than this:  those who work in nonprofits supply services that local people need and want.  In doing so, nonprofit workers acquire and use local knowledge. This suggests that there are mutual gains to be realized as that local knowledge might be shared with corporate and political leaders.   Nonprofit, for-profit and government spheres within Virginia have much to learn from each other.

No doubt, nonprofits also generate "spillover" effects.  They raise awareness and provide early indicators of a need (to be filled by for-profit, nonprofit or government), and developing leaders.  Those who work in nonprofits identify common needs.  More than this, they develop solutions.  

 

Alumni launch virtual civic engagement project

Oct. 2, 2008

In a union of technology and purpose and volunteerism, the Jepson School of Leadership Studies alumni networking committee is promoting "150 Days in a Lifetime of Service," an online community campaign focused on community service and civic engagement.

Beginning today until Feb. 28, 2009, alumni, students, staff and faculty members of the Jepson School are invited to report their service hours on an online form and foster connections via blog responses and discussion at the Jepson Service Project group online network. Similar to Facebook, the Jepson Service Project group is a private network hosted by the University Web site, where members can create a profile, post notes, attach photos and include information about themselves. In addition, faculty and alumni and other invited bloggers will be posting reflections on community engagement, justice and service to society at a Jepson blog.

Jepson alumni Greg Efthimiou (class of ’99) and Jonathan Zur (’03) are chairing the initiative.

"Everything counts in this project," notes Sue Robinson, who directs Jepson's Community Programs Office. "We hope people will take a few minutes from their busy lives and tell us what engages them in their communities. We expect to get a sense of the kinds of volunteer commitments and interests our alumni have and we hope our students will benefit from connecting with alumni on the common ground of doing good."

Community engagement is a cornerstone for the Jepson School. Its mission is to advance the understanding of leadership and the challenges of ethical and effective engagement in society. Jepson students complete approximately 3,000 hours of volunteer service per semester with local nonprofit organizations and alumni report that they learned about being active citizens at Jepson.

Jepson Service Project Group: http://groups.richmond.edu/group/jepson
Jepson Blog http://blog.richmond.edu/jepson/
Project web page www.jepson.richmond/anniversary/service.htm
E-form http://jepson.richmond.edu/anniversary/150DaysinLifetimeofService.htm
Contact: Jepson@richmond.edu or 804-287-6627 with any questions/concerns

How to get involved

Community engagement has always been a hallmark of education in the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. The 150 Days in a Lifetime of Service project is a virtual community engagement campaign that marks the 15th anniversary celebration of the first graduating class of The School. Project chairs are Greg Efthimiou (class of ’99) and Jonathan Zur (’03).Collectively, we’ll recognize the contributions alumni already make in their communities across the country and around the world, and inspire others to embrace the Jepson spirit in service to their communities. Together we can make a difference and exemplify what it means to be servant leaders in our communities.Jepson School alumni, students, staff and faculty will come together online to report hours of service given Oct. 2, 2008 through Feb. 28, 2009.

How to get involved: 

  • Do what you normally do or take on a special project.
  • Service can be hands-on or more strategic or talent-based. Examples
  • We provide three ways to report in.
    1. Report hours on a simple electronic form,
    2. Post a note to the Jepson Service Project group.
    3. Email your information to jepson@richmond.edu.
  • Fill out as many forms as you like during the 150-day reporting period.
  • Read the Jepson blog where various voices will be posting.
  • Post responses to the blog or start or join in discussions at the group
  • Questions? Email Sue Robinson at jepson@richmond.edu or call 804-287-6627.

About the Jepson Service Project group:
The Jepson Service Project "group" is part of an online network housed on the University Web site. This is a secure, private group open only to Jepson graduates, faculty, staff, students and close friends of the Jepson School. It operates like Facebook.  

Joining takes two steps: First, go to http://groups.richmond.edu and join the University of Richmond group. Set up a short personal profile. Then, search for “Jepson” and join the Jepson Service Project group or request an invitation to join. You can then post notes, photos and information about yourself . The Community Programs Office will post alerts to the Group when new Blog postings go up or when there's other project news to share.