Been kinda busy

So...remember when I wrote that we had a busy summer coming up?  I just looked up and realized that June is gone, without so much as a single post from me during the month.  Here's a glimpse at what we've been up to: 

• Two skate camps
• We provided concessions for two local auctions
• Sponsored a week-long community training conference
•  Installed a new sound system 
• Passed out over 500 meals and 300 food boxes to kids
•  Organized an eight band/ten hour/crazy fun show

All this was in addition to our regular business hours of operation.  And I celebrated my one year anniversary with Joel's Place.  And I had my 20 year high school reunion.  And there was writing grants and staff turnover and coalition meetings and...the list goes on.  Suffice it to say I and my staff have been working really hard and investing a lot of great resources into the community.

     So what's the takeaway?  When I look back at the month, what themes and threads do I see?

     First:  Everyone really likes Joel's Place and wants us to succeed.  The Borough Mayor's office found us a small grant and are working on a VISTA in order to help Safe Place survive this year.  I am regularly sent ideas from the community about how we can raise funds to keep our doors open.  We have a ton of volunteers and contractors routinely give us more than we pay for out of support for our cause.  We receive food donations and bike donations and game donations and gardening donations.  There are new kids who come through our doors all the time because they want see if we are as good as they have heard.

     Second: Find What you do well and excel in it within a community.   There is an entire continuum of care that high-risk youth need in order to find the resources that they need.  Resources for exiting crisis and immediate survival.  Resources for discovery, training and development. The most successful communities have organizations that are excellent at a couple of things that work in partnership with other organizations that excel in a couple of things.  Organizations get in trouble when they lose their core and try to become everything to everyone.  Kids, especially those who are homeless or at-risk, do not need a community full of redundant mediocrity.  

     Third:  Kids leave the streets when they see potential instead of failure.  One of the strongest points that I heard in our training was this one.  Youth will generally not commit to change in order to fix a flaw.  Challenging them to quit smoking, quit drinking, quit skipping class, leave an abusive relationship often will fall on deaf ears.  The hard life that they know is preferable to the unknown so asking them to give up a negative component does very little to compel them.  However, show them a glimpse of their potential...of something they are good at or something they could become and prepare to be amazed at how quickly their vices fall to the wayside.  Informed hope is a powerful thing.

Fourth:  Vision is central  In the midst of endless need and endless opportunity to interact with that need, the vision of an organization must be the filter through which we decide everything: who we hire, what programs we provide, what fundraisers we pursue, what grants we apply for...everything.  The vision must be clear and focused, yet with large enough ideas that growth and maturation is possible.

May this summer be one filled with blessings, joy and prosperity for you.

James