How do I measure Success?

Early this morning, as darkness began to be replaced by first light, my thoughts were drawn to our pride in the successes of Good Neighbors—the impact we have on the kids and our interns. I thought about the conventional measures we use; output data, outcomes data, surveys of kids, families, volunteers—all the conventional things that yield numerical data for tables, pie-charts, bar graphs, annual reports and public speeches. Of course, these are essential when we apply for funds to foundations, trusts or government agencies. These are the measurements that give any organization credibility. And, they are important mileposts we need to evaluate our progress toward achievement of our goals.

             As morning light slowly filled the living room, I found myself staring at a painting my wife Sarah had placed on the mantle above our fireplace. She routinely does this while she is in the process of creating a new painting to study her progress and critique her work. This is a painting called “the Cellist.”  The subject is Chloé, one of our Good Neighbors interns from 2013. Chloé is an accomplished musician but also a compassionate and gifted teacher. In a previous post, I shared the story about her relationship with one of our kids, Buddy, and his saying, “I wrote it in Greek for you.” Recall that Buddy has challenges and his principal was moved by the acceptance and compassion he received at the Good Neighbors program and specifically by Chloé. Before the Christmas break, Chloé is trying to arrange a visit with Buddy at his school. You should know—this is probably a 60-mile trip each way.

In the fullness of the day’s light, I admire this beautiful portrait. It is remarkably sensitive and captures the spirit of Chloé. But as I gaze at the painting, my thoughts lead me to a deeper place, a place of emotional memory. It is a gateway to a story written on my heart about a special relationship between a young, challenged boy and his intern—both may be changed forever. This is how I measure success. 

             

            If you want to see the traditional measures of success, check our website: www.smlgoodneighbors.org. Click on publications and then annual reports. The 2013 annual program report is there.

             

Response to "I wrote it in Greek for you"

I recently posted a reflection from one of our 2013 interns, Chloé Benner, about her special relationship with one of the children. This same reflection was published in our current newsletter. When the principal of Buddy's school read the reflection she sent me the following message. Her's is another message that affirms the impact the Good Neighbors program has on children.

"I can't begin to express my gratitude for the SML Good Neighbors summer program. I have for the past four summers benefited from the program for my Huddleston students. Today my gratitude is heightened ten fold. Your newsletter arrived today and the story about "my" Buddy moved me to tears. You see, most people see him as hard to love, intolerable, difficult and a problem child."

"For someone on your staff to see him as I do made my heart leap with joy. I am beyond thankful for the SML Good Neighbors program."

"You will never realize the impact that you are making on so many lives."

Aprille

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

A Party Every Friday

September 19, 2013

When I heard this story yesterday, I had to push back tears of gratitude for the Good Neighbors’ programs. To give you a little background information, Good Neighbors provides weekend backpacks to the enrichment day campers (as well as summer school students) every Friday during camp. These backpacks are filled with food for the weekend and a new book.  Thank you to Pende for sharing this story with us! 

- Lisa 

“I was a Good Neighbors’ Reading Buddy [at the enrichment day camp] with a young boy around 7 years old and it was a Friday (backpack day). He was really wiggly and I finally asked him why he was so excited.  He told me they were ‘having a party’ at his house that night! I said ‘a party?’  He said ‘Yes!’  [Every Friday during camp] his granny would come over and ‘we all get to eat!’  Breaks your heart.” - Pende

"I Wrote it in Greek for You"

It has been many months since I added to the blog. It’s not because I have nothing to say; it’s just a matter of discipline. But, this morning I received a reflection from one of our 2013 interns, Chloé Benner from Virginia Tech, that so clearly captures the mission of the Good Neighbors program that it has to be shared. Her reflection helps me understand why I have such passion for this work. I hope all who read this catch the passion!

Chloé’s reflection—

              

       

    Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether something you did had a positive impact on a child. All of the interns spent the summer brainstorming, prepping, and presenting activities that we hoped would be of benefit to the large numbers of children entrusted to us through Good Neighbors. Sometimes the feedback from the kids isn’t immediate or obvious, but if you watch for the subtle signs that something caught their attention, you pick up on things that might have made a difference in a child’s life.

            One day for art we were outside using chalk on the blacktop. As a Classics major who loves all things Greek and Roman, I decided to make the activity educational in relation to my own field – so I offered to write the name of any student who was interested in ancient Greek letters. One boy named Buddy joined the line, glanced at his name in an ancient script scrawled across our modern asphalt, then promptly left and moved on to other things.

            Buddy had been having some trouble in school, with his peers and with his teachers, due to his recently diagnosed autism. At camp, though, he was learning to relate to those around him beautifully. Evidence of this came during morning games one day. Buddy loved to draw cars and trucks, and one morning he presented me with a picture of an ambulance. I told him that I loved his art and would always hold onto it, but I requested that he write his name on it so that I would always remember the friend who gave it to me. He picked up a pencil, wrote his name, then handed it back to me. But there was something unusual about it. The first letter of his name had an extra tail, and his d’s had more curves than they would with typical handwriting. “I wrote it in Greek for you,” he said. 

            I was speechlessly grateful. Now all of the children and interns have scattered back to their homes, but I keep that ambulance drawing by me as a reminder of why this summer was so meaningful. In that one simple gesture, Buddy showed me that the students I worked with might have absorbed more than I knew. What looked like a quick glance at his name on the blacktop took enough time for him to memorize what I was sharing. One small moment, that I thought went nearly unnoticed, ended up staying in his memory. And beyond that, this child who had been having trouble connecting with the emotions of others did something that turned into the most thoughtful gift I have ever received. He respected my love for a subject, though it probably had not been of prior interest to him, and he made me realize that the subjects I study and the jobs I take with elementary school children give my life meaning.

            From that point on, whenever Buddy was writing or drawing anything for me, he instinctively wrote his name in Greek. I held on to each one of those pieces to help me remember that my time, and the time that the other interns spent at Good Neighbors, left a mark for the better on these children, and as a reminder that these wonderful, thoughtful children turned this summer into the best I’ve ever had through unassuming acts of kindness, just like Buddy’s.