A Lesson about Mission

The SML Charity Home Tour is an annual event at Smith Mountain Lake. It was founded over 20 years ago as a way to generate funding to assist local charities. SML Good Neighbors has benefited from this event for the past six years. The story below is a real-life event that happened to me as we prepared for the 2014 home tour. 

Russell Baskett

October 14, 2014

     Last Thursday, October 9th, I had picked up all of the supplies for the parking and docking activities from the Charity Home Tour storage building. Jim Mullens and I met at the Moonan house, put up the signs, and made certain everything was in order to ensure the safety of the guests that would begin coming to tour the home the next morning. It had been a long day, getting the supplies was a little chaotic; it was now 6:30. I was tired, hungry, thinking about spending the next three days on my feet parking cars, shuttling volunteers from their parking area to the house and helping coordinate our parking volunteers—my mood was not good (that's an understatement). On the way home I stopped at the Exxon station across the street from the Blackwater Cafe to put gas in my car and buy water. As I came out of the store I saw a man cleaning out the trash containers by the gas pumps. He was looking at my van and specifically at the magnetic SML Good Neighbors sign I had put on the door. As I got closer we nodded to each other and he started the conversation:

            "Are you part of the Good Neighbors?"

            "Yes I am; I helped start the program."

            He reached out and shook my hand

"You folks are doing a wonderful thing. I really thank you. My two daughters came to the camp this summer and they loved it."

Although we didn't exchanged names I found out that his daughters are ages 6 and 9.

"We were in a real tough spot this summer. We didn't know how we could get our daughters to the school. It is expensive but my wife took them anyway. One day when I picked them up a lady asked me, “Do you know about our gas card program?" "I said I didn't. She explained it to me and got me a gas card. It was the help we needed."

He shook my hand again and said, "you folks are doing wonderful things; this is a great program, thank you."

     As you can imagine, I left the Exxon store in a much better mood than when I arrived; my bad mood was gone, my spirits were lifted. This chance meeting (was it chance?) with a parent reminded me that the Good Neighbors program is a mission—it's about the children we serve, not my comfort. It was a good and humbling lesson.

"Arrow to the Sun"

A Great Idea—Saturday Enrichments in the Arts (S.E.A.) Becomes a Reality

Well—it has happened again; another bright idea has become a reality at SML Good Neighbors. We have been talking for many months about having out-of-school programs for our Good Neighbors kids during the school year as well as in the summer. Many of our ideas have focused on the arts, and on January 11, 2014 the first S.E.A. program was launched in partnership with the Roanoke Children’s Theatre. We have been partnering with RCT since 2009 so a theater program as our first S.E.A. was a natural.

The program that began on the 11^th was the idea of Pat Wilhelms, Artistic Director of the RCT, who said one day during the summer; “it would be great to have a theater program for the Good Neighbors kids during the school year.” So, here it is—a great idea that became a reality; thanks Pat!!!

Following a shared lunch, the kids were led through a series of warm- up exercises to loosen up their muscles, voices and inhibitions. It didn’t take long before the shyness melted away and everyone was having a great time. Benjamin began the day very quiet and reserved, but as caught in this photo—he got over it!

Pat and Caroline taught the kids to do mime and use it to help tell the story, Arrow to the Sun. This folktale from the Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico tells the story of a mysterious boy’s search for his father. As the story unfolds, “The Lord of the Sun sent a spark of life to earth, and it became the Boy. When he grew older, he sought his father—until finally, Arrowmaker made an arrow of Boy and sent him to the Sun.” Using, mime, drumming, and dialogue, the kids—with Pat’s guidance—made this story in to a dramatic presentation. I was impressed and surprised at how quickly our kids connected with this theater activity. And, I felt a special connection to this folktale having spent time at the Acoma Pueblo. It is a very special place.

Did our first S.E.A. program live up to our expectations? ABSOLUTELY. The kids worked together (team-building), they learned about another culture, they used listening and verbal skills, and practiced story telling through metaphor and imagination. What a fun way to experience education! What does Pat have in store for the next seven (7) classes? I love surprises; so do our kids.

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