| This month L.A. Works
focuses on a Project Leader who took an extra step that
shows how much a Project Leader can do beyond simply
leading a project -- and how communication and cooperation
between Project Leaders can really make a difference!
Our Project Leader of the month is Ray Ng.
Ray leads projects at Angel's Flight, a teenage runaway
and homeless shelter in MacArthur Park. As an active
volunteer for the Los Angeles community since 1986,
he has worked with extensively with numerous social
service organizations including the Salvation Army,
Red Cross, Amanda Foundation, and Chinatown Service
Center. He also serves on the board of the Chinese American
Service Alliance.
Ray is an IT Manager for Reason Foundation and has a
BA in English Literature from UCLA.
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Ray met with Adrienne of Angel's Flight in January to
discuss ways L. A. Works volunteers could help them
with their goals for the year. He sent out an email
to his fellow project leaders who have worked at and
have an ongoing interest in the good work done by Angel's
Flight, requesting donations of materials for their
new children's library.
Here's Ray's email:
Greetings fellow Project Leaders,
I spoke to Adrienne (from Angel's Flight) today about
some of the shelter's plans and goals for the coming
year. She expressed to me a desire to build a library
for the kids and was wondering if I would contact you
to see if we can put our heads together to find some
books for the kids. On the top of her wish list are
nonfiction and fiction books on gangs, drugs, and career
advancement. For the kids who are illiterate, videos,
books on tape, and audio tapes/cds are welcomed. Since
the company I work for produces a magazine, I will have
a steady stream of serious "think tank" type
books to donate every month. Do you guys have any ideas?
Please forward this message to other project leaders.
Thanks.
Fellow Project Leader Tom Hoctor forwarded the email
to many of his L. A. Works contacts. This sort of "pyramid"
of requests often facilitates donations for worthy causes,
but this one was particularly successful.
Another Project Leader, Ed De La Fuente received the
email and told Tom about an organization (UC 4H) that
was getting rid of a large number of children's books.
Tom followed up with Robyn Zelden at 4H and found out
that a program closure meant that they needed to dispose
of a lot of surplus equipment and supplies. Tom personally
delivered 12 boxes of books (all that he could fit in
his car) to Angel's Flight. In addition, Robyn offered
to pick up in the large Angel's Flight van, the balance
of the books (another 8-10 boxes) , as well as arts
& crafts supplies, surplus personal computers and
furniture that 4H was getting rid of.
Adrienne said that the kids had been excitedly going
through the books picking out the ones they wanted to
read. They would like L. A. Works volunteers to read
with them. Additionally, Shine Lin, an L. A. Works volunteer,
and Tom Hoctor have now committed to going back to Angel's
Flight to set up and configure some previously donated
PCs and any new ones that they get from the 4H connection.
There are several lessons to be learned
from this:
- We never know what we can get donated, if we don't
ask for help
- The L. A. Works volunteer network can be a very
powerful advertising system to locate and request
needed supplies and equipment
- Although program closures due to budget cuts might
seem to be only "bad" news, there can be
a silver line to any cloud
- Getting involved is sometimes all it takes to make
things happen
But then again, we already knew all this, huh?
Thanks to Ray Ng for setting the ball in motion, and
having the foresight to reach out beyond the evening
he volunteers. Without his extra step -- none of these
wonderful outcomes would have occured. And a large tip
of the hat to Tom Hoctor, Ed De La Fuente, and Shine
Lin for following up, and making it happen!
This is a great example of what L.A. Works teamwork
is all about!
P. S. Why stop the momentum? If anyone has any software
they'd like to donate to these (MS Windows) computers,
Tom would love to add any educational or fun programs
that the kids could use. In order to be legal, the donations
should include any software licenses, manuals, and media.
Contact Natalie at the L.A. Works office if you'd like
to make a donation. (323) 224-6510.
Past
Project Leaders Recognition Pages
Sept, 2003
Aug, 2003
July, 2003
June, 2003
May, 2003
April, 2003
March, 2003
February, 2003
January, 2003
December, 2002
November, 2002
October, 2002 |
