|
November 2024
Volume 24 Issue 11
| |
Outcome measures affirm ReWork/Rotary initiative a success story
by Charles Layman
In 2021 then president, Mark Christian appointed a committee to explore how The Rotary Club of Richmond could participate in a multi-year major signature project. After weeks of reviewing various areas open for participation the committee recommended to the Board of Directors that workforce development be the focus.
The Board of Directors agreed that workforce development should be pursued and a partnership with ReWork Richmond was formed. An annual financial commitment of $65,000 was made and the membership was encouraged to participate in activities to help the ReWork clients.
A workforce development committee also was appointed. This committee was designed to coordinate, manage, and report progress to the Board on a regular basis. Three areas of focus were established as milestones for the partnership engagement.
1. Data analysis of program participants in the ReWork program providing outcome measures and investment return results.
2. Determining avenues for improvements, capitalizing on the relationships of the partnership, leveraging connections, knowledge, social media opportunities, and enhancing publicity linking Rotary and the ReWork program.
3. Improving the two-way communication between volunteers and ReWork staff and identifying specific ReWork volunteer needs and developing greater volunteer engagements.
The ReWork program has two key outcome objectives; stabilizing the lives of those served and developing necessary education and vocational skills to earn a sustainable wage. Stability measure is accomplished with a crisis to thriving assessment tool assigning a numeric value to 6 key focus areas: Housing, Employment, Income, Education, Childcare, and Mobility or Transportation.
The Crisis to Thriving Model guides the program staff, community partners, and volunteers in developing the program disciplines and development courses for each ReWork participant.
Now, after a 2 ½ year partnership, we have sufficient, validated data to provide the club with outcome measures of the ReWork program along with the impact of our investment in the ReWork workforce development program.
The advisory committee was invited to present the progress and outcome results at the September Board of Directors meeting. We were fortunate to have Dr. Robert Cook present his methodology and conclusions regarding the ReWork program.
Dr. Cook, has served as a professor of economics at the University of Richmond for over 40 years and was head of the University’s Robins School of Business Economics Department for over a decade. Dr. Cook gathered data and completed an analysis determining return on investment, changes in wages, taxes, and government benefits, along with providing a tool for Rework to perform program evaluation analysis on a continuing base.
Outcomes were based on a sample group of 8 members enrolled in the ReWork program. 30 months is the average number of months for a member to attain a measure of stability in the crisis to thriving model and attain earnings at or near a sustaining wage.
Program results from Dr. Cook’s sample analysis:
· Salaries increased – 3.05 X over earnings at enrollment
· Subsidies decreased – 55% reduction in dependence on government assistance
· Taxes paid – 4.93 X over taxes being paid upon entry into the program
· *Philanthropic investment return – 3.52 X for each dollar invested (donated) during this 30-month period.
The Board has agreed to continue this signature project through 2025 with a $40,000 contribution from The Club and $25,000 from an anonymous donor – Total $65,000.
The numbers speak for themselves… Thanks to you lives are being saved and individuals are being put back into society as active participants.
This is truly Service above Self.
*Formula derived from research provided by ArborRising, Courtney Tran & Scott Thomas
| | |
Project Warm
We have lots of wood ready to be split at the wood lot to prepare when the weather turns really cold weather and we deliver wood to individuals who depend on wood only for their heat source.
Join us Saturday mornings starting November 16 at 9am for splitting and delivery. The woodlot is located at a city-owned maintenance lot behind John Marshall High School off Chamberlayne & North Avenues, 608 Forest Lawn Drive.
Contact Joe Kelleher via email with questions!
| | |
|
Walk to End Alzheimer's
The Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support, and research. The Alzheimer Association is a resource partner for the Alzheimer's Dementia Rotary Action Group (ADRAG).
The Richmond Walk to End Alzheimer’s is Saturday, November 9 at City Stadium. We have a Team registered at alz.org/walk. To join the team or donate to the team click on Find a Team (Rotary Club of Richmond). To donate to one of our participants (Sherry Peterson or John White), click on Find a Participant. You can also bring a check to Sherry or John.
If you have questions, contact Sherry at 804-512-1038. Thanks for your support.
| | | |
|
Cheer on the Spiders
Our November Social will be a trip to the Robins Center to cheer on the University of Richmond Spiders as they take on the University of Maine, 7 PM, November 20! Ticket information coming soon.
| | |
|
Volunteer Opportunity:
Meals on Wheels
Grab a buddy and/or make a new friend! Meals on Wheels is in need of drivers and runners Thursday mornings. This is a two person volunteer opportunity! Sherry Peterson is heading up this effort. Sign-up sheets are always available at our meetings. Drivers and volunteers are needed for November and December and into the New Year! Make new friends and make a difference in our neighbors' lives. Reach out to Sherry directly at sepete@verizon.net.
Please note the new location:
8020 Villa Park Drive
Richmond, VA 23228.
| |  |
|
Volunteer Opportunity:
Rework Richmond
Volunteer opportunities range from resume preparation for employment consideration to financial coaching with participants.
Contact John Purnell via email, purnelljc@comcast.net, or Charles Layman via email, laymanc@comcast.net, and Todd Martin via email, toddmartin@comcast.net,
and let them know how you can help.
| |
|
Volunteer Opportunity:
Project Ramp
Build a ramp and join your fellow Rotarians for a morning of fun and community service. Accessibility is critical for safety and quality of life. John Delandro is heading up this effort. Reach out to John directly at johndelandro3@gmail.com.
| | |
|
Volunteer Opportunity:
Blood Drive
Make plans now to join the Rotary Club of Richmond January 22nd at Bon Air Christian Church for our first Blood Drive for 2025- let's make it a great Rotary showing!
| |
Ryan Boyce
Q1. What drew me to Rotary:
After moving to Richmond, I wanted to become more involved in the community and meet leaders across a variety of industries. I wanted to make sure that I am giving back to the place that I currently call home, and The Rotary Club of Richmond allows me to do that.
Q2. Recent volunteer project:
I recently participated in building a garden at Westover Hills Elementary School, through Fit4Kids, in order to promote hand-on nutrition learning through gardens. I am an active member of the Young Professional’s Board of the Richmond non-profit, Fit4Kids. Fit4Kids strives to improve the health and wellness of children in the Greater Richmond area through a variety of activities with local schools where help is needed.
Q3. Favorite places in Richmond:
I enjoy trying out new restaurants/breweries in Richmond and my favorites include The Continental, Buskey Cider, and Hardywood Park Craft Brewery.
Q4. Service above self:
To me, “service above self” means looking beyond the scope of yourself and actively finding ways to help others. Service in the benefit of others provides a satisfaction and sense of humility that is incomparable to other actions.
Connect with Ryan via Linked In!
| |
Marcus Rand
Q1. What drew you to the Rotary Club of Richmond? After graduating from JMU this last May, I was really interested in finding opportunities for service and community outreach similar to those I had in undergrad. I've long heard of the Rotary Club's reputation for volunteerism and community building, so I was excited to see the presence Rotary has in Richmond. My grandfather was very active his Bethel, ME, and always spoke proudly of their commitment to service.
Q2. Share with us a recent volunteer project/organization in which you have participated. Although I haven't yet gotten to volunteer with the Richmond Rotary, I was given the opportunity to work with a migrant-focused nonprofit in Florida as part of the Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program at JMU this past Spring. We worked with the East Coast Migrant Head Start Project (ECMHSP) in Bartow, Florida, which seeks to provide a quality early childhood education to the children of migrant farm workers across the U.S. We worked alongside their incredible teaching staff and helped to renovate their campus spaces. It was undoubtedly one of the most impactful service experiences I've had in recent years!
Q3. Our club enjoys our socials. What is a favorite place of yours in Richmond?
Although I just moved back to Richmond in July, one spot I've loved since growing up here is the Goochland Drive-in Theater! The cornhole matches and dinners before the show begins are definitely something I had missed about summertime in RVA.
Q4. What does "service above self" mean to you?
This particular value of the Rotary was something that really resonated with me and pushed me to join after moving to Richmond. In my mind, "service above self" embodies a commitment to community that I feel is deeply ingrained in the American way of life. I view it as a social contract to help your neighbor in their time of need, and to present for your community without reservation. I was blessed enough to grow up in a Richmond neighborhood where this was the standard, and it gave me a deep appreciation for the friendships and community that are formed when service to others is the focus.
Connect with Marcus via LinkedIn!
| |
Travis Bjorklund
Q1. Why Rotary: I was drawn to the Rotary club after years of hearing about the service aspects of the club from Will Schroeder - I've been wanting to integrate regular service to my community into my life. And then everyone at the club was so nice when I would visit! Also, 2 of my closest friends got rotary scholarships in their 20s that completely changed their lives.
Q2. Volunteering: I am the co-chair of Richmond's ProductFest conference, which I probably spend a little TOO much time on. It's a conference for folks who build and design software products. I also volunteer at my community garden. Looking to do more with Rotary!
Q3. Favorite places in Richmond: Common House (where I work many days of the week), Libby Hill Park (down the street from my house), the VMFA, Maymont, Quirk Hotel, Candela gallery.
Q4. "Service above Self" is reminder to approach the world with humility and generosity.
Connect with Travis via LinkedIn!
| |
|
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Shannon L. Taylor, Commonwealth's Attorney Henrico County
“The Role of the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office”
Shannon Taylor was elected the first female Commonwealth’s Attorney for Henrico County on November 8, 2011. She took office on January 1, 2012, and was re-elected for her second term on November 3, 2015. She continues to be committed to mental health, substance abuse, and criminal justice reform, while aggressively prosecuting violent offenders to Keep Henrico Safe.
Ms. Taylor was the senior trial attorney with the law firm of Boone Beale from 2008 through December 2011. Shannon was the Special Counsel for the Richmond Multi-Jurisdictional Grand Jury (which included Henrico, Richmond, Chesterfield and Hanover) from 2004 to 2008. In that capacity, she was involved in hundreds of drug and homicide investigations and worked with the Virginia State Police, Alcohol Beverage Commission, and Commonwealth’s Department of Taxation.
Once she graduated from law school, Taylor worked for the Richmond City Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office where she experienced virtually all areas of criminal law, from juvenile and domestic relations to drugs to homicides. Her aggressive and successful prosecutions led the Commonwealth’s Attorney to twice assign her as a Special Assistant US Attorney to the US Attorney’s Office in Richmond where she handled gun cases arising from Project Exile and violent crime cases with the expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Taylor attended the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where in 1989, she received a bachelor’s degree majoring in International Relations. After graduating from the University of Virginia, she moved to Richmond and worked at Hunton and Williams law firm as a paralegal before attending law school and receiving her Juris Doctor in 1995 from the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond.
| |
Tuesday, November 12, 2025
Dr. Clay Mountcastle, Director of the Virginia War Memorial
"Celebrating Veteran's Day in Virginia"
Dr. Clay Mountcastle was appointed Director of the Virginia War Memorial in June 2016.
A retired U.S. Army officer, his military service took him to Germany, South Korea and Iraq on assignments with the 82nd Airborne Division, U.S. Army 5th Corps and U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
He is a 1994 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and holds a master’s and Ph.D. in history from Duke University. Most recently, he served as Professor of Military History at the University of Washington in Seattle and as an Assistant Professor of Military History at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Lee, Virginia.
Following his retirement from active duty with the U. S. Army, he returned to the Old Dominion and was appointed Director of the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond in June 2016.
He is the author of Punitive War: Confederate Guerillas and Union Reprisals and numerous articles published in Civil War Monitor and other military history publications.
He and his wife, Dr. Sally Mountcastle, and their three children live in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
| |
|
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
The Honorable Kristen M. Nye, President, Richmond City Council
"My Year Leading the RVA City Council"
Richmond’s Government operates on the Council-Manager system. The City Council has 7 members elected at large to alternating 4-year terms. Kristen Nye is the current Council President.
Kristen grew up in Wilmington, Delaware. She graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communication with a bachelor’s degree in 1997.
After college she moved to Washington, D.C. and worked for the National Academy of Sciences in its Office of News and Public Information and for Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions, America Online (AOL) and the Rubber Manufacturers Association.
Kristen and her family moved to Richmond in 2005. In 2008 while exploring kindergarten options for her son she found Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts (PHSSA) -- Virginia's first elementary charter school. She served on the Patrick Henry board and as the school's spokesperson.
This experience led her to become more involved in Richmond's educational system and in 2012 she ran for Richmond School Board's 4th district. She won in a 5-way race and began her 4-year term in January 2013 serving as vice chair of the board in 2014 and 2015.
Today Kristen is a member of the Richmond City Council in Virginia, representing Southwest 4th Voter District. She assumed office on January 3, 2017. Nye Larson ran for re-election and won in the general election on November 3, 2020. Her current term ends on January 1, 2025.
Kristen was named on Style Weekly’s Power List in 2014. She was also recognized by Style as Top 40 under 40 in 2012.
| |
|
Tuesday,
November 26, 2024
NO MEETING –
HOLIDAY WEEK
| |
Thanks to our Recent Speakers | |
The Rotary Club of Virginia was pleased to hear from Nick Serfass, Richmond Technology Council. | Jeff Schapiro, Richmond Times-Dispatch, addressed The Rotary Club of Richmond. | |
Ed Mclaughlin, VCU VP & Director of Athletics, presented to The Rotary Club of Richmond. | |
Chris Mooney, University of Richmond Men's Basketball, presented to The Rotary Club of Richmond. | | |
| |
|
THE TABASCO CONTENT DEADLINE
The Tabasco is sent monthly.
The team requests all content by the 15th of month prior.
Email Katie Hellebush at katie@hellebushconsulting.com.
| |
Whether you are relatively new to the club or a long-serving member, the Rotary Club of Richmond has been serving Richmond for more than a century; do you have your copy of this history? Copies are now available; $20 soft copies; $30 hard copies. | |
Birthdays and Anniversaries | |
Let's wish our fellow Rotarians Happy Birthday and congratulations on their Rotary Anniversary! | |
| Member | Birthday | | Beach, Christopher Edward Sr. (CHRIS) | 1-Nov
| | Stamper, Eric (ERIC) | 8-Nov
| | Bynum, James W. (JIM) | 16-Nov
| | Bedell, Frank C (FRANK) | 17-Nov
| | Tuktur, Wanderimam R (WANDE) | 17-Nov
| | Purnell, John C. Jr. (JOHN) | 18-Nov
| | Cubitt, Jennifer M. (JENNY) | 21-Nov
| | |
| Member | Start Date | Years | | Layman, Charles D.(CHARLES) | 11/1/1983 | 40 | | Innes, Alexander D (ALEX) | 11/16/2021 | 2 | | Kim, Samuel (SAMUEL) | 11/18/2023 | 0 | | Stamper, Eric (ERIC) | 11/19/2023 | 0 | | Rush, Derek (DEREK RUSH) | 11/22/2022 | 1 | | Christian, Walter Lee (LEE) | 11/24/1987 | 36 | | Dillon, Andrew G.(ANDY) | 11/27/2005 | 18 | | | | | |
