GIVING BACK: Going 'All the Way' For One Day

I get an e-mail almost everyday, asking if e-Partners in Giving would be interested in some kind of volunteer initiative. (A lot of you can probably believe that, because I usually forward you a request right after that, asking you to be a part of it.)

Even though I have a hard time saying no to some amazing causes, I’ve started to be a little more selective. There aren’t enough hours in the day.

A few weeks ago, however, all the planets aligned and e-Partners in Giving was able to tackle three philanthropic endeavors on one Saturday.

MOM: “Can you help renovate a house for an underprivileged family in Glen Rose?”

Sure.

CITY of FORT WORTH: “Please note that online registration is up and running for the 2009 Cowtown Great American Cleanup...”

Same day. Different times. Let’s do it!

ME: “If we’re going to go, we might as well go all the way. What else can we do that day?”

SAMARITAN HOUSE: “Run to Joe’s 5K and 10K coming up...”

PERFECT!

In one string of e-mails...March 28th officially became e-Partners in Giving’s “Day of Giving.”

Of course, I can’t just go volunteer and not inform the world via Facebook or Twitter.

NOTE: I’m not bragging and/or showing off when I do this. I want it to be a motivational tool. I want people to say, “Drew is a pretty cool guy and he’s spending his Saturday giving back. Maybe I’ll turn off this golf tournament, skip my afternoon nap, or wait a couple hours to start drinking beer. I want to give back, too.”

Anyway...we were going to give back all day and I was going to blow it up via social media.

The following are the Twitter posts (and photos) from our “Day of Giving.”

A special thank you to members of the e-Partners in Giving family (especially TK and The Bulldog) for rolling up their sleeves for one full day of giving back. I love the fact that you guys have embraced our company’s vision and brand.

• e-Partners "Day of Giving" : Morning 10K benefiting Samaritan House, Cowtown Cleanup , and Christmas in Action (renovating homes for elderly)

• Decided to Tweet throughout our "Day of Giving" – 10K at 8 a.m. (Joe's Run) to benefit Samaritan House http://tinyurl.com/c9zz2j #giving

• When planning our "Day of Giving" – 30-degree weather & 30-mph wind gusts weren't in the forecast. Makes for better story. #giving

• e-Partners' "Day of Giving" itinerary: 10K for Samaritan House, Cowtown Cleanup (Fort Worth), & Christmas in Action (Glen Rose)

• 15 mins until 10K - NOT tweeting on course - cold, windy, great! #giving

• Running for Samaritan House, but representing w/ Back on My Feet T-shirt #giving

• 10K done (7:30 pace) Samaritan House provides opportunities to people w/ HIV & AIDS #giving

• Quick change in truck (junior high shower) starting Cowtown Cleanup #giving

• About 1/2 way done w/ Clean-up - a lot of trash b/c of old homeless camps - found vacuum & candy machine #giving

• Part 2 of "Day of Giving" done - I've got a truck full of trash & hour drive to Glen Rose (Christmas in Action) #giving

• Drive-thru for lunch - just realized that I haven't showered - nothing a little home improvement won't fix (little stiff too) #giving

• Part 3: Christmas in Action (renovating homes of elderly) http://www.christmasinaction.org #giving

• "Day of Giving" part 3 - cutting down trees & putting sheet metal around house Family w/ 4 kids, no dad & no $ #giving

• "Day of Giving" done - I'm pretty whipped and REALLY stinky I'm glad I did it! Never stop giving back #giving

• VERY sore from yesterday's "Day of Giving" -- starring down the barrel of a 17-mile run today. #giving

• Final Tweets from "Day of Giving" – Links: Samaritan House (http://tinyurl.com/c9zz2j); Cowtown Cleanup (http://tinyurl.com/d9npm2) #giving

• "Day of Giving" – Links: Christmas in Action (http://tinyurl.com/d6tpg5); Back on My Feet (http://tinyurl.com/d9ebb8) #giving


As I reflected on the day, I realized that each initiative was simply a hand up – not a hand out – to a group of individuals or communities. It was reminder how fortunate we truly are, and how a small gesture of generosity can go a long way.

Whether it was the Samaritan House residents cheering us on at the end of the race, or seeing the appreciative mother of four whose quality of life just improved tenfold – it was a powerful day.

NEVER STOP GIVING BACK.

'LET'S MEET AT STARBUCKS...I'LL BE WEARING MY BUTT-LESS CHAPS AND A RHINESTONE TIARA'

“Let’s meet at Starbucks.”

Infamous words when planning many first-time meetings.

Why do we do it? Why Starbucks?

Here are a few explanations/arguments (and rebuttals) that come to mind:

1) We’re all 

addicted to coffee?

No. I see people in Starbucks all time who don’t even go near the counter – much less order a Venti cup of anything. (Because of cost-cutting measures in my household, I actually bring my coffee that I brewed at home.)

2) It’s a WiFi Hotspot?
Very nice feature, but even McDonald’s even has WiFi now.

3) It’s chic?
It used to be, but now it’s more of a cliché.

4) There is one around every corner?
Very true, but please refer to Point No. 2 (and make sure you pay attention to my argument below)

5) The music?
Please….all you have to do is log-on to Pandora and type in Duffy Rockferry and you’ll be good to go.

By no means am I passing judgment. I’m the first guy to throw out those 4 ½ words: “Let’s meet at Starbucks.”

I’m just looking for a little clarity with a couple rhetorical questions.

There is one more explanation/argument that DOES need to be addressed, though…

6) It’s conveniently easy?
Ummmmm…..negative, good buddy!

To a certain degree, I can buy No. 1 through No. 5, but “easy” is the last adjective I would use to describe the Starbucks’ meeting experience.

NOTE: I’m not talking about meeting your college roommate or sister, I’m talking about first-time encounters – whether it’s business related or someone you met on plentyoffish.com.

It’s the simple things that make the Starbucks’ meeting experience so difficult…like which Starbucks are we actually talking about? (This really happened to me and a reporter for the Fort Worth Business Press – no one to blame, just miscommunication.)

If you live in Fort Worth, like me, don’t EVER say the Starbucks on Hulen – THERE ARE FIVE!

If you live in any other metropolitan city in the United States of America – pick a major street and you’ll run into the exact same predicament.

That’s an easy fix, though – just pick an obscure landmark near your desired location. (FYI: The more obscure the better.)

Figuring out who you’re supposed to be meeting can be the convenience killer. (Not to mention a potential powder keg of embarrassment.)

I will say this: It SHOULD be easy, but the phrase “Let’s meet at Starbucks” MUST be followed by something along these lines:

• “…I’ll have the 80-pound Weinheimer with a yellow cardigan on.”

• “…I’ll be wearing my butt-less chaps and a rhinestone tiara.”

• “…I’ll be practicing my downward facing dog next to the travel mugs.”

When I was interviewing to be a Big through Big Brothers Big Sisters, this lack of communication reared its Grande head.

I arrived a little early and did the “Starbucks Scan,” looking for anyone who might fit the profile of a BBBS interviewee. (Whatever that looks like.) During this scan, you also look for anyone not hiding behind their laptop, random eye-contact, and/or the slightly opened mouth that MIGHT actually utter your name.

If you’re on the receiving end of this “scan,” you’re looking for squinty eyes and then a nod of the head with raised eyebrows. Again, the slightly opened mouth about to pronounce the first letter of your first name is a dead give away.

Anyway, after I concluded that my appointment had not arrived, I posted up near the front door. (This is where you have “personal scans” with every single person that walks through the door. Talk about awkward – just a lot of random eye gestures and slight movements of the mouth to perfect strangers.)

This went on for 20 minutes – our scheduled meeting time had come and gone. (“Am I at the right Starbucks?”)

Finally, a young lady walked in – started a “Starbucks Scan” of her own – and I went for it:

ME: “Are you Stephaine?”

LADY (slightly relieved): “Yes.”

ME (very relieved): “Hi. I’m Drew. Can I get you a coffee?”

small talk, small talk, small talk

LADY (after placing her order): “My mom is probably going to show up soon.”

ME (a little confused): “OK...umm….I’d love to meet her.”

ME (after the cashier took my $8.26): “Is your mom just going to be in the area?”

LADY: “Oh, she’s interested in insurance, too.”

ME (uncomfortably giggling and flashing a confused smirk): “What are you talking about? Insurance?”

LADY (laughing): “Stop it! Everybody in Texas is such a kidder. I think it’s….”

ME (interrupting – not giggling): “Seriously, why are you here?”

LADY (reaching for her coffee and still laughing): “Such kidders…”

ME: “Are you with Big Brothers Big Sisters?”

LADY (stopping in mid-laugh): “What? No.”

ME: “I’m supposed to be meeting with Stephanie from Big Brothers Big Sisters.”

LADY (starring blankly with her coffee inches from her lips)

After several seconds of awkward fumbling – obviously replaying the last three minutes in our heads – we laughed about it.

Then, a gentleman with raised eyebrows and a slightly opened mouth approached.

“Stephaine?” he asked. “I’m Johnny Soandso from Soandso Insurance.”

The relief in that lady’s eyes was priceless – mainly because she got a one-way ticket out of Awkwardville.

Before they walked away, though, I told Johnny Soandso that he owed me for her coffee. Since he didn’t know – and/or care – about the uncomfortable situation we just lived through, he shrugged it off and scurried off to sell some insurance.

That’s not where the story ends, though, because I was still missing MY Stephanie.

Once again, I thought to myself: “Am I at the wrong Starbucks?”

Then, my phone rang.

ME: “This is Drew.”

CALLER: “Drew, this is Stephanie with Big Brothers Big Sisters. I’m at Starbucks…”

ME (interrupting): “OK…which one?”

Come to find out, MY Stephanie had been using the exact same Starbucks as a satellite office for most of the afternoon – long before our scheduled appointment.

She was there when I walked through the door and right past her table.

She was there when I performed my initial “scan” AND countless number of “personal scans.”

She was sitting 20 feet from the front counter – right where the weird train collided with the wall of assumption.

ME (gritting my teeth): “Really?….I’m here too.”

Something HAS to be done so 

this never happens to anyone ever again.

Let’s set some rules and guidelines.

Let’s implement a check-in system at the front counter.

How about a kiosk to make crude signs, like we're waiting on a flight that just landed at DFW Airport?

You know what…I think we should get together and talk about it….let’s meet at...I don't know...what about McDonald’s?

VISION INSPIRES CALL TO ACTION

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is post No. 5 in a week-long blogging initiative.

I wanted to share an inspirational article from my recent edition of Runner's World. It is about an amazing vision of one Philadelphia woman who decided to make a difference in her city's homeless community.

All through the power of running.

THE STORY: On an early morning run past a Philladelphia homeless shelter – one she had run past many times – a simple idea stopped Anne Mahlum in her tracks. She decided to form a running club for the city's homeless.

Back on My Feet was born.

Mahlum's life was changed forever – and there was about to be a significant ripple effect through the streets of Philadelphia.

On her non-profit's web site, Mahlum wrote: "Running is such a beautiful metaphor for life. Life is about choosing different roads and our program teaches the importance of choosing roads filled with opportunity, hope and happiness.”

Here is a news clip out of Baltimore, the second city to launch a BOMF chapter:

THE CALL TO ACTION: After reading the Runner's World article, watching the videos, and spending most of my work day looking at the organization's web site, I felt inspired to do something.

Here is an e-mail that I sent Anne Mahlum:

Anne,

Greetings from Fort Worth, Texas.

My prayer is that this e-mail is not lost in the chaos – because there isn’t a doubt in my mind that you are being bombarded with messages after the recent article in Runner’s World. Especially, if other people were impacted like me. (Your organization and its dedication to helping the homeless has consumed me for two straight days.)

I am a regular volunteer at Fort Worth’s largest homeless shelter (every Tuesday night) and an avid runner. To say that the RW article spoke directly to me, is a HUGE understatement.

Instead of writing a novel of an e-mail, I’m going to fire off a few bullet points (hopefully serving as a catalyst for future dialogue.)

• I want to bring your incredible organization to Fort Worth and help the approximately 4,000 homeless in our city.

• I’m aware of your organization’s mission of “growing smartly” to new cities across the country – I applaud and admire your dedication to that vision of sustained excellence.

• But I’m also aware Back on My Feet is considering expansion to more cities by the end of 2009. (At least one following the March launch in Baltimore.)

• Question: What can be done to get Fort Worth on your radar?

• Question: Are there any newsletters, articles, press releases etc. that lay out the timeline and the decision-making process surrounding expansion into Baltimore? (I’m very intrigued how the conversation started and how the ball got rolling.)

• Question: Is there a difference between “starting a team” and forming a chapter?

Just a little more about me:
• In May 2008, I quit my job as Director of Communications at Texas Christian University to start a new business that puts an emphasis on giving back. We facilitate online donations for significant life events (birthdays, graduations, weddings, memorials, etc.) My web site, which launched in December 2008: www.epartnersingiving.com

• At the same time, I decided that I needed to “walk the walk” in regards to giving back. That’s when I began my volunteer efforts at Presbyterian Night Shelter. (I’m also heavily involved with Big Brother Big Sisters, and The WARM Place – a local non-profit that counsels and mentors children who lost a loved one.)

• I have run in two marathons (Fort Worth’s Cowtown Marathon both times) and I’m currently training for Nashville’s Country Music Marathon in April.

I have copied several people on this e-mail to reinforce my seriousness and dedication to make this mission of bringing BOMF to Fort Worth a reality. (Some of these people are Presbyterian Night Shelter administrators and board members, city leaders – including Mayor Mike Moncrief, community supporters, and friends in the Fort Worth running community.)

I appreciate your time and I hope this e-mail is the start of long and beneficial conversation.

Take care and never stop giving back,

Drew Myers
President / CEO

e-Partners in Giving

I decided to share this letter with you for the same reason I copied Fort Worth's mayor and some significant community supporters.

I AM DEDICATED AND DETERMINED

TO BRING THIS INCREDIBLE PROGRAM TO FORT WORTH!

PERFECT WORLD: Nothing says parenthood like a leaking bag of throw-up and a little blood

I am ready to be a father.

I know there are a lot of people reading this blog who think that statement is…

a.) Scary
b.) Humorous
c.) Unimaginable
d.) All of the Above

The reason why I say that….you have no idea how many people have told me – with a devilish smirk and a slow shake of the head – “I can’t WAIT until you have kids.”

I think I’ve heard that statement around 86 times – each reference with the same underlying meaning: “Don’t worry, Drew. When you’re a dad, you’ll get yours!”

Well, I’m ready to get mine.

Tanya and I have started seriously trying. (“Seriously” consists of ovulation tests, prenatal vitamins, and her screaming “hurry up and put the dog outside.”)

We’ve also been talking about the possibility of adoption. Because of our ages, our desire for a large family, and our intense desire to give back, this is a tremendous option. (Tanya’s involvement in CASA – a national child advocate program – has also helped open our eyes to the lives we can touch through this process.)

In a perfect world, we would get pregnant right now, have a summer baby, start seriously looking into adoption – possibly pull the trigger this time next year, conceive another child a year later, and have a BIG, loving family in less than three years.

WOW!

“Drew, are you really sure you’re ready for that?”

It’s funny you ask.

This weekend, I received a sneak peek into my “perfect world.” I spent two days with my business partner, her husband, and their children. (Three boys – ages 4, 6 and 8.) We made a marathon trip to Oklahoma to watch TCU play the Sooners.

It was towards the end of the trip when someone made a slap-across-the-face comment to me. I think I was staring blankly at the three little boys running around their uncle’s living room like they were on fire.

“Don’t worry. If you spread them out a little bit better than we did, it’s not as overwhelming.”

Ummmm….remember earlier in the post…have baby, adopt, have another baby, adopt…BIG family…not spread out?

SLAP! SLAP!

I think I’ll be OK, though. This weekend was a good test. Here were some of the highlights (Not to brag, but I think I scored a C+ ... which IS passing):

TEST 1:

The six-year-old got carsick 40 minutes outside of Fort Worth.

THE PLAY-BY-PLAY:

• “Daddy can we pull over?”

• He threw up in a grocery sack just as we pulled into a Braum’s parking lot.

• The bag had hole in it and started to leak before he could make it outside the van.

• The oldest kept talking in third-person and reminding himself not to look.

• The youngest, very aware of where we were, kept asking for ice cream in the middle of the chaos.

• The sick child had to be stripped down, and he rode the rest of the trip in the seat right behind me with no shirt, a package of Wet Wipes, and a new plastic bag.

• There were no more incidents.

MY PERSPECTIVE:

The site and smell of throw-up didn’t make me hurl … I think anytime someone speaks in third-person it’s hilarious (especially when that person is eight years old) … the fact that there were no other incidents was HUGE – especially because of the new seating arrangement in the van.

g g g

TEST 2:

The youngest decided to head-butt the sidewalk.

THE PLAY-BY-PLAY:

• He actually tripped over the curb in a dimly lit parking lot and smashed his face pretty good.

• After the initial shock wore off, he realized he was injured and wanted everyone else to know it, too.

• His sweet aunt ran to his rescue.

• Even though he looked like he was in a car wreck, he was bouncing off the walls the next morning.

MY PERSPECTIVE:

I saw him face plant, and while his aunt was loving him up, I just kept telling him to “shake it off” . . . when I saw the blood, I decided to let a “real adult” handle the situation . . . I also learned that kids are pretty resilient.

g g g

TEST 3:

On our way home, we had to stop for a bathroom break 6 minutes into the trip. (That is no lie and/or exaggeration . . . 360 seconds from leaving the house.)

THE PLAY-BY-PLAY:

• As we’re pulling out of the driveway: “Did everyone use the bathroom?” . . . “Let’s see if we can make it all the way to Fort Worth without stopping!”

• Six minutes later: “Daddy, I need to use the restroom” . . . “I thought you went right before we left” . . . “I went pee pee, but I held my poo poo.”

• As they’re getting out of the car, the youngest says, “I need to go poo poo, too.”

MY PERSPECTIVE:

It really wasn’t that big of deal, we had to stop anyway because in the hustle and bustle of packing up and leaving, their mother left her keys at the house. A family member was in route to deliver them . . . It made me wonder, though: Would they have continued to “hold their poo poo” all the way home OR would we have stopped a few minutes later anyway? . . . I think kids just know when to take advantage of an opportunity.

Other minor tests included a running request/inquiry to play with my cell phone, the peaks and valleys of sugar highs, and the fact that watching cartoons and playing Wii trumps Sportscenter on Sunday morning.

Here are some other things that I simply learned:

• Kids don’t sleep in – even if the adults tailgated for over five hours the day before and finally went to bed around 1 a.m.

• If you give a child under 10 years old the choice of where to eat – it’s going to be McDonald’s.

• Chocolate milk is VERY popular with young kids. (Temperature of the milk is not important.)

• If you don’t want kids to climb on the furniture – don’t buy it.

• There is always A LOT of hustle and bustle when there are kids involved.

When I told their parents that I was going to blog about me tagging along on their weekend family get-away, I saw both of them cringe.

ME: “Are you worried?”

MOM: “I just don’t want people to think we’re a crazy family.”

I wasn’t going to use the adjective “crazy” – I think “perfect” is a lot more fitting.

OTHER NUGGETS:

A BIRTHDAY TO REMEMBER

Gus did not disappoint on his birthday. After posting his blog – highlighted by a photo gallery of random things he has eaten – he had a monumental day.

During our morning run, we had to stop with two miles to go so he could throw-up two nice-sized rocks.

That night, while I was out and about, he decided to kill another one of his sleep pads. When I opened the door to the bedroom it looked like it had snowed. He was rolling around in the stuffing like he had accomplished the most impressive feat in the world.

Here is his handy work:

'TRASH FIELD TRIP' HAS ME SEEING GREEN

A few months ago, my mom said, "I wonder if the stuff we put in the recycle bin actually gets recycled." It was kind of a random question, but irony quickly out weighed her randomness when I received the following flyer in the mail:

Fort Worth's Environmental Management Department hosted the "Cowtown Trash Trail Field Trip" on Sept. 20, and I was there along with my curious mother.

It wasn't at all what we expected. I told anyone and everyone that I was spending my Saturday morning on a tour bus, "following a trash truck around Fort Worth."

I never saw a trash truck, but I did see behind the scenes of a multi-million-dollar industry.

We drove out to the recycle center in Arlington and watched them shuffle through the "single stream" of recycled items and sort it down to the item of the day. On this particular Saturday, we watched aluminum go through the line. (The best part of seeing this...my mom got her question answered.)

After that, we visited the landfill in south Fort Worth. They told us how the "cells" of the landfill are constructed. They put an emphasis on how there used to be dumps and now there are strictly regulated landfills.

I just kept seeing dollar signs.

While people on our tour bus were commenting on how clean the landfill was, and how impressed they were with the new environmental standards, I kept firing off questions about the cash.

"How much does it cost to build a cell?"

"How much to you guys charge to have trash delivered here?"

"When will this particular cell be full?"

"How many cells will this particular landfill have in its lifetime?"

Did I say multi-million-dollar industry? Ummmm....how about multi-billion-dollar!

Overall, the "Field Trip" was good. I learned a lot. Got some behind-the-scene research on some investment opportunities. But the best part of that Saturday morning was just spending it with my mom.

(Check out all of our pictures by clicking here)

ARE WE DOING ENOUGH TO GIVE BACK?

I've been doing a little research on volunteering and charitable giving, specifically in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. I wanted to share some of them with you:

VOLUNTEERING

• According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 26 percent of Americans volunteer.

• The volunteer rate fell in 2007 for the second straight year, according to Corporation for National and Community Service.

• 29 percent of women volunteer, while 23 percent of men.

• In Dallas/Fort Worth, the breakdown was 35.5 percent for females and 24.9 percent for males.

• DFW ranked 20th in the nation for metropolitan areas at a rate of 30.3 percent. (Minneapolis-St. Paul ranked No. 1 at 40.5 percent, while Las Vegas was last at 14.4 percent)

• Based on number of hours volunteered between 2004 and 2006, DFW was 34th. (Tulsa ranked No. 1 and Las Vegas was last.)

• DFW's breakdown for average volunteer hours during that span was 33.7. (No. 1 Tulsa averaged 60 hours.)

• On average, DFW had approximately 1.4 million volunteers, who served 15.73 million hours per year during 2004-06.

• The main activity for volunteers in DFW were "collecting, preparing, distributing, or serving food."

• While more DFW residents between 35 and 44 years old volunteered (38.2 percent), they only volunteered an average of 36 hours. (Second lowest to the 16-24 age group.)

• DFW seniors volunteer the most hours, averaging 104 hours per volunteer.

FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

• In a study done by Intuit Inc., DFW did not make the Top 10 for "Most Giving Cities." (Salt Lake City was No. 1, followed by West Palm Beach, and Washington D.C. respectively.)

• On a positive note: DFW was NOT one of the Top 10 "Stingiest Cities," either. (San Antonio was, though.)

• Men's Health listed Dallas has No. 36 on its "Most Charitable Cities." The magazine also gave Big D a Big B minus for its efforts.

• Fort Worth was graded an embarrassing D minus and ranked No. 91.

SOURCES: www.intuit.com; The Baltimore Sun; Men's Health; Corporation for National & Community Service; Chronicle of Philanthropy.