Community

Philly SHRM

I have been volunteering with the Philadelphia Society for Human Resource Management (Philly SHRM) since 2015, working primarily on the annual Symposium team.  In 2017, I became a Philly SHRM Board Member and one of the Directors for the annual Symposium.  Through this volunteer effort I have had the privilege of working with over 60 amazing speakers who would speak during the annual event.

These events have been a wonderful time to connect to others working in both Human Resource and business in general.  The team has created an astounding event year after year resulting in sold-out venues and the need to move our location to permit an even larger audience. 

As my time has grown in this volunteer capacity I have since been named the Vice President for the Symposium.  With these duties, I oversee a team of Directors who work together to identify and select the speakers for the upcoming symposiums.  It is my honor to work with a dedicated and dependable team as we continue to expand the reach of the event.

We are excited to prepare for each year’s symposium.  If you are interested in attending, sponsoring, or like me, volunteering, please reach out to me or Philly SHRM.

One Meal

Over the past six years I have assisted in the One Meal program sponsored by Kids Around the World (KATW).  During this one-day event, we pack over 250,000 meals that are sent to a care point in South Africa.  These meals are prepared by locals and provided to orphans.  Sadly, these are typically the only meal these children may end up having that entire day. 

Through our efforts, we have packed nearly two million meals over these past few years.  This is no small feat and requires preparation and focused logistics.  Prior to the events, I work with the KATW staff to set-up the site through moving pallets of ingredients and discussing logistics to ensure a smooth operation on the day of the event. 

During the day of the event there are over twenty stations set-up that run for approximately one-hour shifts.  My role during this amazing event is to direct and oversee the ingredient fillers and those moving the final products to the pelleting stations.  Each shift I am blessed to oversee approximately 30-40 volunteers who assist in lugging around 75-80 lb. bags of ingredients to ensure the lines are productive.  The amazing part is the number of younger kids and teens who seek me out to help move the final product to allow clear paths for those moving the heavier items. 

We host this program at our local church, Calvary Chapel Chester Springs.  I cannot wait for this years event.  Feel free to contact me or KATW if you are interested in hosting one of these amazing events.

Uruguay Missions

Recently, I was fortunate enough to join a construction team that went to Carmelo, Uruguay to assist in constructing a parsonage for an amazing group of people.  Many of the crew on the trip were construction contractors by trade and had awesome skillsets.  I was one of the two helpers who went along to assist in anything that was needed during the trip. 

While the picture shows us enjoying a well-earned break, it was not all fun and games.  Our work consisted in building a second story deck along with fabricating runners to be used for the stairs.  This was the main area I focused on while many of the contractors worked on the internal finishing work for the drywall that was hung and another crew completed the electrical installation.  These were typically long days with a tendency to last 12 hours or more, but were special as the local’s made meals for us throughout the days.

During the travels to and from, I used my navigation and people skills to assist us moving through the many airports and check-points to permit for a smooth trip.  It provided me an opportunity to practice my Spanish and enhance diplomacy moving through the countries.

The team has since expanded and returned several times to assist in the continued construction at the local church and parsonage.  I am looking forward to returning on a future trip to help bring the construction to completion and spend time with the many friends I made in both the team and the local community. 

Night to Shine

Over the last three years my family and I have been fortunate to team up with the Tim Tebow Foundation for their Night to Shine event.  This is an unforgettable worldwide celebration event, honoring and valuing people with special needs.  It is a complimentary event for people with special needs wherein they get a chance to celebrate their lives and have a great time.

Over the past three years we have each been teamed up as buddies for the attendees.  Through these efforts we get to celebrate with those in the special needs community and support them in having a wonderful time in a fully-inclusive environment.  While we are having this celebration locally, there are millions of similar celebrations going on all over the world unifying all those who attend and blessing millions through this wonderful event. 

If you are interested in volunteering, or know someone who might be interested, please feel free to reach out to the Tim Tebow Foundation on their link for Night to Shine. Hopefully this will inspire you to join your community in celebrating in this amazing event.