This is your first year as an Impact member; what led you to join? Some of the non-profit agencies I’ve worked with were grant recipients, and I kept hearing about the wonderful programs those grants provided. I wondered who ARE these wonderful people and what IS this organization that’s providing the grants? I later went to an Impact recruiting event at a private home and then to another in February at Langosta Lounge in Asbury, where I learned more.
What inspires you about the organization? My heart has always been to work with women; women are particularly powerful. We have a power that is unique to us and when we gather together, we can do wonderful things.
When did you realize Impact 100 was making a difference? I have worked with non-profits for nearly 20 years. When you get $100,000 that can go into programming that your agency can create – wow! These grants can do incredible things to keep great organizations going!
You’re serving on the new Diversity and Inclusion Committee. What can you tell us about that experience? I commend Impact 100 for being aware of racial disparities and asking, ‘Are we doing our best to be inclusive of everyone?”
As a personal sidebar, it was women in the south, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, who kept the lost cause going to reflect their image of the Civil War (editor’s note: the group has been labeled neo-confederate by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups and extremists). To me, Impact 100 is looking to do the reverse. We are asking, how can we bring truth and light and opportunity to people of color? How can we rid ourselves, if we are suffering, from White privilege?
This committee is very, very new; it’s embryonic. Going fast will not be helpful. Finding out information, being sensitive to the membership and going slowly is key.
What’s the most rewarding part of being an Impact 100 JC member?The strength that you get from meeting other women doing wonderful things in their sphere. Hearing other points of view sharpens your own and the women I have met have been amazing.
What would you like to see Impact accomplish over the next few years? By 2023-24, I would really love to see at least 1,000 women join! There are very meaningful, substantive non-profits in Monmouth County; it would be great to do something for them.
What advice would you offer to philanthropic-minded women who want to get involved with their communities but aren’t sure how? When people are looking for purpose, I ask them, what makes you smile so big when you see it done that your face hurts? Or what annoys you so much that absolutely makes you sick? When you find out what makes you smile, you look for who or what in your community is doing that! If it’s not there, you start it!
As for what makes you sick, go to your city hall, your board of education or your town council, whatever is connected to ‘that thing,” and find out what you need to do. You’d be surprised to learn that many corporations have a foundation that might be doing the thing you are looking to do.
Tell us about your business I do life-coaching and training. My company is called Melia Bloom, building people, places and purpose. Melia actually means “honey,” which is what my name, Pamela, means!
I have a program, Her Harvest, in which I take five women who know it’s time to move on to the next level. Now that we’re virtual, we can go nationwide or worldwide!
Seeing the women grow and glow is amazing. The unemployed get employed and the employed leave and flourish. I also work with faith-based organizations that are looking to connect with non-profits—like business to business matchmaking.
What’s your super power? Love! I was a transition coach for a youth program, New Jersey Youth Corps at Interfaith Neighbors, and I still see some of those young people. Some of them say, ‘You really loved us and dealt with us, and we weren’t very nice to you!’ They love and appreciate me. Love wears you down.
How about the most recent book you’ve read? “White Fragility; why it’s so hard for white people to talk about racism,” by Robin DiAngelo. It put language around things I’ve been thinking. It felt like a sigh of relief that it was written by a white woman who does the work to help people deal with the issue of race.
What’s a fun fact about you that not many people know? I love to collage! I love to take bits and pieces of words or phrases and put them together to create something of beauty that sends a message. I’ve also done that with vision boards. Anything you are interested in or frustrated by – if you get it out there in a physical space, it helps to eradicate it from your internal space.
An entrepreneur, author, speaker and community activist, Pamela lives in Asbury Park.
As 2020 draws to a close and the promise of 2021 beckons, there is no better time for the members and supporters of Impact 100 Jersey Coast to take a look back while still looking ahead. On November 17, the philanthropic women’s volunteer organization held their much-anticipated Annual Meeting, where members voted for the four projects that would receive a 2020 Impact grant in the amount of $114,000. This year’s grantees include Aslan Youth Ministries, Fulfill of Monmouth & Ocean Counties, HABcore, and the Monmouth Museum. The transformational funds they’ve been awarded by Impact 100 Jersey Coast will allow each of these organizations to launch or grow important programs they’ve proposed to meet critical needs for underserved populations in Monmouth County in the year to come, and beyond.
Lest there be any doubt as to the tremendous impact made possible through Impact 100’s support, one needs only to review the proud updates from last year’s four grant recipients. In 2019, the Asbury Park Music Foundation, Clean Ocean Action, Court Appointed Special Advocates of Monmouth County (CASA), and St. Mark’s Center for Community Renewal received grants of $110,000 each. Despite the unique challenges of the COVID pandemic, these organizations demonstrated remarkable dedication and resilience in continuing their inspiring missions and the programs funded by Impact 100 Jersey Coast.
The Asbury Park Music Foundation’s Music Business & Technology Youth Program in Asbury Park was designed to engage low-income youth with a life-changing experience that would leverage their passion for music into an education in technology and business. When schools closed and classes went virtual, the APMF #BeatBus quickly became a mobile classroom, engaging students in remote collaborative projects that helped minimize feelings of isolation and alleviate the stress of COVID.
Their work paid off and the students received a standing ovation at the Paramount Theatre for their “We Are Rising” video/live production, reaching over 1,500 audience members. The collaboration project with the AP schools for Black History Month featured a historical lesson about the Asbury Riots, student-created musical composition across the schools, a field trip recording session at Lakehouse Recording Studio, and hands-on music video shoots, including an on-location field trip to Asbury Lanes. The students also completed a graduation video for the community as a tribute to the Class of 2020.
The project-based curriculum was developed and rapidly expanded to include new technology topics such as Virtual Reality, 3D Modeling, Augmented Reality, and Interactive Design. Audio, video, technology, and classroom equipment were purchased and the APMF space was redesigned and repainted, with modular workstations installed and ready to host classes when social distancing rules were scaled back. Professional volunteers were identified at key Asbury Park businesses to integrate into project-based lessons and local musicians were integrated into online collaboration projects. As of August, student recruitment goals had been surpassed and the Music Business & Technology Program was being offered both virtually and in-person – news that is music to the ears of the generous Impact 100 members who awarded the grant
Clean Ocean Action’s Student Environmental Advocates and Leaders (SEAL) initiative transformed its new office in Long Branch into a center of environmental stewardship for underserved communities where, through a strategic and well-defined free program and active recruitment outreach, high school students from 11 area schools are invited to become mindful and resourceful leaders with a focus on local, current environmental issues.
The SEAL program offers a unique learning experience where students collaborate with peers across Monmouth County through bi-monthly virtual group training sessions. They learn the basics of community grassroots activism and advocacy and how it can be achieved in their own school communities, making real change through problem-based learning. Topics are presented by experts in fields that include civics and the voting system, environmental justice, water quality, environmental careers, recycling, and watershed mindfulness. In addition, guest speakers such as elected officials, educators, advocates, and activists discuss successful strategies and campaigns with the students to add real-world context to the lessons.
Clean Ocean Action uses a point-based system to award students for their activities, leadership, collaboration, cohesiveness, stewardship, and campaigns. The SEALS, in turn, help pass on their leadership and success to the community through presentations and engagement to middle schoolers and town councils. All of this was made possible through Impact 100 Jersey Coast’s first-ever environmental grant.
Court Appointed Special Advocates of Monmouth County (CASA) in Freehold expanded their services to reach additional at-risk foster youth, with plans for an average of at least 55 first-time foster children to be assigned to CASA advocates each year for the next five years. Their goal is to have all children in the Monmouth County foster care system assigned to CASA volunteers, who are appointed by a judge to advocate for abused and neglected children in foster care to ensure they don’t get lost in an overburdened legal and social service system, receive the services they need, and find safe, permanent homes
CASA has benefited greatly from a new development hire that was funded by Impact 100 and is creating a new virtual fundraising campaign, using personalized webpages to solicit donations for special fundraising challenges. They are on schedule with volunteer training, which is being done virtually. The sheriff’s office also implemented socially distant measures to accommodate the fingerprinting process during COVID so that volunteers could be fingerprinted, matched with a child, and supervised by CASA team leaders. CASA advocates have maintained frequent contact with their assigned kids through video conferencing in lieu of in-person visits and have become adept at finding creative ways to establish relationships and keep the children engaged and motivated, including using puppets for the younger ones, reading books, and tutoring with flashcards.
Due to the COVID-19 state budget crisis, funding for the CASA program has been cut from the State of New Jersey’s supplemental budget, forcing CASA to cut staff and services while continuing to be a voice to speak on behalf of New Jersey’s most vulnerable children – and making the funds provided through the Impact 100 grant even more vital than ever before.
At St. Mark’s Center for Community Renewal in Keansburg, a project to expand and modernize its existing kitchen allows the center to better serve its guests and provide additional opportunities for volunteers. The center offers meals, pantry services, crisis counseling, health screenings, and more to individuals and families in need throughout the Bayshore community. The new facilities will also provide a variety of nutritional educational initiatives for the community, expanded hours, and increased delivery services.
With help from Impact 100 grant funds, the initial phase of the center’s kitchen expansion was completed and supplemental food was provided for guests on the one day it was closed. The first meal to mark the grand reopening of the new, modernized kitchen and equipment was served the day before the COVID shutdown. Since the feeding ministry is considered an essential service, steps were taken to change its short-term operations in response to the pandemic. The social breakfast service was eliminated and takeout meals were implemented seven days a week, all served outdoors. The number of volunteers was reduced significantly from more than 100 to less than 10 to create a safe “CCR Bubble” and delivery service to senior and low-income housing helped reduce the number of visitors, even as the number of lunches served increased by nearly 75%. Initially, the food pantry moved to prepackaged items before returning to offering choices with outdoor service. The county food bank arranged for local area restaurants to keep staff employed by preparing meals for the ministry, allowing the Saint Mark’s small crew to focus on essentials.
The next phase of utilizing the grant funds has been focused on redesigning the center’s outside facilities to create a safe dining space for everyone. A group of Impact 100 volunteers built well-spaced outdoor picnic tables, most pantry distribution was moved outside, and canopy tents were purchased to create shelter from sun, rain, and snow. Other grant-supported work at the facility includes enhancements such as replacing the old window air-conditioning units with a new HVAC system and installing new windows that open to allow fresh air and adequate circulation, which is critical for reopening. Local contractors, who are also center guests with families to support, have been hired to do needed outside maintenance and repairs. In addition to the structural work being done, the center staff is also discussing programs and services for adults and children, both short-term and long-term, that the community will need during and after the pandemic.
All these accomplishments were made possible with the collective efforts of Impact 100 Jersey Coast members, combining their contributions to maximize their reach into the community. The organization’s mission is to award transformational grants to local nonprofit organizations, enabling them to strengthen or expand their services, while empowering women to improve lives through philanthropy. Since its founding in 2015, the organization has awarded more than $1.6 million to 14 Monmouth County nonprofits to help them address unmet needs and reach underserved populations. Updates are given throughout the year about the progress of the recipients’ programs made possible through the grant funding.
Impact 100 Jersey Coast membership for the 2021 Class is open now and upcoming recruitment events can be found online. Members pledge $1,100 each, with funds pooled to award annual grants of at least $100,000. Women throughout the area who would like to learn more about how they can make an impact in their community are invited to join this collective of dynamic women. For more information, please visithttps://www.impact100jerseycoast.org/ or email membership@impact100jerseycoast.org.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Congratulations are in order – not only to this year’s Impact 100 Jersey Coast grant recipients, but also to all of you, our dedicated members! Thanks to your generosity, your volunteerism throughout the year, and your votes, we have presented transformational grants of $114,000 each to four outstanding nonprofits that provide important and inspiring services to the Monmouth County community.
The joyful culmination of this unique and challenging year was held on November 17, when members gathered via Zoom for our exciting 2020 Impact 100 Jersey Coast Annual Meeting to raise their glasses, watch presentations by this year’s five amazing grant finalists, and hear remarks by Impact 100 leaders. There were also moving video highlights from last year’s grantees, illustrating initiatives and achievements in recent months that were made possible through Impact 100 funds.
Votes Are In…
The votes received from our 456 members – including those being cast live that evening as well as absentee votes submitted in advance – were then tallied as everyone waited in anticipation to learn who the 2020 grant recipients would be. The final grantees, categories they represent, and projects the funds will support include:
Monmouth Museum(Arts & Culture) – The museum will launch Making Art Possible, a program to bring personalized art programming to people with special needs, providing therapeutic benefits during uncertain times. Customized art kits will be delivered to participants’ homes and workshops will be taught online. At the end of twelve months, the program will be recognized with a community-based gallery exhibit to showcase their abilities and creativity in a public setting.
HABcore(Children & Families) – Their Independence Pathways Program will combine affordable housing with coordinated services to assist individuals and families struggling with chronic physical and mental health issues to maintain stable housing and receive appropriate support and employment services.
Aslan Youth Ministries(Education) – The hiring of a Director of Volunteers will enable recruitment and training of a new generation of Aslan mentors, teachers, and life coaches for the children in their care, with an immediate impact on those hurt by the learning loss caused by the pandemic. They aim to double the number of students reached in their one-on-one tutoring program within three years. The director position will also greatly impact the 140 students in the Right Choices character development classes, working to close the achievement gap in underserved communities.
Fulfill of Monmouth & Ocean Counties(Health & Wellness) – Addressing Child Hunger program will provide 88,000 meals for at least 450 Monmouth County children at risk of hunger by allowing them to participate in the Kids Café, providing daily afterschool hot meals and homework help; the Backpack Program, providing children with weekend meals, or to receive meals as needed whenever children encounter pandemic-related barriers to participation in other vital feeding programs.
Runner Up Receives $2,500
The runner-up finalist, American Littoral Society (Environment, Parks, & Recreation), was awarded $2,500, thanks to the generosity of the OceanFirst Foundation. Additional thanks go to The Center for Women & Wealth at Brown Brothers Harriman, New Jersey Natural Gas, Grunin Foundation, Stillwell-Hansen, and Bayshore Recycling for sponsoring our annual meeting.
Deirdre Spiropoulos, Impact 100 Jersey Coast President and Co-Founder, noted, “We know that as a collective, we are stronger together. This evening encapsulates what can happen when women unite to pool our individual donations to help our community. We are truly Impact Strong!”
This is your first year as an Impact member; what led you to join?