My journey to the Final Four began well before the Case Foundation MIYO awards program. The tradition of community service has existed in my family as far back as I can remember. Get on the bus! And journey with me as I reflect so that you may come to know the passion behind the project. I want you to feel confident that you are making the right choice when you cast your vote for the UNCommon Council project. If at any point you feel confident about voting. Get off the bus; visit: www.casefoundation.org/myvote; cast your vote for the UNCommon Council and- remember to confirm it by email. Get Back on the bus and we’ll continue on the road. Our first stop “Down Memory Lane" is Hopps Memorial C.M.E. Church in Syracuse, New York. The year is 1960.

Hopps Memorial C.M.E. Church

It’s a Sunday morning- the summer of 1960. Take a look through the stained-glass church window. You’ll see my grandmother, great aunt and uncle, mother, aunts and of course yours truly. My family has been a part of the church since 1945. My great uncle, Uncle Donnie, and great aunt, Aunt Jenny, served in the church for years. My great aunt and grandmother were Eastern Stars and my great uncle was a Mason and an Elk. Uncle Donnie was a deacon and Aunt Jenny cooked and served dinners in the church. My mother and Aunt Ludie still are members of the church and my mother still volunteers in the kitchen.

Satellite Club

Let’s ride over to the Satellite Club- the year 1966 on a typical Saturday morning. You say, “The Club?” Yes, the Club. Don’t act surprised. People still party in the Club on Saturday night and praise in the Pew on Sunday morning. People did it then and they’re doing it now. The old adage holds true, “The names and the faces have changed, but the game is still the same.” Again, we are talking about the game of life. We must pick up people where they are in life and journey together to a new and better place. That’s what the Uncommon Council is all about: inviting people from “all walks of life” to the table to “talk and walk” to a better place in life.

My “volunteered” career began in the Satellite Club. No, I said it right, “volunteered” career. Saturday mornings my father would drive me and my brothers and sisters to the club and “volunteer us” to clean and prepare it for Saturday night. We didn’t get paid, but we were allowed to keep all the loose change that we found and believe me we found plenty that the patrons dropped the night before. My brothers and sisters- all eight of us at that time- had a blast cleaning the club and listening to the music on the Jukebox. We literally and figuratively learned “to whistle while we worked.” We learned how to have fun while we worked, the importance of teamwork, and the satisfaction gained from a job well done. As I said, we weren’t paid, but the funny thing is that I would pay to relive those days. I’m devoting my time, my talent and my resources to develop a vehicle- the UNCommon Council- that will create these same quality of life improving experiences for my son and the children in my community. It’s time for a pit stop; let’s take a rest. Don’t forget to vote while we’re at the rest stop (smile)