Well, here we are. The home stretch of October. The last week or two of this month is always tough for me. This is when I get in my head that I’m not doing enough to promote #AdamsActs, I get behind on posting and keep telling myself that I will post an update when I do something “meaningful enough to share.” Here’s what I’m going to do to combat that cycle of shame and paralysis: I’m going to share my actual life, because I promise that the work I get to be part of is filled with so much purpose and meaning that I am hoping you will see why I am simultaneously worn out, and overflowing with gratitude that kindness & compassion are built into the work I do.
Almost a year & a half ago, I resigned from my job at the church we had been attending for twelve years. It was an extremely painful decision to leave that job, community & church, but I knew in my bones that I could not stay. The first year after my resignation was very lonely and painful, lots of “spiritual recovery” took place and I worked hard on myself and worked to unpack the struggles that came up for me during my time there. I continued speaking, coaching and consulting for other churches, and hesitantly accepted Dr. Ashley Cross’ invitation to serve on the board of directors at a non-profit that serves vulnerable families impacted by DHS and children experiencing foster care. That organization is called The Hub585. In May I gave Dr. Cross the worst pitch in human history, suggesting I step off the board and instead come on staff. I blurted out my “pitch” then immediately left and ignored her calls until the next day, when she hired me as the Associate Director of The Hub585. My amazing colleagues and I have worked tirelessly to develop a mentorship program that connects youth in the foster system with 2-4 mentors.
(Photo from last weekend spent apple picking with my mentee.❤️) We have a program called Voices of Hope, which helps community youth in Rochester become published authors, receiving all the proceeds from book sales. (Two such authors in picture below!)
We have after school tutoring, we have a legacy fund that provides financial resources to EVERY young person aging out of foster care!
We host the CarePortal - a database where caseworkers can push out needs to be met by churches and individuals in the community, helping strengthen families and preventing a child from entering foster care. We host parenting classes, support groups for foster parents, we partner with a crisis nursery which is free and available to parents right on site, we offer summer camps, support, resources, hope and so much more. Our staff is small but our passion is mighty. As for my acts of kindness, I will admit that many of these things are just my job. However, when I think of the original purpose of #AdamsActs, it was to grow my brother’s legacy of kindness in his memory. I think that he would be incredibly proud of the work I am a part of, and I am deeply committed to doing this work with kindness, so even if these things are part of my job— I’m going to count it. In the past week I coached several of our mentors through challenging circumstances with their mentees, I took my mentee apple picking and to get donuts and cider, I helped put on our first fundraising event, I made sure to take nice pictures of every guest that came, I’m making calls to thank each and every guest who attended, supported or donated, I spent extra time with a friend who was so done her lashes came clean off on my desk 😂
I encouraged some foster parents going through a difficult season, and reminded a hurting birthmom that I believe that she is the best thing for her child and that I am rooting for her to get full, permanent custody of her child. Not many people can say that a hard day means helping find housing for a woman and her grandchildren after a house fire, or that the kids they are working so hard to support are being trafficked. That’s what a hard day looks like for the amazing women I work with. And they show up, day after day, to make the children in Monroe County feel loved. It is the greatest work of kindness I’ve ever been a part of, and it feels more like CHURCH than I could possibly say.
