It was early September of 1999 when I was sitting in on a planning meeting at FIRSTLINK, a Columbus, Ohio volunteer center. A crazy idea sparked in my head, and I asked if this could be my project. Be careful what you ask for…you might get it. In this case I did. It was a unanimous decision. Perhaps, that should have been a sign. I took it as a vote of confidence and ran with it. I had only six we
eks to do something that would not only represent FIRSTLINK as Central Ohio’s Volunteer Center, but the overall theme of this day of service—do something on this day that you truly feel “makes a difference.” And I thought, “Why not a picnic for the homeless?”
It became apparent to me that, not only would this small event demonstrate the importance of good neighborliness to an often forgotten segment of our community, it would also demonstrate the kinds of activities that mobilize groups of community-minded volunteers AND help dispel myths about homelessness. But a picnic in late October? Who would become excited about volunteering for such a thing when weather conditions at that time of year are so unpredictable? Apparently, nearly everyone I spoke to about serving on the planning committee… and with only six weeks to pull it off. My first call in the committee-formation process went to a friend, former associate and retired marketing expert. After he surprised me by saying ‘yes’ to the position of chairperson, a very strong working committee was formed. They represented various aspects of our community and included a person with a profound understanding of the homeless “system.” Support mounted. That first year, over one hundred volunteers assembled at Columbus’ oldest city park. On that cold, damp Saturday morning, they set up tents, fired up the charcoal and, throughout the afternoon, clothed and entertained 110 homeless men, women and children of our community. This was no small task considering the lack of a budget for food, clothing, entertainment and transportation necessary in making this event a success. At the 2000 picnic, a young singer/songwriter from a local high school performed the Good Neighbors Theme Song that she had written and contributed it to our event. She also performed it for Ohio’s First Lady, Hope Taft at the 2001 Make a Difference Day Ohio awards ceremony. The rest is history. Every year the numbers of volunteers and homeless served have grown. What an inspiration this has been, watching the enthusiasm generated by new and veteran volunteers who make this expression of being “Good Neighbors” better each year. I sit in awe during the volunteer-led and -driven “partnership” planning meetings at the level of expertise and diversity of those diligently working toward this simple mission. Though our picnic has been recognized by Make a Difference Day Ohio as one of the outstanding demonstrations on this day of service, none of the “partners” seek any kind of personal or professional recognition. I can safely say that altruism is the intrinsic quality of the growing success of the annual Make a Difference Day Good Neighbors Picnic for the Homeless. Once, a volunteer approached me as the event was wrapping up for another year and said, “You’ve been telling me about this for some time. Now that I’ve had the opportunity to see the joy on the faces of adults and children first-hand, to see them have fun together while bridging cultural and economic gaps, watching them build understanding and respect in bridging those gaps…I GET IT!” I guess it’s one of those things wherein, to truly grasp the full significance, you have to “be there.”
Our hope and vision is that our volunteer-developed Web site will be seen by volunteer centers, groups and individuals all across America and beyond, that ALL communities with a homeless population will conduct a Good Neighbors Picnic in their honor and conduct individual and community wide efforts to reduce homelessness and hunger year round, and that the attention given to this massive effort will someday truly Make a Difference. Since its inception in 1999 the Good Neighbors of Central Ohio have grown exponentially, over 10 fold, in size and scope of service. We have received two awards for excellence in volunteer service presented by the First Lady of Ohio as a Make a Difference Day demonstration plus one honorable mention.
100% of all donations go directly to the support of our mission. Our volunteer led and volunteer driven organization with no administrative overhead offers a variety of volunteer leadership and service opportunities that match an array of time and talent profiles. Literally anyone very young and very old can experience what it means to be a “Good Neighbor”. We strive to unite every represented culture in Central Ohio to work side by side for the common cause of uplifting and serving our homeless and hungry, as our no longer forgotten neighbors; while building bridges of tolerance and acceptance between all residents. In 2011 our organization filed for and received our independent status as a charitable not for profit. Our flagship event will continue to be the Good Neighbors Picnic for the Homeless however we are now empowered to expand our efforts to include broader community collaborations including research targeting homelessness and hunger in our society. Thus we have a new organization mission statement which does not replace the mission statement for the picnic event which can be found on our website at www.goodneighborspicnic.org
Mission Statement:
In recognition of the many cultural layers that make up our community, the Good Neighbors Of Central Ohio provide opportunities for groups and individuals who represent each aspect of our community to work side by side demonstrating that we are good neighbors to our often forgotten community members: THE HOMELESS. McCulley,
Founder
Good Neighbors of Central Ohio, Inc. [email protected]
