Rochester, New York Metropolitan Area
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT (Rochester, New York) Lifeline – Work two nights a week as a telephone counselor at Lifeline, handling calls for Lifeline, 211, 1-800-SUICIDE, NYS Problem Gambling Helpline, Healthy New York, and others. I am a Certified Information and Referral Specialist (CIRS). www.211fingerlakes.org (2003-2010) Mosaic Partnerships – Contributed to design, coordination, coaching, and facilitation of a successful program for the City of Rochester which paired hundreds of community leaders from different backgrounds, and facilitates a friendship between the partners over a year’s time to create social capital and improve racial amity. Currently volunteer as a coach for the program, sponsored by the Rochester Police Department’s Maplewood Neighborhood Empowerment Team (NET) office, pairing neighborhood residents and high school students. The program is currently being used in Milwaukee and Greensboro, and is soon to be rolled out in other cities. www.odysseyofhumanity.org (2001-2002) Mayor’s Faith-Based Planning Team – Selected by Rochester’s Mayor to participate in team of 25 “religious leaders” to plan and implement a coordinated effort to engage diverse faith communities in assisting the city to advance education, economic development and public safety goals. Worked individually with mayor’s office to develop a database of faith-based community programs (soup kitchens, food cupboards, emergency shelters, etc.) (2009) Celebration of the Oneness of Humanity – Co-produced (with Jaci Ayorinde) an annual multicultural event that featured performers from a wide variety of backgrounds, interspersed with readings from the major world religions on the subject of the Oneness of Humanity. 600-800 people attended the event each year, the most recent taking place at the School of the Arts. Mayor William Johnson, Charlotte Clarke from 13-WHAM, and Thomas Warfield from RIT/PeaceArt International MCed the event. (2000-2005) Unity Night at the Baha’i Center – Coordinate a weekly dinner event at the Bahá’í Center, including scheduling a high quality presenter each week, coordinating facility, A/V requirements, etc., and hosting the event. (2004-2006) Interfaith Forum – Member, elected to steering committee in 2000 (1998-2001). TIAR – The Interfaith Alliance of Rochester – Member and elected to Board of Directors (2006) Mount Carmel House Hospice- Provided patient care and general assistance to terminally ill clients during overnight shifts. (1999)
Designed and sold custom electronic systems (security and fire alarms, surveillance cameras, home theaters, multi-room music systems, access control). Provide customer service for 800 residential and small business accounts. Designed marketing plans and training materials.
Provided crisis intervention, suicide counselling, and information/referrals to callers on numerous lines, including Veteran's Suicide Prevention line (VA), 1-800-SUICIDE, Hopeline, 2-1-1/Lifeline, Eldersource, and Problem Gambling Hotline. Conducted suicide assessment & intervention, safety planning and suicide emergency intervention procedures. Proficiency operating over 27 different hotlines with multiple databases.