This Is The End

This semester has taught me a lot about the greater Baltimore area, and the basics of social entrepreneurship. I have learned the most about Fells Point and the Curtis Bay area specifically. I have gained insight to the affects that manufactures can have on a community, because of the cultural documentation papers I have written. I learned about Fells Point because of the numerous times I was down there looking for donations, and it just happened that I would end up going there in my free time just because I liked the area. Curtis Bay is the obvious answer since it is the center of the entire class for this semester. I also learned about how to do research on a specific area and how to find different resources in order to find the information. Also, from a business stand point I learned about fundraising, cold calling and networking.

The things I think I did well in were the donations and the silent auction. Donations I felt I did well on because Conor and I went and cold called each of the businesses in the Fells Point area; I felt we did a lot better than what we would have if we only tried to email the restaurants and businesses. They seemed to respond and acknowledge the fact that we took the time to go and see their business. The silent auction was something I felt I did the most work on since I was the head of it for the class, it showed me the time and effort necessary to be able to put something like this together. Also forced me to think critically about how we could get the most money raised by combining different items from a combination of businesses.

Things I think I could have done better with were being better with deadlines, and also better with research. I think I could have been better with the deadlines for the last cultural documentation and also the silent auction ideas. I'm usually a punctual person with these sort of deadlines which is what upset me the most about having this be one of the worse things I had in the class. Also, my research I think I could have done better with in comparison with the rest of the class and you it seemed like. I didn't think however for my first time doing such specific and far back research it was as bad as I had expected. It showed me however the tools and knowledge to do something like that if I had to do something similar again.

Personal Assessment:
Attendance & Participation: 9/10
Blogs: 17/20
Documentation Projects: 23/30
Final Paper: ?/20
Outside Events: 9/10
Group Committee: 10/10

Final Stretch

This last full week before the Garden Gala is going to be hectic, but as long as we communicate well during class and keep our different comities focused on the end result everything will run smoothly. For the event putting together the silent auction and raffle items into different groups will be my main focus this week. Also, along with that for the event the food and drinks are the other main concern to make sure is on time and prepared correctly. This isn't as much of a pre-event worry as it is the morning of the event it seems like, since everyone has stepped up to either make food or has found donations. Conor or I are still contacting Adela and Anastasia to pick up the money for their ads in our brochure. Also we are picking up the dozen muffins and gift card from the cafe next week.

Along with the concerns for the event are my concerns for the Garrett Park documentation, not being able to find anything online is beginning to become aggravating and tedious. I am still trying to make my way down to the park itself, but is becoming more and more of a difficult task than originally expected. However, I am going to continue to try to find more obscure search engines or other searches to find some sort of background on the park.

Keep The Ball Rolling

Last week was a big push for the Fells Point area. Going to the area first realizing that many places didn't open before 11am/12pm was an eye opener for Conor and I. So after a seemingly successful trip getting plenty of input from restaurants and businesses, we felt that we could do even better if we came to cold call if we visited Fells Point after 4pm since that was the time it seemed many of the owners and managers were coming in to check on business.

So going to Fells on Thursday after class it seemed that I got much better responses and more interest because I was able to talk to owners and managers face to face rather than through their employees. This turned out to receiving a few donations from other places, as well as others interested and asking to stop back in this week to pick up or discuss possible donations. So this week I plan on going back into Fells before Thursday to pick up those donations and touch base again with the other restaurants.

Also, along with the individual aspect that Conor and I are doing with Fells Point the event itself is beginning to have a solid idea of where to go with food and auction. Looking up the wings from Wegmans with the sauces to give the Garden Gala a sort of Buffalo, my hometown, kind feel while incorporating the Maryland style with wing sauces and such. Along with the other food choices we have made, the food situation is beginning to come full circle. The auction and raffle is forming as well as we get closer to the event, so I will be making choices on basket ideas and raffle packages to bring to the class for discussion and other ideas. This week and next I feel will be the forming of final ideas and movement toward the Ma 18th date to Bring the Green back to Filbert Street.

Stepping Stones Lead to the Destination

Coming up this week Conor and I will walk through Fells Point again, talking to the local businesses. The thing we are going to change this time is that we are going to go later, because that seemed like when most of the actual owners came into work. This we feel will help us because then we can talk face to face with the managers or owners and not just rely on an employee to pass on our information to them, and trust that idea that they will read our ask flyer. We will also try talking to the restaurants about food donations more than gift card donations to see if we can help out with that part of the event as well.

As for the silent auction, I am beginning to think a raffle will be the best form of money revenue for the donations we have right now. So instead of the baskets we will have a small bag or bucket in front of each donation. Then towards the end of the night we will pull from each bag to find a winner. We can sell the tickets for the raffle both at the door as well as having people walk around with tickets selling them to people as they mingle around the event. However, if this week or next come in a lot of donations that aren't gift cards then the silent auction could be the better option. But that is the back up plan at this point in the time frame.

Always Look for the Silver Lining

This week has been a pretty successful week. To start Thursday Conor and I went to visit the businesses and restaurants in Fells Point to get some face to face interaction with possible donors. This ended up being a huge success for us; pulling in some guarantee yes' for donations and also many of the "maybes" we received we felt were very positive and seemed as if they were going to donate and let us know in the near future. So after this venture down to Fells, I personally say that going down to interact with people is the best way to show your sincerity and really get a feel for what the people are telling you.

Also, along with this after yesterday with the fundraising table in the breezeway seemed like a positive to raise money for the event, even if is only a small dividend every little bit will help us. So looking forward with this table I hope the weather doesn't change what happened for us yesterday and we can have an even better day of sales today and then again tomorrow. I see it only as us making more money because now people know that we are there and I feel have been hearing us when we explain what we are doing. Therefore, people may start to connect with us and want to help us out as best they can.

My cultural documentation on the FMC Plant is coming along and I should have it completed in the next couple of days. Just want to make sure it doesn't follow the same format of data that I gave you for the Energy Answers Inc paper. However, I am having some trouble finding information on the Garrett Park in Brooklyn. The only information I have been coming up with recently is foursquare and information on the town of Garrett Park, not information about the individual park itself.

For the event itself, seeing your concerns for food, beer and how we budgeted it at the beginning of the semester. I can see your concerns, I feel if we push food donations over anything else when we contact restaurants, even if it is something small (like a dozen muffins). These smaller donations can add up to make a decent amount of food; also talking to the restaurants that say they can cater talking to them about catering the event and seeing if there are any discounts or deals they can make for us will also save us money from the budget. As for the working donations page, people have been adding things that they have been receiving from their areas to the google doc. I mean I know it's not as much right now as would be ideal, but as we make second and third contacts with these businesses more should begin to donate. This will be huge in the next two weeks for us, because then it will let me know how hard we need to push the 50/50 raffle if we can't make as many baskets as originally anticipated.

Communication Amongst Peers, Communication Amongst Businesses

Starting to bring everything together this week and begin emailing restaurants and businesses in the Fells Point area. When I first started researching restaurants and businesses in the area, knowing how small and compact it is, I figured there would be around 50 to 75 total contacts. However, to my surprise I found that there are close to 200 total businesses and restaurants in the area. Which is a great thing for the fundraiser because many of the businesses are non-chain businesses so it will be an easier task to get a hold of owners and get face to face interaction to stress the importance of this project, something more than an email or phone call can show.

Beginning with emails to restaurants who have email contacts up early this week; then planning to take a trip down to Fells Point later this week to try and get some interaction with the businesses in person. Also, I feel going down to see the businesses in person show commitment and personal connection to the owners or managers, which in turn should bring about more donations and support.  So my goal by next week is to have communication with 10 to 15 businesses just to touch base, and see where they stand. Then going from there, and seeing what worked and what didn't to try and gain better results.

Don't Just Hear, Listen

 

Listening to Marc Steiner's talk at UMBC brought me to think about how I communicate with others, and also how my idea of communication was created. Talking about the myths we grew up believing, such as George Washington cutting down the cherry tree, all were stories passed down that we accepted. Hearing this example along with the others that he provided illustrated to me the importance of not believing everything "media", passing of information even if it is informal as mouth to mouth or gossip, and making certain that these stories have validity through other sources.

When Marc started discussing when he showed a video to different cultures of people; African American, White and American Indian; about communication and what it means the responses he received after were interesting. The White and African American people had long lengthy answers to what communication was; however, the American Indians only said communication was "listening". This changed how he took his radio show, The Marc Steiner Show, and changed it to become more listening and hearing what story the individual has to tell and less about trying to mold the interview into what was expected.

This was a eureka moment for me because I felt that if someone were to ask me what communication was I would never think to summarize it into one word and having that word carry such large meaning behind it. But hearing communication explained as listening made me think about how true it is, without listening every form of communication is useless because one person can talk as much as he or she wants but if nobody is listening then all of the time and energy is wasted. Also, without listening no sort of understanding can be set between individuals or groups of people because listening is being able to not only hear what the other is saying but begin to piece together and understand their point of view.

Being able to listen to this talk from Marc Steiner changed how I approach any situation where I need to exchange ideas with others. I'll be able to know that coming with a more open mind and not assume one idea is the best before hearing all sides will bring a greater benefit and make things easier. Also that media and communication can be skewed to make people think one way, so multiple sources is important to reach the full story and make sure what is being spread is true.

Becoming Clearer and Clearer

After this weeks class, and talking with my group our end goal is starting to come together with what everyone can bring to the table. With the food and drinks being covered through personal connections with each person. Also, then the other outer connections that everyone has will bring the auction and games to add to what we can raise toward the Filbert Street Garden.

Being from out of state and not knowing many business people or individuals who can support a cause like this, so having all of my group members being from Maryland is a major help. If they can give me the contact information about the business people they know I will be more than willing to contact them and even meet with the people in person to discuss donating to the garden. This I also take as a great advantage for myself because it will allow me to make new connections with people from the area, and expand my network within the greater Baltimore area.

So this week was a influential week for us because it was only the second time we have all met as a group. So being able to have everyone together was crucial because it gave everything a perspective and idea of how everything could be brought together in only two months. Also understanding the different connections each person had made things even easier because each individual brought different people to be able to donate and talk to to make the fundraiser a success.

What's An Event Without The Space

Going on Sunday to see where our event is going to be held made a huge impact on what we could and could not accomplish. Walking up to the church and seeing that there was free parking all around was a positive, however the only downside to that is that if the people who own the houses are home then it will cut down the parking closest to the church. Inside the church I saw so many positives that opens up plenty of possibilities for us to be creative and use the space in different ways. Having the stage elevated will make it easier for the performers or speakers to be seen by the guests. Also, along with that having a speaker system already set up with a sound board, projector and screen simplifies what we will need to provide and or the bands will need to bring. The large open area where the pews usually are during a church service leaves a ton of different options for tables, art pieces, computers and food. This also comes with chairs and tables already there for us to use. The only downside is that we cannot hang things on the church walls, so the only "wall space" we can use are the rolling dividers. This is good because it gives us an alternative but also limits the amount that can be posted. Having a functioning bar already in place with coolers and refrigerators is a major positive because we can keep food, drinks and other things cool without having to bring coolers and buy ice just to keep things cold.

Going to see the church showed the numerous possibilities we have to make this fundraiser a good one. Seeing the lighting situation, how much floor space we have, and also the utilities open to our use puts different ideas in my head. Bringing this information back to the event planning group will put an understanding and picture of what we can accomplish into all of our minds. This was time well spend in order to organize and focus our imagination to what we can do to make this space a place to bring the image of the Filbert Street Garden to the eyes of the community.

The Difference Between Personal Experience and Experience Through Another

Going to see the Filbert Street Garden changed the image I had perceived from our class discussion. From class I pictured a large simple garden with flowers and bushes on one side, then on the other two sides different plants all neatly settled along the outer walls. That's just the image I had from seeing other professional gardens on TV and in other forms of media. But I also had no knowledge of gardening and planting in any way. But being able to go see the neighborhood and the garden showed me what a community garden can look like; how it does more than just grow flowers and vegetables, it can teach and bring people together. Jason Reed talk about the effects that the garden has had on the students alone demonstrated in small part the huge growth and impact one acre of land can have.

Then walking around and being able to see the people and places around the garden brought me back to where I grew up until I was in high school. A very small community tight with housing, not much green space and only small commercial places within a few mile radius. The few small differences between Filbert Street and my hometown were having the garden and also the community looking to make something of itself, no matter how large or small, the idea was to make a change. It was something I could appreciate and wish was something that my neighborhood aspired to, not to just sit and be dormant within the greater area of Buffalo.

Now to connect this to Linda Shopes presentation last week about oral history. While walking around her steps to a good oral history began to run through my mind, and the problems she often sees. Without the proper way to record the interview details can be missed and completely change what the person was trying to say. Also, without the correct questions and keeping the interview on the right tract, side conversations and less important information will arise taking up important time.

Bringing this full circle, being able to walk and see with my own eyes the garden and neighborhood brought a new light to my eyes about the difference a personal experience has in comparison to a second hand description. Seeing the space and hearing what Jason Reed had to say did so much more than what I could read about and see through other media. What a space can show beats what a page can tell you. A space has an aura, a feeling about it that a page cannot demonstrate. The space has life and personality, while a page is cold and lacks the individuality an area has.

Everything Starts Somewhere

Bringing in the art and design class to help with our project at the garden I think will be a great success. Having the imagination and creative thinking that art class can bring to the table will open a new array of options and opportunities, to raise money and awareness about the Filbert Street Garden. Looking at their blog and seeing what they have done and are looking at, shows the talent coming to help and how they can think and create in a more artistic way. Combining our class, which seems to be more numbers and the how to thinking, with the art class, a crafty and creative form of thinking, there are endless possibilities to make this experience a success.

The oral histories assigned to read really demonstrated how there is a difference between what a textbook tells the reader about a point in history, and what a person who had that event affect them personally can tell you. The textbook gives a detailed description of an event; an individual who experienced that same event first hand can tell you what the repercussions were and how it effected them and the people around them. The readings bringing the riots in Baltimore after the MLK shooting as an example painted a picture of the city and communities with their residents, how it impacted them personally and financially.

High School For Change

Free Your Voice is a human rights group that has begun in a Curtis Bay school, Benjamin Franklin High School, to prevent an incinerator to be built near their high school. This facility would be the second largest incinerator in the United States, and could emit 240 pounds of mercury each year, causing many health and environmental issues. The high school students have come together to prevent this from happening in their community and bring the community to a better living standard. They have already created a video to raise awareness about their community and what it would be affecting, and have created pages and blogs to spread the word.

I would start this project by contacting the group leader at the school; begging to understand at a deeper level the situation going on and get a perspective from somebody within the community. To start thinking about how such a change in the community will affect the general population within Curtis Bay and the high school in particular.Then from there I would try to talk to the students active in the Free Your Voice group, to get their idea of what they are looking to accomplish, along with what changes have accompanied their homes and neighborhoods since Energy Answers Inc. has come in to build this incinerator.

The mission statements from the established businesses are slightly vague, bringing a general image of what they are doing. There really is nothing about how they plan to do it, or a specific ending result they are trying to accomplish. This seems to differ from our class' mission statements, it looks like we are trying to give the how we are trying to do it, along with a goal to accompany the how. Our statements are more specific and point the reader exactly where we are looking to end up. I understand our project is only a semester long, which is a fraction of time compared to the businesses because they are working for years to complete a goal. However, we can still bring that mystic to our mission so that the audience will have to do some deeper research to better understand exactly what our ending goal is and how we intend to go about reaching that result.

Roger That, The Mission Is A Go

Baybrook, an area rich with history and culture, a thing of the past for the new modernized Baltimore; now filled with restaurants and shops for tourists and locals. Our group determined to raise awareness of the lost culture and raise money for a local garden to preserve some of the Baybrook area.

Our mission to raise $10,000 for the garden is a lofty goal with only $3,000 starting budget, with having to replenish $1,500 of it for UMBC. But this is still an obtainable goal, very optimistic but obtainable. With the right connections, marketing and planning this is something that could turn out to make a major impact. This would change things for the area of Baybrook and the garden; also changing us as students in the process. From what we have gathered about connections and possible abilities this group can bring together we have a wide variety of talents and individuals that can be utilized to accomplish this goal. I personally envision myself helping the project by bringing in fellow UMBC athletes to show support and raise awareness of the project; this word of mouth marketing wouldn't cost us a thing from a budget stand point and these athletes also know other athletes and other people around the area that could come support the project as well.

This past week the readings dabbled in the history that Baybrook has to offer, showing where and how Baltimore became the powerhouse city it is today. The reading I found most interesting however was the Social Entrepreneurship reading. After reading the article I thought about the idea of not all "entrepreneurs" are real entrepreneurs, some are business management and others think they are entrepreneurs because they began their own business, but true entrepreneurs are the individuals who see a problem and use the tools they have at their disposal to innovate something to make society better in one small aspect. This article was the one that struck me as most interesting because it connected and demonstrated how not all entrepreneurs are the millionaires who created Apple or Microsoft, but can be the people who see a problem and without looking to make lots of money find a way to fix it.