The frontier of community leadership

As part of the famine village in Blackwood SA we have local businesses supporting our 40 hour famine fundraising this weekend. Each business runs their own expression of a party with a purpose from having staff gatherings to getting their customers involved. The most consistent and creative business for the 3rd year running has been Bank SA Blackwood. Read the pervious post or related tags to find out why we started the famine village and party with a purpose.

Branch manager, Irena was the first to get on board when I floated the concept with her in 2009. Her heart and passion for being involved in a community event and raising money and awareness for a good cause has positively infected her staff and customers. In the first year I helped her with some ideas and to set up a 40 hour famine display. This year the Bank SA staff have gone all out and I didn’t have to provide anything except encouragement.

Verity, Daniel & I with Irena and Sarah from Bank SA Blackwood at their 40 hour famine party with a purpose

My wife Verity and I dropped in this morning with our son Daniel to support Bank SA’s morning tea party (which runs all day) I was amazed at the atmosphere Irena and her staff had created. She made sure one staff member was at the door greeting people as they came in and directed them to the 40 hour famine display, the morning tea, offered them a tea or coffee and invited them to sit down, learn about the 40 hour famine and make a donation.

The atmosphere was fantastic with lots of food the staff had made laid out on a table surrounded by couches. Verity and I sat and talked with people but not just about the 40 hour famine. It was a fantastic opportunity for community pastoral care as people shared their stories and struggles. We felt like the community chaplains.

Bank SA had 40 hour famine donation boxes on the table and at the tellers. They had a fantastic display board talking about the global food crisis and how money from the 40 hour famine will help. Next to that board they had set up another display for Verity’s CD ‘Advocate’ that she launched last year. They had a CD player playing her CD in the branch throughout the day because they are songs of justice and awareness. They were even selling her CD!

This is a corporate business who has gone above and beyond the call. Some other corporates I visit in Blackwood shrug me off saying that as a corporation they are already committed to a charity. Bank SA, are also committed to other things, but the Blackwood branch, to their credit, have made room to be part of a community initiative. They have caught the vision that it’s not just about ticking the box and not just about charity, it’s about community and participating in something together.

Other corporate businesses in Blackwood supporting the 40 hour famine are Bendigo Bank, Flight Centre, Raine & Horne &  Commonwealth Bank. Some smaller businesses in Blackwood supporting the 40 hour famine this weekend are Foods from the Edge, Blackwood Fitness Centre, Belair Hotel & Blackwood landscaping. There have also been a number of schools and churches hosting events, running education programs and fundraising initiatives. Our community target is $100,000 and from what I’ve heard so far we are well on the way.

Tune into 891 ABC Radio at 6:50 tomorrow morning to hear me speak more about the famine village concept.

Shalom Mark

P.S. If you click on the link above for Verity Skye’s CD we’ll be donating some money from CD’s sold this weekend to the 40 hour famine