Day 4. Porter-Leath was originally created to help parentless children sustain life in Memphis when war and disease became widespread in the 1800s. It has since transformed from an orphanage to an organization that aids more than 10,000 at-risk families and children each year in becoming healthier physically, intellectually, developmentally, and socially. Now, Porter-Leath offers a plethora of programs for people of all ages to engage in, and each one is specifically tailored to the unique needs of the community. To learn more about the programs and events Porter-Leath has to offer, visit www.porterleath.org.
This was my first odyssey where I knew the person I would be volunteering with beforehand!
Alexandra & Angela getting ready for Rajun Cajun!
I had met Angela Meekins through the Junior League of Memphis’s Leaders Evolving and Developing (LEAD) course in 2013, and it was so fun to reconnect with her now. As the development coordinator, Angela is in charge of Porter-Leath’s social media accounts as well as planning and executing fundraising events. Since event planning and writing/educating are on my TOP five skills and interests list, I felt Angela was the perfect person to shadow.
Luckily, I was able to help with Porter-Leath’s two huge events: Mumbo Gumbo on March 30and the 22nd City Auto Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival on April 27. At Mumbo Gumbo, registered teams come together to cook and compete to see who makes the best gumbo in the area, with the winner securing a spot in the Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival Gumbo Contest. Speaking of the contest, The Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival is a delicious event in downtown Memphis that includes some 18,000 pounds of crawfish, live music, various food vendors, and a gumbo competition. Visit the Porter-Leath website for more details on these awesome experiences! Back to my
I received my own desk and computer to work.
odyssey…I updated and reformatted the Mumbo Gumbo Final Team Lists while Angela called all of the head cooks to confirm any last-minute specifics. I even used a paper cutter for the first time on the judging criteria slips and packed up all of the materials needed for Sunday’s festivities (Angela was ecstatic when I found the 4 ounce gumbo cups hiding in the kitchen). The experience basically included of the organizational details I crave, which meant I was in heaven! Angela then taught me some strategic and brilliant tips and tricks about how to more effectively use social media for an organization versus an individual. For example, Facebook accounts for individuals cannot schedule future posts, but business accounts provide that feature. Afterward, she let me pick Porter-Leath’s #funfactfriday post: Did you know 93 percent of Americans have eaten pizza this month?
Before I left, Angela gave me an informative tour of Porter-Leath. I kept referring to it as an old college campus because it had gorgeous brick walkways, a gazebo, and old buildings – some with beautiful red brick and one that resembled a fairytale cottage. It sits on nine acres,
Decor at the Early Head Start Program
so there was plenty of fresh air to breathe in while in route to our many destinations. Porter-Leath holds an “open-door” policy and it was interesting to walk around while every office door was open, welcoming any curious visitors. Angela was able to take me to the building where “Early Head Start” goes on, a program for children under the age of 4 to stay for at least six hours a day. The facilitators work with parents to identify and meet any developmental and health needs of the children. Most of the children had already gone home, but we were able to witness a few rascals running around on the playground. They were undeniably adorable. The last stop we made was “Sarah’s House”, where homeless teenagers under age 18 can be sheltered. We only briefly peeked into the cafeteria before leaving to give the residents their privacy.
I had such a great time with Angela and Porter-Leath that they invited me to come back next week! I really connected with their mission and learned critical development and marketing skills. Stay tuned for Day 5!
Thank you for reading! I’m searching for a job in writing, event planning, communications, or teaching. If you know of a great fit, please send it our way: jobleads@volunteerodyssey.com or aesamsell@gmail.com.
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