Let me begin with my reflections on my first week on the job at Boaz & Ruth. I can already tell that this is going to be an amazing learning and growing opportunity for me, just as I had hoped. Going into my first day, I still didn’t know exactly what my role or job title would be. It wasn’t until day two that I sat down with founder and current CEO Martha Rollins and learned that much of my work would be around developing business plans for the different enterprises of B&R with the goal of adding structure and sustainability to each of them. The different business they operate are: three antique stores, a food services division with a café and catering venture, a moving company, a lawn mowing company, and a construction and renovation division that is doing only in-house work. My position will be one with a lot of autonomy and creativity, and of course challenges. Martha is the kind of person that will lay out the vision for the job with the potential of the person in mind, but let you struggle and succeed in carrying out that vision. I appreciate this because it is where the most learning will come from.
My first week was focused on orientation, which entailed meeting as much of the staff and apprentices (ex-convicts participating in the program) as possible. Everybody was very welcoming; however I am still trying to get a grasp on the overall culture and attitude of the workplace. Any one day at B&R can be a rollercoaster of emotions, and the attitudes of the staff or apprentices can surely reflect this. In fact, I have already rode part of this rollercoaster. On Friday when I was working at my desk, I left my cell phone on it while I went into the computer lab for a half an hour. As I came back, my phone was nowhere to be found. It was tough yet valuable wakeup call to the environment I am working it. (I should be getting a new phone towards the end of the week, so if you really want me to have your number leave to me in a comment, facebook, or email! Otherwise, I’ll find you when I need you.) Many of the apprentices and even staff can come from fragile home situations as well, which can hinder anyone’s normally upbeat nature. This is something I must keep in mind as I work on various projects more in-depth with my co-workers. As one of my fellow interns Josh stated, personal relationships are impossible to distinguish from work relationships at B&R since so much of the program is based on interaction with the complete person.
The other piece I love about the people at B&R is that each person brings a unique and inspiring story and history. There’s Charles Satchell, or “Satch” as we call him, who spend the previous 30 years of his life incarcerated, but turned his life around before being released and now is a senior apprentice and an inspiration to many just beginning the program. Or Melvin, who I would describe as one of the of the most genuine and caring people I have met, yet spent his earlier years selling drugs on the streets of Richmond. Or “Pe-Bo,” who to my surprise holds certifications as a plumber, electrician, auto-mechanic, and other trades which I can’t even recall at this time. His dream is to build a house from start-to-finish by himself.
As much as love gathering these stories, it is still sometimes a struggle to conduct simple conversation with some of the apprentices. I am told that it takes some a few weeks of basic interaction before they will open up. In any case, I am slowly learning ways of connecting with people of completely different cultures and backgrounds than me. But the main lesson, I’ve found, is just to be yourself!
In addition to all this interaction, I was able to experience the various business enterprises of B&R first-hand with those who run each of them. This was a critical piece for me, since the focus of most of my work will be around developing these businesses. I spent Tuesday afternoon with Chef Ed and Diamond Catering, Wednesday with Block & Jerome and the Mountain Movers, Tuesday with Ruth in the Boaz & Ruth at OAR store and with Linda in the Boaz & Ruth at Carytown store, and Friday with the construction team at the Firehouse. The Firehouse is a historic building being renovated into a sit-down restaurant and an entrepreneurial incubator with space for local entrepreneurs to open up their businesses. It will open in September.
The final piece of B&R that I experienced was the morning classes, which go from 8-10am and focus mainly on emotional competency skills. I found these to be very insightful- not just on the topics and information that was being presented, but how the apprentices responded and interacted with each other in the classroom. Some of the topics covered are: anger management, co-dependency, spirituality, fatherhood, and boundaries. I find that many apprenticies struggle with communicating a message they want to get across, which leads to misunderstanding with others and eventually conflict. It is amazing to me how much time is spent just trying to clarify a point instead of having constructive discussion. However, I realize that this is one of the training mechanisms B&R is using to help the apprentices improve their communication and discussion skills.
The element which really drew me to B&R was their desire to connect communities across racial and geographical boundaries, and this past Sunday evening I had a chance to experience this through a remarkable program called “Beyond Dialogue.” In this, people of different backgrounds and races will gather to watch a film that focuses on issues of racism and then a discussion about racism and the feelings that invokes is facilitated by some members of the B&R Connecting Team. On Sunday, a group of high school students from central Pennsylvania was visiting on a Christian ministry road trip (Narrow Road Ministries, http://www.nrministries.org/) and many from B&R gather with them to watch Remember the Titans. The discussion that followed was fascinating to be a part of because, while none of the students were racist by any means, they were attending predominately Caucasian high schools and had little interaction with African Americans or any other culture for that matter. It was interesting to hear and relate to some of their perspectives on dealing with being the minority as whites in the black neighborhood of Highland Park where B&R is stationed.
Life has not slowed down one bit outside of Boaz & Ruth since I arrived. Much of my efforts have been geared around trying to ‘find my niche’ here in the Richmond community. I have been meeting a plethora of new people thanks in large part to my roommate Kevin and his willingness to let me tag along with him to various events at his church or parties. I am beginning to see many familiar faces and even met a guy who grew up in St. Cloud, MN! It has been surprising even to me how smoothly I have become connected to different communities within the city.
One of my favorite parts about coming into a new environment is exploring, which I have done amply both by rollerblades and car. Richmond is a beautiful city filled with history of our country. Colonial-style houses line the avenues, sometimes hidden by mature oaks and hardwoods. There are also many statues glorifying those who helped found this country along with lead the Confederacy, as Richmond is the old capital of the South. Monument Ave, in particular, has many of these statues plopped right in the middle of intersections!
I have already spent a few evenings down at Browns Island right on the James River, where they often have live, free music and food vendors of sorts. This island offers beautiful views of the city, the river, and the canal that borders it.
In one of my boldest moves since being here, I am also taking part in some Thursday evening ballroom dance lessons! The instructor guaranteed that after 10 weeks we would all be capable and proficient dancers. We’ll see how that turns out…
Eric Larsen
June 11, 2007
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