A scattering of people gathered in Concord one autumn evening in 2003. They were all members of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Concord and they had a common goal. They wanted to move beyond charitable donations of time and money to have a deeper — and wider — impact on the well-being of the region.
From those early, freewheeling conversations that touched on philosophy, values, strategies and identifying unmet needs, the Jericho Road Project was born. Now approaching its seventh anniversary, this upstart nonprofit is making big waves in the Merrimack Valley and has been lauded statewide and nationally. Jericho Road Project was one of 10 organizations to receive a Nonprofit Excellence Award this year from the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network. Gov. Deval Patrick praised Jericho Road at the awards ceremony in June.
The key concept is this: Jericho Road supports the many community-based nonprofits already making headway in places like Lowell and Lawrence by matching the professional talents of volunteers with the needs of the nonprofits. The twin goals are to promote community development by strengthening social services, and to enrich the lives of volunteers with deeply meaningful experiences.
How does it work? Jericho Road has built — and continues to grow — a roster of volunteers from the region who are skilled in areas such as finance, marketing, management and information technology. A volunteer might design a website, facilitate a strategic planning process, coach the nonprofit’s executive director, write a grant, set up an accounting system or assist in any of the multiple needs not met by the nonprofit’s lean employee base that must focus on day-to-day operations.
The demands on nonprofits in the region are daunting. Lowell and Lawrence are rated by Project Bread as among those communities in Massachusetts where poverty is most concentrated and the prevalence of hunger is six times greater than the statewide average.
Over the past dozen years of combined service in the Merrimack Valley, Jericho Road Lowell and Jericho Road Lawrence have engaged close to 475 volunteers in 450 collaborations with more than 150 Lowell and Lawrence nonprofit organizations, yielding 14,500 project hours, goods and services valued at $2,250,000.
Organizations served range from the large — Community Teamwork Inc. in Lowell — to the small — Bread & Roses Housing in Lawrence.
Jericho Road Lawrence, launched in 2005, is part of a growing network of Jericho Road sites serving struggling communities. Jericho Road affiliates have also been established in Lynn, Worcester and, surprisingly, Pasadena, Calif., with others in the works around the country.
“I believe that Jericho Road Lawrence is successful because we have skin in the game,” says Jericho Road Lawrence Executive Director Joan Kulash. “Because our office is based in Lawrence and our volunteer pool is drawn from business people who have roots in the area, our commitment to the city’s nonprofits and the people they serve is very much a personal one.”
According to Jericho Road Lowell Program Director Nancy Coan the demand is there, but so are willing volunteers. She believes the folks who gathered in Concord seven years ago to find ways to have a greater impact on the region, while making their own lives more purposeful, presaged a trend.
Says Coan: “There is a growing appreciation of the value of service — for both the community and the volunteers. This fact, combined with our high-touch approach to volunteerism, allows us to bring about positive changes in the communities we serve.”
Top photo (left to right); Joan Kulash executive director of Jericho Road Lawrence, Inc.; Mary Marra, executive director of Bread & Roses Housing, Lawrence, MA; and Mary Lewis Chiodo of Chiodo Modo Design Studio. Graphic designer Mary Chiodo updated the logo and stationery for Bread & Roses Housing (BRH). Says Mary, “The level of meaningful contact that Jericho Road Lawrence facilitated helped me to deeply understand the needs and mission of this nonprofit. I feel like I made a real difference.” Adds BRH executive director Mary Marra, “Jericho Road volunteers always bring a level of creativity to projects that far exceed my expectations. The willingness of ordinary people to respond to our needs is at the heart of our organization’s success.” Photo by Kevin Harkins.
Community Spotlight – The Jericho Road Project
From those early, freewheeling conversations that touched on philosophy, values, strategies and identifying unmet needs, the Jericho Road Project was born. Now approaching its seventh anniversary, this upstart nonprofit is making big waves in the Merrimack Valley and has been lauded statewide and nationally. Jericho Road Project was one of 10 organizations to receive a Nonprofit Excellence Award this year from the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network. Gov. Deval Patrick praised Jericho Road at the awards ceremony in June.
The key concept is this: Jericho Road supports the many community-based nonprofits already making headway in places like Lowell and Lawrence by matching the professional talents of volunteers with the needs of the nonprofits. The twin goals are to promote community development by strengthening social services, and to enrich the lives of volunteers with deeply meaningful experiences.
How does it work? Jericho Road has built — and continues to grow — a roster of volunteers from the region who are skilled in areas such as finance, marketing, management and information technology. A volunteer might design a website, facilitate a strategic planning process, coach the nonprofit’s executive director, write a grant, set up an accounting system or assist in any of the multiple needs not met by the nonprofit’s lean employee base that must focus on day-to-day operations.
The demands on nonprofits in the region are daunting. Lowell and Lawrence are rated by Project Bread as among those communities in Massachusetts where poverty is most concentrated and the prevalence of hunger is six times greater than the statewide average.
Over the past dozen years of combined service in the Merrimack Valley, Jericho Road Lowell and Jericho Road Lawrence have engaged close to 475 volunteers in 450 collaborations with more than 150 Lowell and Lawrence nonprofit organizations, yielding 14,500 project hours, goods and services valued at $2,250,000.
Organizations served range from the large — Community Teamwork Inc. in Lowell — to the small — Bread & Roses Housing in Lawrence.
Jericho Road Lawrence, launched in 2005, is part of a growing network of Jericho Road sites serving struggling communities. Jericho Road affiliates have also been established in Lynn, Worcester and, surprisingly, Pasadena, Calif., with others in the works around the country.
“I believe that Jericho Road Lawrence is successful because we have skin in the game,” says Jericho Road Lawrence Executive Director Joan Kulash. “Because our office is based in Lawrence and our volunteer pool is drawn from business people who have roots in the area, our commitment to the city’s nonprofits and the people they serve is very much a personal one.”
According to Jericho Road Lowell Program Director Nancy Coan the demand is there, but so are willing volunteers. She believes the folks who gathered in Concord seven years ago to find ways to have a greater impact on the region, while making their own lives more purposeful, presaged a trend.
Says Coan: “There is a growing appreciation of the value of service — for both the community and the volunteers. This fact, combined with our high-touch approach to volunteerism, allows us to bring about positive changes in the communities we serve.”
To learn more, go to www.jerichoroadproject.org or www.jerichoroadlawrence.org.
Top photo (left to right); Joan Kulash executive director of Jericho Road Lawrence, Inc.; Mary Marra, executive director of Bread & Roses Housing, Lawrence, MA; and Mary Lewis Chiodo of Chiodo Modo Design Studio. Graphic designer Mary Chiodo updated the logo and stationery for Bread & Roses Housing (BRH). Says Mary, “The level of meaningful contact that Jericho Road Lawrence facilitated helped me to deeply understand the needs and mission of this nonprofit. I feel like I made a real difference.” Adds BRH executive director Mary Marra, “Jericho Road volunteers always bring a level of creativity to projects that far exceed my expectations. The willingness of ordinary people to respond to our needs is at the heart of our organization’s success.” Photo by Kevin Harkins.