Remarks 10/25/2023

Good evening, welcome. Humbling to see so many friends, supporters, family, and colleagues.? I hope you are at the right event.

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Let us give a hand to the event host committee and the staff that pulled this event together, skillfully led by Jessica Lynch.

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Ten and a half years ago, almost to the day I stood in front of a similar group gathered to say thank you to my predecessor Rev. John Midwood and to welcome me as the new Executive Director of ECS. You took a chance on a non-priest and non-social worker. I thank you for that.

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Tonight, we welcome my successor Anne Rice-Burgess as we hand over the keys to her. ?Before Anne speaks I would like to make a few comments.

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The work we do at ECS is vital to Philadelphia, the Region, and I would argue the wider fabric of America. Our mission is to Challenge Poverty, our vision is a world where opportunity is available to all, and our four bedrock values are dignity, justice, community and most significant, Impact. The work is also framed such that the Status Quo of maintaining individuals trapped in the cycles of poverty is an unacceptable outcome. Rather we look that our impact value is made real when we help lift individuals out of poverty with a living wage job with benefits and assets in the bank and the odds of a return trip to poverty are low. We know that when one is experiencing the toxic stress of poverty, the brain is in crisis and executive functioning, the problem-solving capacity, is impeded. We know that by setting goals, and achieving them, personal agency increases, executive functioning improves, and one’s ability to navigate crisis strengthens. ECS coaches help participants set their own goals and coach them to achieve them, repeatedly, thereby building the participants’ skills to lift themselves from poverty.?

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We call this program MindSet but the coaching model flows through all our work as every individual has a bridge to prosperity and our goal is to assist our participants and their families crossing the bridge and ending the cycle of intergenerational poverty. We also answer the call through our OST efforts with some 850 children setting them on a trajectory with social and emotional learning and making possible affordable child care, our Community Resource Center at St Barnabas with community driven offerings and a gateway into our support and programs, and our housing and wellness offerings.

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This work calls for the best of the best to make this mission and vision real. I have long believed the better the talent, the better the outcomes, the better the income. True in business, but also true in the work of challenging poverty. I know this is true at ECS because we decided to focus on talent that could in turn drive the work and make real our mission and vision for the people we serve. We also knew that we could not touch everyone experiencing poverty and hence the creation of our advocacy group to drive changes to public policy that adversely impacts all people experiencing poverty.?

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I am inspired by words attributed to St Francis. Preach the gospel, and sometimes use words. Team ECS has made this real through their vision, their work ethic, their passion, and their humanity. No Head Coach ever had a better team. That team includes our supporters, our board and our volunteers. I also know that I have had the privilege of working with a learning organization, one driven by data, one willing to launch a program at 80%, measure and correct as the data develops and constantly adjust our approach as we implement.

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These have been the best ten years of my professional life. To answer the call to service issued in our baptismal covenant with my brothers and sisters has been an honor and a privilege. I want to thank my life partner Jacqui who has stood by, supported, and partnered with me every step of this journey. I thank my executive team, Lindsay, James, Mark, Angela, Kyle, Carol, Victoria, Nathan, and Soneyet, ?the best, most courageous, and professional, I have seen in this sector at every level. I want to thank the board, our committee heads, and especially Mimi, Fred and John our board presidents on my watch, and I want to especially thank Mark Davis, Lindsay Albright, Soneyet Muhammad, and Abigail Meloy my CIO, COO, Chief Program Officer, and Air Traffic Controller who filled many of my gaps and delivered well on the “other duties as assigned” category . I also thank you, our supporters, friends, and partners, especially EMPATH, ?Slice, Cheshire Law Group, Lorri Perkins of LFP, Owner’s Rep, Abigail McMahon at PHMC, Donna Cooper, and Aimee Miller and team Fairmount Ventures. You all have made real the African proverb “to go fast go alone, to go far go together.”

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We have gone far and there is more to do. I am honored to introduce you to Anne. She has been a colleague and friend since I started in the sector. You have seen her background and qualifications. But let me say this, I have taken ECS about as far as I can with my background and skills, Anne has the experience, life story, compassion, intellect, and vision to take our beloved ECS to new levels. I rest easy with this handoff, because I know the heart, energy and experience she brings to our mission. I am touched that she has taken over the title of Head Coach.

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So, I leave you with this: I love you all, I have learned much, gotten way more than I gave, I thank you for the honor and opportunity to serve, and know that while I am stepping away from the day to day, I will never step away from the mission. ?

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To that end, let me thank you for the creation of the David E Griffith Transformation Fund, as of tonight we have raised $ 260,000. Your long term, ongoing support and generosity makes possible the work of ECS. You have continuously answered the call. To that end, as the former Executive Director, I remind you that the call can be answered at any time, even tonight. I remind you the needs of the people we serve are great and ongoing. Our mission, to challenge poverty, continues and grows

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So, to that end, Jacqui and I have talked, and it is now our turn. We will be adding an additional $100,000.00 unrestricted to the fund. We believe in the mission, the team, and our new leader Anne.

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It is a blessing to stand with you in supporting this work.

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God Bless, wear your Muddy Boots, and Thank You. ?

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Anne the keys are yours. ?

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