Reflections on 10 Years of Service at GCF
Dear GCF Community,
Ever mindful of what came before me and what will come after me, I’m grateful for this point in time when I’ve been able to contribute to the mission of Green City Force. 10 years is ⅔ of GCF’s history. A decade after my first day on the job, I still truly believe in the DNA of GCF: “A better you, a greater us!“ If every young person who walks through the doors of GCF finds the path towards becoming their best selves and we have a part to play in that outcome, then we have succeeded.
When I joined GCF in July 2014, Cohort 9 was starting, and one of my first memories at our Red Hook site was Corps Member Ashley making a kale omelet during our weekly farm stand. There were sadder times in recent years when I learned that approximately 20 percent of staff members took bereavement leave over the past year due to personal loss.
There have been so many poignant moments at GCF over this past decade full of joy, challenges, surprises, mourning, and hope. GCF is a microcosm of life, full of every emotion and ever changing.
The resilience, wisdom, stamina, heart and grit of the communities we represent and serve is truly remarkable. I am humbled by the grace and generosity of resident leaders who welcome us into their homes and keep us focused on continuous improvement. I have so much appreciation for our founders, Lisbeth, Erika and Lucian, for creating this movement. The thousands of GCF community members are too many to mention. But, I recognize the value of our over 700 graduates, a child who once gave us a $7 donation, and the dozens of staff members who made the commitment to dig in full-time to support the future generation of frontline New Yorkers, standing alongside them to help position them for positive transformation. Our board members have stepped up time and time again to help celebrate wins, and to help us navigate hurdles in every aspect of our work together.
I want to give a special shout out to my ride or die colleague and GCF partner, Lisbeth Shepherd. She brought me into this GCF world and has continued to play a key role from day 1 to today. It is clear that Lisbeth has and will always be there for GCF to support my leadership and that of others in the GCF community. As we learned this past weekend, true leaders give up power to allow others to lead. Thank you, Lisbeth. Your commitment to the movement and the people we serve is second to none.
Every community is full of gems. Our work is about lifting the talent and potential of the next generation, the future green city, and positioning them to shine as brightly as they can to light up the city and empower themselves and communities to survive and thrive.
GCF has always been about the people. The members, alumni, residents, staff, board, funders, partners – all playing their role in an ecosystem committed to environmental, economic, and social justice. Our focus has always been on the outcomes achieved for the betterment of the communities we serve. Whether that means jobs, food, community, knowledge transfer, resilience, leadership, or problem solving – our approach has always been through the lens of GCF’s pillars: Service, Training, Sustainability, Justice.
These are universal principles, not political ones. As we continue this work together, regardless of what happens in November, there will still be the need to build solid infrastructure in communities, job creation, healthy food access, safe and healthy places for people to live, work and play, and emotional well being to support a thriving community and economy. Heat waves, clean air and water, wildfires, and extreme flooding are not partisan challenges. No matter what name you give them, they affect all of us – some certainly more than others. Solutions to address these shared existential challenges should be the responsibility of all of us. Giving people in every community across the nation – especially the historically disadvantaged communities – tools and resources to prevent and solve problems is a game changing priority.
In September, we will graduate Cohort 27, and launch Cohort 28, which will be my 20th Cohort of GCF Corps Members. As much as we share common values and priorities in our work and mission, we all each bring unique qualities and priorities to the work. I have so many memories of individual Corps Members, graduates, and community members. Thank you all for being a part of my memories throughout this incredible journey.
One of the many things I’ve learned in my time at GCF is to ask for what you need. I know that the details of the future are uncertain. And I know that as an organization, we need to hope for the best, and plan for the worst. Our sustainability is contingent on multiple factors. One of the more important priorities right now, is the goal of securing as much private support as possible to launch our 28th Cohort in September, and to leverage the government investment opportunities currently pending.
For those of you who are able, please consider making a contribution to GCF to support the launch of our 28th Cohort and in celebration of my GCF anniversary. September will be my four year anniversary as Executive Director. The time has flown by quickly. I can’t wait to see what’s next and to meet the upcoming cohort of amazing young change makers leading the #futuregreencity.
In service and solidarity,
Tonya
