When you hear us report on fires we often say the Red Cross is helping the victims with food and a place to stay. You don’t often hear about how the YWCA helps women and families with a place to stay and counseling follow domestic violence, sexual assault or another crisis.

The YWCA of  South Hampton Roads held it annual Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon on March 28, 2013.  I was honored to serve as emcee and even more honored to have been recognized as one of the award recipients last year.

The organization has a new leader, Ruth Jones, who took over in June of 2012.  She told the packed crowd at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott about the history of the local YWCA. Founded in 1911, it has grown to upheld its mission of “eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all”.

She also shared these stats:

During the 2011-2012 fiscal year, YWCA Hampton Roads provided:

• 2, 472 sexual assault victims with mental health counseling and support;
• 14,178 nights of emergency shelter and 11,085 nights of transitional housing to victims of domestic violence;
• 7,056 meals to 319 children participating in our before and after-school childcare programs.

Some people simply don’t know about the services and leadership opportunities provided by the “YW” for women and racial and ethnic minorities.

The Women of Distinction Award goes to women who have made significant contributions to the community through professional activities and volunteer efforts.

Here’s the list of the 2013 recipients.

• Elena Montello (Arts)
• Priscilla Trinder Roady (Business)
• Sandra Parker (Communications)
• Bonnie Sutton (Education)
• Jane Short (Finance)
• Clarissa McAdoo (Government)
• Mary Jane Hall (Law)
• Dr. Michelle Clayton (Medicine)
• Kathy Nelson (Military)
• Debra Dandridge (Nonprofit)
• Inger Pincus Friedman (Science and Technology)
• Denise Britt and Janice Dildy (Volunteerism)

The organization can always use financial and volunteer support. You never know just how many lives you can change by helping out.

I had the chance to share my career story with some Newport News high school students on March 6, 2013.

They attend different schools in the city, but they are in the Telecommunications Program.

One our former WAVY & Fox 43 News editors, Carl Daniels, invited me to speak to the juniors and seniors. He started working there in the fall.  I told the teens about my work schedule and the realities of working in the t.v. news business. I told them it’s a competitive industry, but not to give up. They’ll know it’s really in their heart when they work their way up the ladder from internships to the big job.

The kids have quite a setup there for writing, shooting, and editing. The equipment is high quality. Some students help the staff  film council meetings and school sports and create commercials.
This experience really gives them a jump start on college- and skills that will last a lifetime! Who knows, maybe some will be working with me someday soon?

A special honor for Virginia Beach’s former mayor and I was honored to be a part of it.
The Diocese of Richmond and Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia presented its Bishop’s Humanitarian Award to Meyera Oberndorf on March 4, 2013.

According to the program, “The award honors those whose service exemplifies the ideal that society is worth improving and that sharing and caring are part of a well-lived life”.  Mayor Oberndorf certainly fits the description.

Her daughters, friends, and colleagues attended the luncheon at Beth Sholom Village.
The event was originally planned for last fall, but her husband Roger passed away around that time.
Oberndorf is now battling Alzheimer’s disease, but I can tell you- she’s as witty as ever. Speakers included Rabbi Israel Zoberman, The Reverend James E. Parke, Mary Russo, Joel Rubin and others.

All praised her for her work before during and after her term to help the community- particularly children and families. As always, she was very gracious and shared stories about her family and how they supported her through her busy days as mayor.

My mom Becky, dad Henry, Meyera and me!

So, how do I know “Auntie Meyera” so well?
She and my grandfather John Perry served on Virginia Beach city council together in the late 1980′s.  Her daughters Heidi and Marcie were in school with me at Kempsville, too.

Mayor Oberndorf at my high school graduation (That’s my Nana on my left)

In fact, here’s a picture of her at my high school graduation.  Small world, huh?

I had the most incredible time presenting and speaking at the Ocean Lakes High School’s 2nd Annual Girls Empowerment Summit. There was an incredible mix of girls, and I’m so glad I was able to participate in this forum.

Meeting with all girls, and hearing their aspirations reminded me of the being an intern here at WAVY. I wanted so badly to be a reporter but at the time it seemed so incredibly out of reach. But, I’m a firm believer that every big dreams takes a lot of little steps.

 When I first discovered I wanted to be a reporter, I reached out to every contact I had, volunteered, took mentor ships, and worked part-time jobs. I set small goals in front of myself to reach that big dream of working here at WAVY. I shared those steps with the girls today.  I hope my story shows them that even their high apple pie hope dreams are possible. And, these girls have some incredible dreams. I talked to three girls who want to be the next Joss Stone, Alicia Keys, and Carrie Underwood but better. I talked to another girl who wants to travel the world studying animals, and another who wants to be in politics. We have some amazing youth in our community.

And talk about a small world after I finished speaking one of my high school principals from Tallwood High approached me. She was in the audience the entire time, and it was nice to reminiscence about the my Alma mater. I also felt really proud to be representing the Class of 2002. It was a good day.

These past four months have gone by really fast. From Hurricane Sandy to Election Day and surviving the holidays it’s been quite an adventure working here at WAVY.

 The first few weeks were a whirlwind of meeting new people, getting used to a new way of doing things,and re-learning Hampton Roads. I am finally feel like I’m getting the hang of things here at WAVY. One of best things about my first few months here at WAVY is the opportunities I’ve had to connect with our young viewers.

 Last month I was invited to read at Southwestern Elementary School in Chesapeake.

I talk to you all on television five days a week, but I was a little nervous about reading to a group of rowdy second-graders. I tried to give the most animated reading of a book called ‘Enemny Pie’ as I could. The book was a great read and had an even better message about  treating others the way you want to be treated. I guess I did well, because the kids asked me to come back and we all vowed to be pen pals throughout the school year. I just received my first package  of letters last week. The letters were so great to read. It amazes me the creativity, and insight these kids have. I’m still in process of reading them, and I can’t wait to send back my responses.

 I am also slated to host a ‘Girls Empowerment’ summit at Ocean Lakes High School. As a product of Virginia Beach Public Schools I jumped at the chance to meet with the girls.  The theme is “Be Smart, Be Bold, Be Kind, Be the Change….” I’m very much looking forward to the summit this weekend.

 If I could I would do more meet and greets, and speeches like this. It seems small but I can tell in the faces of those kids at Southwestern that it means so much. A lot of anchors and reporters here take time to volunteers and read to students in the community. And, in a huge way I think it shows kids a wider range of possibilities. It shows them they too can be an anchor, sportscaster, a meteorologist, or a reporter if they wanted to. I know because when I was a kid an anchor from a television station visited my class in high school. And I remember being so captivated by his speech.

 I walked away feeling inspired, and hopeful that I could reach my dreams if I worked hard enough. I want to give that feeling to other kids. They may not want to be in television, but I want them to know they can be whatever they dream if they work hard.

Some Virginia Beach teens are reaching out to help the less fortunate.   When I visited Ocean Lakes High School on February 5, 2013, I told them about my mission trip to Haiti and some of the community service programs I participate in and I encouraged them to also give back. Well, they told me about the “Teens For Jeans” program that they were working on.

They just sent me these pictures of boxes full of new and gently worn jeans collected at the school.  They received 380 pairs!

The project is part of a larger drive sponsored by Aeropostale.  OLHS dropped off the jeans at the Aeropostale at  Lynnhaven Mall  and they will make sure they get to Union Mission Ministries in Norfolk. Other local schools also collected jeans, and the organization has received 2.5 million pairs to date from across the country,  so this should really benefit a lot of folks who need it!  Maybe you have some jeans to donate? Check out the Teens For Jeans  website for more information.

Alveta Ewell announces her retirement from WAVY-TV

It was one of our first discussions.  We reported a story involving a child–the details of which matter little five years later.  I wrote a line that described his disability in a way which drew a piercing look from my new co-anchor.  During the commercial break which followed, she politely took issue with the term, “autistic” in reference to the boy’s disability.

“Did you write that?”  she asked.

“Yes.”  I answered, slightly annoyed, with a dash of defensiveness in anticipating a bigger discussion that could only last for the next ninety seconds.

“Autistic–that’s not right!”

Now we hear the camera operator/floor director, “ONE MINUTE.”

“What do you mean?  He has autism!”

“That’s right,” nodding with a wide smile, as if a teacher senses her student is starting to finally get it.

Before I could answer, she looked to the bright studio lights carefully searching for the words to make that gentle “correction.”

“30 SECONDS!” 

“When you say someone is autistic. you’re letting the disability define the person.  It’s better to say, he ‘has autism’ because that is only a small part of who he is.”

“STAND BY!”

We came back to a ”two shot” as I was nodding slightly.  My brain then shifted to the next story, as my co-anchor smiled as if to say, “now you understand.”

That is Alveta Ewell.

She makes her point in a kind manner, but don’t mistake the softly spoken words for a lack of passion.  Alveta has compassion for the underdog,  and while most of us shake our heads over a man convicted of murder, and speak of the family he wronged,  Alveta will also think of others  burdened by a criminal’s choices.   After one particularly violent case,  she once said to me in a solemn tone, “Just imagine what his (the killer’s) mother must be going through.”

Alveta Ewell shares a lighter moment with Nicole Livas on the set

Maybe it’s her ability to see  beneath various racial, political, and religious backgrounds  which define mere segments of who we really are.   On the day Andy Griffith passed away, the newsroom was full of stories about Griffith’s life on the Outer Banks, his immense talent as a storyteller, and his underrated ability as a dramatic actor.  Alveta and I settled into a discussion about the iconic land of Mayberry, and its idealized vision of a small rural American town in the 1960′s.  I asked about her impressions of that show growing up, and its portrayal of a friendly, unarmed sheriff in North Carolina during the often violent struggle for equality faced by blacks in the south during the Civil Rights era.   The answer was classic Alveta Ewell.

“The Andy Griffith Show wasn’t about black or white.  We saw it as just people.  They went through situations and learned lessons all of us could relate to.  It didn’t matter that the show didn’t have black characters.  Nobody did then.  That show was about humanity–not white people or black people”

Leave it to Alveta to find a common thread with which to include everyone.   She doesn’t view the world in black, white and other labels we attach to people as defined by skin color or ethnic background.   Some traits run through all of “humanity,” and Alveta sees the world through that prism.  That quality made her a special member of the WAVY family.  I’ll miss her compassionate storytelling,  and monster smile that always made the WAVY newsroom a brighter place.

When she announced her decision to leave WAVY after nearly 25 years, we shared a few tears, and I told her that I will be forever grateful for her kindness during my first years in a new place.  Alveta’s  acceptance of me helped me connect with many of you.  It’s how kindness works; it spreads through example–one which we see everyday at WAVY through the humanity of  Alveta Ewell.

It’s becoming an annual tradition:  Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach invites me to be a guest speaker during its Founders Week.

The theme changes every year. This year’s  was “Beyond These Walls”.  During my visit on February 5, 2013 I started by reading some quotes. These are just a few:

“Education is that whole system of human training within and without the school house walls, which molds and develops men.” — W. E. B. Du Bois

“Home is any four walls that enclose the right person.” — Helen Rowland

And I asked my Facebook friends what they would share with the kids and Darnell Jordan posted this,   “As I stood at on your High School door entrance and pondered; that beyond these walls are educated minds. A wall that will forever stand for education. As the school bell rings at the end of the school day, a wall will appear. But this wall shall always remind me that ” I have entered now I will pursue and lead by the example that is now bestowed in me.”

I talked to the students about how their lives are really just beginning and the choices they make now will shape the way their lives turn out.  They’ll make mistakes, but they must know how to recover from them. I warned them about watching what they post on social media sites and also told them how taking care of their minds, bodies and spirit now will benefit them in the future as they begin to age.  They asked me a lot of questions about the TV news business. I told them it’s changing rapidly with so many platforms for people to get their news. We are all doing so much more with less and it can be a difficult career for people who are trying to take care of their families. I told them with anything, they should pursue a career by starting with doing something they love and would do even it paid nothing- or close to nothing.

What a great group of kids! I have a soft spot in my heart for OLHS because my youngest brother, Nick graduated from there and continues to thrive in an engineering career.

Oh, and thanks for the cool Tervis cup with the dolphins on it. I’ve already used it at the gym!

The Lenten season is upon us and even if you don’t observe it, it’s always a good time to do a little extra and give back to the community.My job provides many opportunities throughout the year to emcee events and speak to groups.

These pictures are from the United Way Women’s Leadership Council luncheon in the fall when Mrs. Joan Brock was the keynote speaker. She and her husband Macon are major philanthropists in Hampton Roads. He founded the popular Dollar Tree, Inc. She encouraged guests to continue helping out the community and less fortunate with their time and talent and monetary donations.

A young lady named Brittany shared her story of family troubles and how the kindness of philanthropists helped her get out of her situation.

I attended a different United Way luncheon held by the African-American Leadership Society that featured Maurice Jones as the keynote speaker. He’s the former President of Pilot Media who became deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2012. He shared personal stories about how philanthropy helped his ailing grandfather get good medical care and it also helped him attend college.

Hopefully the acts of kindness by other people will inspire others to do the same. There are so many opportunities here in Hampton Roads and everywhere else! Giving back always feels good.

February is Career and Technical Education Month and I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth invited me to  speak to students about how I use technology in my job and everyday life.

I told the C.T.E.  students how  multimedia interaction is rapidly changing broadcast television. We are constantly using Facebook and Twitter to drive viewers to our newscasts and web pages, share breaking news alerts.  I also talked to them about  staying safe online as they use social media.
They were very attentive, asked interesting questions and gave me some cool Greyhounds gear as a thank you gift.

Can’t believe they are right up the street from the WAVY/Fox 43 studios, but that was my first visit. I’m sure it won’t be my last!