Willow Glen Resident
Community
Nation of Men makes a difference on a local level with service day
By Alicia Upano
Once a month, the nonprofit Nation of Men meets at Bramhall Park to build friendships and as a supportive community among men. This month, however, the men's group reached beyond its ranks for the largest community service project in its 17-year history.
The Community Service Day attracted more than 100 volunteers to Bramhall Park on the morning of Feb. 3, including Nation of Men members and their families. Ten members led groups to nonprofit organizations across the valley for a day of volunteering.
The day was the brainchild of member Dave Lloyd, who wanted to see the longstanding organization give back to the community. Men stepped forward to assist organizations with housing shelters, senior centers and habitat restoration.
Cupertino resident Mike Weston donated his time to San Jose-based Resource Area for Teachers. He, his wife, mother, and others spent the day sorting and bagging pipe cleaners, beads and paper. Teachers will use the kits in lessons on binary arithmetic.
Weston said he chose RAFT out of a personal desire to help teachers, as several members of his family work in the profession. Likewise, Bran Scott enjoys working with seniors and led a group to help clean and decorate the Santa Clara Citadel Youth and Family Center's senior program. Lars Rider and his group used their manpower to fix doors and do inventory.
"Nation of Men is all about supporting men and our families, being a place where men can be our best," said Rider, adding that the community service fit well into the group's mission. "What was really nice about it is that we were able to do a finite project that made an impact."
Joe Pearlman's goal was to work interactively with the children served by Unity Care. Unity Care provides foster care, drug prevention programs and a mental health clinic for teenagers. The organization's goal is to help their clients become educated and responsible adults, said Unity Care Development Director Monalisa DiAngelo.
The young people served by Unity Care tended to live in turmoil before coming to the organization, and were often disappointed by the adults in their lives, DiAngelo said.
Pearlman's goal was to spark a connection between the youth and the adult volunteers.
"I believe the more you can connect with people, the more you realize we're not that different from each other," Pearlman said.
The volunteers led a series of team-building and problem-solving exercises that engaged and amused the group. DiAngelo said she enjoyed watching natural leaders blossom during these exercises.
"You had to work together, and you had to trust that other people were going to work with you," DiAngelo said. "The day exceeded all of our expectations."
The men and their families reconnected for lunch at Bramhall Park after the service day. With this year's success, Lloyd has already committed to hosting a Nation of Men Community Service Day on an annual basis.
For more information on Nation of Men, visit www.nom.org.
