This first post may be a little long, but I want to share information that I think will help other change agents, and I’ve been busy these past couple of weeks. So, while this is not in any kind of chronological order, I hope it will give a snapshot of the connections I’ve been making.

First, let me tell everyone that our family has not been affected by the massive flooding that has so deeply impacted our state and our region. Davenport did not sustain the kind of damage seen in other locations like Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and even Des Moines. This is probably due to the fact that Davenport has seen massive flooding before and there are a number of mitigating factors that have been put into place. That, and volunteers who make all the difference!

But cities like Iowa City and Cedar Rapids are not used to receiving such flooding. It is a rare occurrence indeed to see such towns inundated. Seasonal flooding always affects folks and businesses at rivers’ edges, but this was unprecedented and caught many people off guard.

That being said, it comes as no surprise, then, that many of the folks that I would be recruiting to participate in or offer support for the ServiceNation campaign are very, very busy with disaster response. And as long as they are busy helping people in crisis, I have no intention of distracting them from the business at hand. When the recovery is well under way, however, the volunteer response, the Americorps and Red Cross and other organizations’ responses, will provide a good foundation upon which to build the case for increased national and community service opportunities. I am observing, listening to speeches, etc., and taking notes accordingly, preparing for the day in the coming weeks when I will have a chance to meet with important community leaders.

Here is my current strategy. I read the newspapers every morning and make note of community activities, conferences, trade shows, and other events of interest where I might reach interested parties. For example, in the past couple of weeks, I attended a healthy living fair, an Americorps conference, a business women’s conference, a meeting of a local activist organization, and a community meeting. In addition, I have emailed or called friends and associates in various organizations including non-profits, professional organizations, and local colleges and universities. I have made contact with our local congressman’s office, with our local alderman, and members of our local chamber of commerce.

I find that making formal appointments has its place, but not during a community-wide crisis. Instead, by attending events already scheduled I am able to network with a variety of movers and shakers in a more casual way. But it seems to be working. I give my elevator speech a lot.

This week, I am attending a class at the local Red Cross chapter, a presentation at the Midwest Writing Center, a meeting of a grass-roots activist organization, and volunteering to stuff envelopes at our local arts council. All of these activities give me a chance to talk to people, pick their brains and get ideas and referrals and recruit support in various forms. It is also fun!

If you can afford it, it is also a good idea to join selected local organizations. My recent memberships include: the American Association of University Women (where I got a sponsored membership, i.e., free); the National Organization of Women, and Royal Neighbors of America (where I formed a local charitable chapter which will help fund some of my expenses).

Here are links to some of organizations I’ve come in contact with (or will soon):

Progressive Action for the Common Good—http://www.qcprogressiveaction.org/

Midwest Writing Center—http://www.mmidwestwritingcenter.org

American Red Cross of the Quad Cities—http://www.qcredcross.org

American Association of University Women, Davenport and Bettendorf— http://www.aauwiowa.org/

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley— https://www.bbbs-mv.org/

Iowa Department of Natural Resources—http://www.iowadnr.gov

Congressman Bruce Braley—http://braley.house.gov

The Unitarian Church of Davenport—http://www.qcuu.org

Serve Illinois Commission—http://Serve.Illinois.gov

Royal Neighbors of America—http://www.royalneighbors.org

Quad City Botanical Center—http://www.qcbc.org

Western Illinois University—http://www.wiu.edu

National Organization of Women, Quad Cities— http://www.geocities.com/qcnow/

Quad City International Airport—http://www.qcairport.com/

There are more, but you get the idea. I will try to include links that might be of interest to others in each blog posting.

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