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staff directly with the community. Working together, I thought we could start to facilitate some of the changes that we would all like to see.”
Thus commenced the listening tour, which was launched with a basic premise. “There has to be more that we can do to come together as a college and
a local community and work together to make this neighborhood everything it can be and everything we want it to be.”
To that end, the school, with Elvers taking a leadership role, acquired the property that became the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement.
Now in its fifth year, the center is a work in progress, Elvers said — progress that has in some ways been limited or slowed by COVID, but progress nonetheless.
From countless discussions with those in the neighborhood and from listening at dozens of school and church meetings, Elvers said two clear needs emerged: educational opportunities for young people
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happy, but also to become financially sound.
“I see many of these mentees living beyond their
means,” she went on. “The ‘wants’ become more important than the ‘needs,’ and in my mentoring
I’m trying to change that — how do you create the ‘needs’ as a priority? I stress the importance of being financially sound and educated, and that these are the things they need to pass on to their children.”
She said she mentors mostly young people, in the 13-18 age bracket, but also young adults and even a few grandmothers raising their grandchildren, whom she advises to look at things differently and not try to
outside of school, and health and wellness programs and activities for people of all ages.
The first initiatives launched were the middle-school mentoring program and the homework-help drop-in center, both of which have continued with virtual platforms, a shift that has actually enabled them to help more young people — and get more Springfield College students involved with the community.
And this brings Elvers back to the reason why it is so important to build these bridges between the college and the community. The biggest is to, in some ways, improve quality of life for those in Old Hill and Upper Hill. But there are others, especially the manner in which these programs help open students’ eyes to the challenges facing those living in these neighborhoods, prompt them to ask questions, and perhaps inspire them to help come up with answers.
Referencing the fact that there is no supermarket in that area of Springfield, Elvers said students will hear stories from the families and individuals they work
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raise young people the way they were raised.
With each mentee, the basic ground rules for the
relationship are the same.
“When I meet with them, I tell them they have to
meet me halfway,” she continued. “They have to do their part; let’s build trust, build the communication pattern, and share the good, the bad, and the ugly. I tell them that I want to hear more good, but don’t be afraid to share the bad — and the ugly.”
Passing It On
That’s what you might expect from someone who’s made it her life’s mission to not necessarily shatter that glass ceiling, as Albano noted (although she has
Charlene Elvers stands outside the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, which serves as a bridge between Springfield College and the neighborhood surrounding it.
done that in some respects), but rather open the windows and welcome more people in.
It’s what you would expect from someone who had a crowd of young people waiting to show her their report cards as she returned from a trip, and what you would expect from someone who passed on Wilbraham and Agawam and stayed in the neighborhood where she raised her children.
And it’s what you would expect from someone who personifies the phrase ‘Woman of Impact.’ n
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
The Royal Law Firm
is a Woman-Owned Corporate Law Firm Servicing New England
413.586.2288 www.TheRoyalLawFirm.com
A Certified Women’s Business Enterprise
CERTIFIED WITH THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS:
The Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office
The United States Small Business Administration’s Federal Contracting Program The National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms
The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council
Women of IMPAC
Congratulations
Jessica Collins, Charlene Elvers, Madeline Landrau, and Tracye Whitfield!
Thank you for your ongoing volunteerism, collaboration, and support.
And congrats to all of this year’s Women of Impact Honorees!
omen of
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MPACT
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