Collaboration

Gentle readers, as many of you know, at the beginning of this year, your MatchGirl joined the street team of Seth Godin's Domino Project. I believe I reflected on it for the first time in February of this year. And I got my first big jolt of inspiration after devouring Godin's Poke the Box- and wrote about it here.

The thing is, dear ones, your MatchGirl continues to be inspired and motivated by this project, even though it has officially come to an end.

What is it that's kept me so motivated?
It's keeping in touch with the other members of the street team, scattered throughout the world.
It's watching them take deep breaths and do the scary things they weren't sure they could do.
It's being part of the community.
And it's keeping the collaboration going.

Your MatchGirl is a big fan of collaboration.
Of coming together.
It's part of why she was so excited to help in the founding of Work It Brooklyn. And why she continues to encourage all of you to come together.

Through working together, we can make good ideas great.
We can make small accomplishments big achievements.
We can turn the germ of an idea into something that will change the world.

No one can do it alone, though.
I promise you that, gentle ones.
No matter who you are. No matter how big your personality. No matter how much money you have. No matter who your parents are.
Anything you do solo in this world can only be made better by coming together with other smart people. Whether they code or write or market or keep your ego in check. If they give you answers and keep your ego in line (no matter your talent) they're worth your time.

What's the best collaborative project you've worked on? What inspires you to keep connecting and collaborating? I'd love for you to share your stories with me.

Work For Free

Your MatchGirl, gentle readers, is from a generation where few people had internships. They were the exception, not the rule. Something that the very ambitious or very connected did. Not really the provenance of the common student. But now ... not it seems, especially in NYC, to get ahead at all, one must have not one but several internships while at university.

And here is where we get to the sticky part.

Unpaid internships, while common, are controversial. To say the least.

A recent article from NPR refers to a class action suit against Fox Searchlight for using unpaid interns as entry-level employees. That, dear ones, is illegal. In fact,"the Supreme Court ruled over 50 years ago that only work done for training purposes could go unpaid. The Labor Department says companies began skirting the rule. Last year, it moved to issue six-point test that for-profit internships must pass to comply with labor laws."

In this rough job market, though, people are looking for any foot they can get in the door. Your MatchGirl certainly relates to this. It's something she pondered during the long, hard stretch of unemployment she faced not so long ago. And, at the end, it was not something that was possible for me.

But I have known people who were looking to change careers who took unpaid internships - to get some experience under their belts, to make some connections in a new environment, to get a foot in the door. For some of them, it worked out well. They have new careers and make more than they were before. The internships were a way to meet the right people and kickstart a job change. For others, it worked out not at all, leaving them still unemployed, out of money and back at square one when the internship ended

I recently moderated a panel on breaking into the tech world in NYC and the folks on the panel, all in their early to mid-twenties, were very positive about internships. They all used them to get interviews, if not their current jobs. Even interning at a prestigious place helped them to get a foothold into a world they were trying to break into - even if they mostly were fetching coffee and running errands. A high end name on your resume, as opposed to a bunch of boutique mom'n'pop places gets you further than you may imagine. When I asked these panelists what they thought of these internships, they were all very positive - very excited. They recommended that anyone looking for a job in our field take any internship that they could get. And that if, in the end, it wasn't what they were looking for, they could just leave it.

I'm not of the same generation. And I have mixed thoughts, personally, on this.

At the end of the day, a lot of companies are on really tight budgets right now. But I think there is a need for transparency. If there is no possibility that intern will ever be hired... they need to know. If there is now way that they will be doing meaningful, resume/portfolio building work... they need to know. I've been lucky to work with some very smart, capable, and talented interns over the years. But I always strived to make it a learning experience for them as well. To offer your experience to someone coming up behind you, and to help them grow into a career/life that is going to be great for them, that is worth so much more than someone bringing you a cup of coffee or doing your filing.

I promise.

Army Of One

Yeah... you.

You're an army of one.

You're the person who can fix all this bullshit.

You're the person who can fix your own life.

You're the person who can stand up to the bullies.

You're the person who can make the world a better place.

It's not so hard, gentle readers, if you just think about it. You are the most powerful weapon in your arsenal. You are the person who can make the biggest difference in your own life.

Let your MatchGirl share with you a few simple ways you can make a difference in your world.

Vote - not just in the big elections. In the small local ones that effect what happens in your local environment.
Donate - time, money, clothes, blood. Whatever you have. You don't need it all. Donate it to somewhere that can use it.
Speak up - for what you believe in and for those who can't or don't know how to do it for themselves. Engaged in social media networks? Use those channels like a megaphone.

It's simple, dear ones. It only takes a few small actions to accomplish the biggest goals.

And the person who should take the first step? Why, that's you of course.

What Democracy Looks Like

Gentle readers, your MatchGirl, as you know, is not afraid to take a political stance on this blog.

She's not afraid of ruffling feathers. And she's not afraid of asking you all to take a stand.

Your MatchGirl was unemployed for a year and a half. At the height of the recession. And during that time, she worked her butt off. Did she take jobs that paid $8 an hour? No. I was lucky that I was able to collect back on my unemployment insurance and get some benefits. And I knew that if I fell into a job making $8 an hour, there would be no time to look for a job to put me in the right direction. But the reason I was unemployed at all was because the banks fucked up. And the small business I worked at couldn't keep going. I was a casualty. And I rose from the ashes of that company - to push myself into a better place. To help you all get to a better place.

But the world, the one we walk in and out of every day, is not becoming a better place. Not for ordinary people.

I hope that you will all take the time, just 10 minutes, to watch this video, embedded below, by my friend Mike Gill.

When your MatchGirl first saw it, tears came to my eyes. To see the veterans, older men, who served a country they loved and who have watched it fall apart, lock arms, and insist on being the first line of defense against the oncoming police... It's powerful stuff.



"What Democracy Looks Like: The View From Occupy Boston"
from Michael Gill on Vimeo.

Your MatchGirl is a liberal person. You all know that.
I think it's fine for you to have different views than I do. I think as long as you're informed, dear readers, on the full picture, with all the facts, and not just collecting soundbites and parroting them to your friends or to those who disagree with you, that we can agree to sit on our opposite sides.
Your MatchGirl is against war. I have friends who are veterans and not only do I respect them, I am in awe of them. I could not do what they have done. I couldn't carry that passion. I also have family members who are veterans - my dad, of Vietnam, and my Grampa, of WWII - and who are still in the military - my cousin Angus joined the Marines in 1992 and still serves, including as a medic in Afghanistan.

I know people who work on Wall Street.

I know the 1% and I am amongst the 99%.

Your MatchGirl is not occupying Wall Street.
But I have friends at both Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Boston. And I'm proud of them.
They are not "lazy hipsters" nor are they "trust fund kids". They are people in their late 30s and 40s, who have worked hard, who have chased their dreams, who are finding their voice. And who are asking for a better life - for themselves and for those who will come after us.

In "An Open Letter to that 53% Guy," Max Urdago writes:

We can have a reasonable standard for what level of work qualifies you for the American Dream, and work to build a society that realizes that dream, or we can chew each other to the bone in a nightmare of merciless competition and mutual contempt.

I suggest you all check out his letter.

Because whether you want to Occupy (Wherever) or you think it's all a crock of shit, Max makes some great points.

It's all about fixing the country. And fighting to keep it a great place to live and work and raise a family.

It's all about the American Dream being about more than working 70 hours a week for just over minimum wage and not even being able to get your teeth fixed or have a regular doctor's visit.

If we really want America to be great again, we need to remember what made it great in the first place.

Revolution. Equality. And Democracy.

Making The Most of Long Term Unemployment

Recently, gentle readers, your MatchGirl posted about the cycle of long term unemployment. She also posted about how more and more employers are saying that unemployed need not apply to their job listings.

This is a trend that troubles your MatchGirl. Unemployeds are the ones who need the jobs being posted. Of course, there are plenty out there who are under-employed, and could use a leg up, a better income or a job more fitting with their education and training. But, at the end of the day, right this second, the people who really need that job you've just posted are the unemployed.

Here's an idea for the long term unemployed, looking to make themselves more appealing to hiring managers. Volunteer.

LinkedIn, the social network for professional people, has recently updated their formatting to let you add volunteer experience to your online resume. And this is great.

Part of the reason that businesses are not keen to hire the long term unemployed is because they feel that they must be lazy people. They feel they are the kinds of people who take the east way out or mooch off the system or are not going to be able to play well with others. A significant gap - and unexplained one - on your resume, is never going to look good. So add the work you've been doing that you're not getting paid for.

This is something that your MatchGirl did, when she had been unemployed for a while. She added a related experiences section - to the top of her resume - to highlight the activities she was participating in during her unemployment. I'm certain it helped my resume get a little higher in those piles on the HR guy's desk.

You not only need a job, you want one. You're not lazy. You know it. Now - prove it to them. Get yourself out there and do some good work. And don't forget to tell the world.

Unemployed Need Not Apply

There is a disturbing trend, gentle readers. One that quite upsets your MatchGirl. There is a trend that employers, people who are hiring, are saying that the long-term unemployed, those who need the jobs the most, need not apply.

Your MatchGirl, who, herself, was among the long-term unemployed, before landing her current spot, has some thoughts on this. Bear with me.

The employers want people who still are up-to-date and current on all that applies to their posted position. They want people who have been in the working world and have networks and contacts to rely on. They want people they won't have to spend money to train - ones that can slip easily into the position.

The long-term unemployed are eager, no desperate, to work. They are at the end of their financial rope. They will take jobs they are over-qualified for. Once 9 to 5 office workers will happily sweep floors. Scientists will become cheesemongers. These people have no income to speak of and they need this job. The economy needs for them to have it.

Your MatchGirl, gentle readers, see the problem as this: The employers are not educated about the state of the unemployed person today. The average unemployed, much as I did when I was unemployed, is putting themselves out there as much as possible. They are educating themselves, in classes or online or through friends, on anything they think will be able to help them get a job. They want to get hired and they want to be ready when that finally happens.

And, the biggest misconception, of course, is that unemployed people are lazy. Gentle readers, we know this is simply untrue. But perhaps the onus is on us to educate these employers...

Make sure to add anything you have been doing to your resume. Volunteered two days a week at a shelter? Add it! Take classes at a community college? Add it! Babysit on a regular/semi-regular basis? You're a nanny. Add it! Prove to the employers that unemployeds are not lazy. And that they deserve, at least, a chance a that posted job.

If you have a moment, listen to this interview on WNYC's Brian Lehrer show:

Why You Need To Vote Tomorrow

Because people like this actually exist, your MatchGirl beseeches you - Please remember to VOTE on November 2nd!

Think Tank Pot Luck

Save the date, Saturday June 26th to come out and support my dear friend Joann and the awesome vendors of the Greenpoint Food Market.  The DOH has already done away with bake sales at schools and the true spirit of the Red Hook Ball Fields and now they want to hurt our neighborhood market...

Your MatchGirl will be there.  Please check out the info on the GFM website and come out to support this amazing community.

Haiti Fundraiser - TOMORROW

Gentle readers, it's times like this that your MatchGirl is reminded that things could be a lot worse.  Sure, I don't have a job or a boyfriend.  Sure there is a little mouse that, even with a kitten in the apartment, won't seem to go away.  But, you know what?  I have an apartment.  My friends and family are all OK.  I know where they are and that they are doing OK.  Right now, a lot of people can't say that.

As a response to the devastation in Haiti last week (and with this mornings 6.1 aftershock making it all the more imperative) a group of Brooklyn designers and artists and DJs, include dear friend of Unemployed Brooklyn, Bob Bland of Brooklyn Royalty, have come together to raise money to send to Haiti. The benefit is tomorrow evening, Thursday, January 21st from 7PM to midnight.

Details, from the website:

✦Save Haiti Benefit/Silent Auction✦

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

7pm-12am

@ Night Owl
170 North 4th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

✦Optional Open Bar of Well & Beer All Night with $30 donation✦

✦HOSTED BY✦

☞MONICA SHARP

☞THE GIRLS OF FINDERZKEEPERZ

✦ WITH DJs ✦

☞DANCES WITH WHITE GIRLS

☞COBRA KRAMES

☞DIRTY FINGER

☞FULL TIME FUN

☞ARQ

☞K!O

✦SPONSORs & PHOTOGRAPHERs✦

☞THE CULTURE OF ME

☞LILLY FRANCES

☞NALBAND


Silent Auction of local Brooklyn Designs, Art & Fashion
All proceeds will be distributed equally to benefit Haitian Relief Efforts in the following organizations:

UNICEF (http://www.unicef.org)
American Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org)
Doctors Without Borders (http://doctorswithoutborders.org)

Clothing, Food & Water Donations also accepted on behalf of:
Food for the Poor (http://www.foodforthepoor.org)
Fashion Delivers (http://www.fashiondelivers.org)

For more details, to volunteer or give donations email: bobblanddesign [at] gmail.com

You can read my posting on Greenpointers and you can see all the details on the Brooklyn Royalty website.

The Toby Project: Greenpoint

Check out my post on the Toby Project on Greepointers.

Many thanks to Miss Heather for alerting me to this cool (and very necessary) event coming to Greenpoint this Thursday at 8am!

Volunteer Brooklyn - Gowanus Cleanup

Gentle readers, the following note popped into the UnemployedBrooklyn inbox this afternoon.

Anissa writes:

Dear Matchgirl,

I am an intern at the Gowanus Canal Conservancy and was wondering if you could post our volunteer opportunity on your blog? Here is the description and contact information:

Gowanus Canal Conservancy's Clean & Green volunteer program
Call for all volunteers! The Gowanus Canal Conservancy is looking for volunteers to participate in our monthly Clean & Green volunteer program. This month, volunteers will assemble at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 25 at Degraw Street off Nevins (east of the Gowanus Canal) and the program will run until 2:00 p.m. Volunteer tasks will include planting, weeding, and picking up trash and debris. All volunteer efforts will help the NYC Parks Department’s GreenStreets program and help street ends thrive, while improving both the health and beauty of the Gowanus Canal.

To sign up, e-mail us at volunteer@gowanuscanalconservancy.org and include your name, phone number, and the dates you’d like to participate.

Check out the website for more information. And, while I'm personally more interested in the mess that's in my own backyard (ie. The Newtown Creek), this is definitely a worthy volunteer opportunity.

Pony Up

What better way to raise a little money for charity than by betting on the ponies?

Check out Brooklyn Based for all the information about this fun fundraiser, with money going to Just Food.

Volunteer Brooklyn

This info came to my from my college friend Miriam today:

Hi Y'all,
Thought you might be interested in this.
Love,
Miriam

WHO: YOU! We are sounding the call for volunteers!

WHAT: Brooklyn Food Summer ’09: Empower Brooklyn residents by supporting them in overcoming challenges to food access and affordability!

WHEN: Ongoing, beginning June 1

WHERE: Brooklyn neighborhoods where residents lack access to healthy food.

WHY: Brooklyn faces a health crisis of rising obesity and diabetes among children and adults. These diet-related diseases disproportionately affect certain neighborhoods where residents lack access to healthy food. Though there is sufficient healthy, culturally appropriate food available to serve all Brooklyn residents, this food in not getting onto the tables and into the bellies of many Brooklynites.

HOW: Sign up to volunteer at
http://www.brooklynhealthyfoodcampaign.org/fs_volunteerrls.html
or read on for more details…


A BIT ABOUT WHO WE ARE

Brooklyn Food Summer ‘09 is an all-volunteer initiative of the Brooklyn Healthy Food Campaign (BHFC). The BHFC is a partnership of City and State governments, citywide service providers, grassroots organizations, and concerned citizens. We are committed to improving community health and food security, and to supporting neighborhood economies through locally spent food dollars, in the Borough of Brooklyn. This summer, these groups are joining forces to apply technical expertise, agency resources, and grassroots community organizing to make strides towards this vision.

Goals and Activities

The 8-week Brooklyn Food Summer ‘09 campaign will help Brooklyn residents overcome challenges to food access and affordability, and empower them to speak with both their voices and dollars to demand healthy food options in their neighborhoods. "

HOW YOU CAN HELP - VOLUNTEER POSITIONS

Community Food Ambassadors

The Brooklyn Healthy Food Campaign seeks volunteers to participate in its Community Food Ambassadors Training Program. The Community Food Ambassador Program trains community volunteers to talk with their neighbors about the overall connections between our local food system and the health of our communities; how to help our neighbors get public benefits through programs that support employment, boost the City’s economy, and improve food and economic security; and how we can work together to increase access borough-wide to fresh, affordable nutrient-dense food.



Commitment:
Complete 1.5 hours of outreach and education training.
Attend 3 to 5 events in targeted communities between the months of July and August (Approximate time commitment is 15-20 hours.).
Conduct surveys to measure knowledge of healthy food options in targeted communities.
Be responsible for maintaining and reproducing neighborhood specific educational outreach materials.
Maintain contact information of community members interested in working with the campaign.


Food Stamps/Food Cards Benefits Pre-Screening Specialists

The Brooklyn Healthy Food Campaign seeks volunteers to participate in its Food Stamps/Food Card (EBT) Benefits Pre-Screening Specialists Training Program. Currently somewhere between 300,000 to 600,000 Brooklyn residents are eligible to receive Food Stamp/Food Card (EBT) benefits, but are not yet enrolled. The Food Stamp/Food Card (EBT) Benefits Pre-Screening Specialists Training Program will train 60 community volunteers to support and increase the capacity of 10 sites actively conducting pre-screenings in Brooklyn in an effort to raise enrollment rates of eligible neighbors and improve their access to fresh, affordable nutrient-dense food.

Commitment:

- Complete a 1- Day training in conducting pre-screenings for enrollment to receive Food Stamps/Food Card (EBT) Benefits. Choose from the following dates: June 8, 9 or 10
- Volunteer 1 to 2 days a week at one of the 10 pre-screening sites from July through August.

Food Summer Behind the Scenes Support

For volunteers excited to be a part of the Brooklyn Food Summer Campaign, who are unable to make the commitment to being a Community Food Ambassador or a Pre-Screening Specialist, we invite you to join our Behind the Scenes Support team. We are looking for folks with a wide range of skills and interest to support the campaign from researchers, writers, editors, graphic and website designers, photographers to you fill-in-the-blank. Let us know how you would like to help and we’ll find a role for you.

Commitment:

- Attend monthly planning meetings
- Serve as a member of a sub-committee
- Minimum of 10-15 hours

Apply online now at: http://www.brooklynhealthyfoodcampaign.org/fs_volunteerapp.html

Cupcake Cookoff Images and Links

As promised, here are some photos from Monday night's cookoff at Union Pool.

cupcakes near mine - the s'mores won honorable mention in the decoration part of the competition

more competition

my entry in the foreground

pre-competition in my kitchen

And a link from Not Eating Out In New York with her recipe and some photos of cakes she found appealing - the second one down is mine!

The winner's boyfriend donated $200 (bought 200 votes) to the Greenpoint Soup Kitchen - which, as stated previously is a really good cause! Good for him!



I would post the recipe if there was any interest, but perhaps I should keep it to myself and just keep wowing the crowds?

Cupcake Cookoff

After reading about the Brooklyn Kitchen sponsored Cupcake Cookoff on Greenpointers (and I think I saw it on Not Eating Out In New York as well) ... I decided to send an e-mail and see if they were still accepting entries ...and somehow signed myself up!




Um... Shit!
I guess I better get cooking! My cupcake recipe is top notch - really perfected. But I think I need to work on my frosting ... To frost? To ice? OH MY!

All the proceeds benefit the Greenpoint Soup Kitchen (where I am thinking of volunteering, at least for the summer, once my classes are complete) so come out for a good time and loads and loads of sugar!

It's a Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

It's been a beautiful few days here in Brooklyn, dear readers. And I have taken full advantage of the sunshine. And plan to do so again today.

But, in my morning job hunt, while drinking iced coffee under the skylight, I came across this article via a networking group called Job Angels. The gist of the article is that, while unemployed, one should be neighborly - not just to help others, but to help themselves.

A close girlfriend of mine has been telling me something similar for the past few weeks - every time I get sad or depressed or incredibly lonely in these dark days of unemployment, L tells me to get out and volunteer. And while I have looked into a couple of things here and there, I haven't landed on anything yet. What do I want to do? Even a couple of hours a week? With summer approaching, perhaps I will look for a youth camp or outreach program in my neighborhood to volunteer for. I like the idea of giving back in my immediate community, where I've lived for 5 years now. And where people are not well off (the median income for a family of four is $35,000).

Will I meet people who will give me a job that way? Would I be better off finding something in Manhattan where there are top executives "giving" their time? I don't know. But I have always thought the point of volunteering was to give back in your own community. To be a neighbor.

Will it help to lift me out of those dark days? Those days when I feel like no one would notice if I didn't even get out of bed in the morning? Maybe. Dear friend L knows me very well and is usually right about these kinds of things. Even if it takes me a little while to figure it out myself.