Of Grit and Gratitude

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While Jericho Road Pasadena first saw the light of day in 2010, its birthing process began two years before. That is two long, hard years of labor. Today looking back at the hopes, trials and growing pains of those early days, and the victories that would follow, founder Reverend Hannah Petrie is left with a single overwhelming impression.

Gratitude … But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Upon being appointed Associate Minister of the Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church of Pasadena in 2008, Rev. Petrie was charged with overseeing Social Justice Ministry. Though she had been a member of the clergy for only three years she felt at home with the assignment, in part because she grew up with a father who dedicated his life to the nonprofit sector. But her congregants’ lukewarm response toward the church’s volunteer opportunities was a real issue. Clearly there was a need to come up with more engaging ways for the congregation to be of service to the community.

With that perspective in mind Rev. Petrie was off to a Unitarian Universalist large church conference in Louisville, KY hoping to find a spark that would inspire church members. What she found was a workshop that presented a new model for community service, one whereby volunteers use their professional expertise to help nonprofits build their capacity. It was entitled, “Jericho Road.”

Petrie was blown away by the workshop led by the Director of Jericho Road Project, based in Concord Mass, Dan Holin. The more she learned about the program, the clearer it became that it was, “a perfect model for Pasadena because we’re so civic minded and yet nonprofits tend to run by the seat of their pants,” says Hannah. “They’re so focused on their mission and the people they serve that the practical side – that is so necessary for success — often gets the short shrift. That’s where Jericho Road fits in, helping with the basic necessities.“

Over the next few years Petrie and Holin worked closely together to create a satellite in Pasadena. Hannah recalls the time working with Dan as, “One of my favorite parts of the whole Jericho Road experience.”

As integral as Dan Holin was to getting Jericho Road Pasadena up and running, “… it took a lot of people believing in the concept to get it on its feet,” says Hannah. Among those at the forefront were John Blue, Fran Neumann and Dick Hirrel – people who know to their core what it takes to make a nonprofit work. And they were right there to back up that insight with their time, effort and generosity.

Founding board members Rev. Hannah Petrie and John A. Wilson

Hannah goes on to point out, “One of our great breaks … Melanie (Goodyear) was the first person to interview for the executive director position. She knocked the socks off all of us. At one point during the interview she said, ‘I’m perfect for the position,’ and we had to agree … I may have birthed JRP but, as it turns out, Melanie has parented it for the past decade.

“It was the Neighborhood Church’s baby early on, and I’m most proud of all the heavy lifting we did in the beginning. But I’m forever indebted to everyone who believed and worked so hard to empower people, beyond the church, to be of service. Now it’s matured to become more a part of the Pasadena community than just a Neighborhood Church program. We understand our mission and do it well. That’s a good formula to follow,” concludes Rev. Petrie.

There is an adage that serves as a guideline for the most effective way to achieve a goal by accenting humility. In one incarnation or another it has been around since the 1860s when it was attributed to a Jesuit priest, Father Strickland. It says, “There is no limit to what a man can do, where a man can go, as long as he doesn’t care who gets the credit.”

It is one of Reverend Hannah Petrie’s favorite expressions, and it is one that fits the work of her hands like a glove.

Many thanks to JRP volunteer Stanley Goldstein who is a retired copywriter and editor for 30 years. He is also a proud founding partner of the Goodman Group.