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Greg's civic experiences can be traced back to the first book he ever purchased with his own money (a children's biography of Harriet Tubman). The book inspired him to want to make a difference. A few weeks later, he signed up for a Read-a-Thon (raising funds to help fight a disease). He won the Read-a-Thon for three straight years -- raising thousands of dollars in the process. It was the first thing the Gump-like kid had ever felt he'd done well - motivating him to look for more and more ways to make a difference. Throughout his high school years, he volunteered with local kids through a variety of youth centers, camps and athletic leagues.
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During Greg's time in college, he volunteered at local schools off-campus, launched a mentoring program that brought his classmates into the community with him, volunteer taught former gang members trying to get their GEDs, interned on Capitol Hill and was appointed by the Dean to the position of Student Chairman of Community Service for the college he attended - giving him a chance to serve as a link between his campus and the community.
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During this same period of time, a series of racially-charged local and national events (such as the Rodney King case) caused him to give increasing thought to issues like labels, stereotypes, intolerance and diversity. He started taking courses on topics such as Race & Gender, Civil Rights, Feminism, History of Anti-Semitism and African-American Politics, and he began exploring ways to increase diversity-related programming on and off campus.
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After college, Greg's continued interest in community work -- now nearly twenty years in the making -- inspired him to set aside his career plans and spend one year working in the public school system.
One year turned into eight.
One weekend afternoon, two months into Year One, Greg witnessed two of his black students treated poorly by a white customer when they sat down in a restaurant to get some milkshakes. Determined to turn what he perceived to be a moment of racial intolerance into something positive, Greg returned with ten people of different cultures and backgrounds to have some milkshakes and a meal. In the process, he launched the the diversity mentoring program, The Brunch Bunch . Each weekend, for the next 243 consecutive weekends, he coordinated and hosted brunches for up to 25 people (students and adult mentors) of different races, cultures and backgrounds (followed by an athletic activity like basketball or rockwall climbing, or a volunteer activity like visiting senior citizens). More than 700 people from six continents attended at least one of the brunches.
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After the 70th consecutive week of brunch, Greg created the nonprofit organization, The 11-10-02 Foundation In the beginning, Greg used his Cheerios boxes as filing cabinets, his lunchbox as a briefcase and his Grandma's rocking chair as a desk -- but, over time, slowly but surely, things began to grow. The 11-10-02 Foundation has received contributions from individuals, organizations and corporations around North America and, in turn, has funded grants for programs like Art, Film, Math, Reading, Music, Science and Teacher Recognition at the elementary, middle and high school level, and has provided grants and college scholarships for students in places like Illinois, Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Washington DC, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, Louisiana, Indiana, Iowa, Vermont, North Carolina & Ohio.
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Greg has also volunteered extensively with seniors. He personally spent one hour per week for years at a local senior center. In the process, he started a program through which he brought others there to volunteer with him. In all, more than 200 people spent more than 800 collective hours volunteering with seniors through the program.
Greg's other post-graduate civic efforts include launching Project Thank You in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. People all over North America have since taken part in the Project.
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For his civic efforts, Greg has received some special honors including the Jefferson Award for Public Service and America's Daily Point of Light. He was honored at Princeton University as one of America's top social entrepreneurs under 40. In 2007, EntrepreneurshipWeek USA named Greg one of today's 'Trailblazers'. He (and/or the civic programs he founded) have also been honored by groups (and/or divisions of groups) like Hasbro, Tylenol, Simply Family, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Teacher.com, Teacher Information Network, Zeta Beta Tau and The Education Center. Greg's efforts in the community have led to letters of support from public figures including Mayors, Govenors, Senators, the head of the NAACP, former President Bush, former President Clinton, First Lady Laura Bush and President Bush.
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Greg's civic efforts have been profiled by media like USA Today, National Public Radio, Education Week and The Washington Post Co. In one instance, The NonProfit Times did a cover story highlighting Greg's work in the nonprofit sector. At the turn of the century, Good Morning America buried a Time Capsule which chronicled Greg's efforts to break down racial and cultural barriers among young people.
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Throughout his civic experiences, Greg devoted time to another passion -- the field of art. He drew portraits of the contemporary, historical and cinematic figures who inspired his interest in topics like service, civil rights and philanthropy. Called a "tribute to tolerance and diversity" by Art World News, the collection came to be known as My Sleepless Nights and has subsequently gone on display in places like California, New York, Chicago, Canada and Africa(typically, in conjunction with events promoting the importance of giving back in those respective communities).
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These days, Greg now speaks about diversity, dealing with intolerance, public service, community service, social entrepreneurship, nonprofit work, philanthropy, youth philanthropy and other related issues at schools, companies, organizations and events around the world. For more on his speeches, go to the Speeches section of this website.
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In his free time, Greg hosts and/or co-hosts dinners and parties designed to bring people of diferent races, cultures and backgrounds together. The groups have ranged in size from less than 10 to nearly 500. They have taken place in locations like Chicago, New York City, St. Louis, Fresno, Washington D.C., Canada and Africa.
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Greg's civic experiences -- and the first thirty lessons learned along the way -- became the basis for, The First Thirty by Jillip Naysinthe Paxson (and companion journal workbook A Place To Sit). In 2007, The First Thirty was honored as NSDLC Multicultural Relations Book of the Year.
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The books are now used by middle schools, high schools, nonprofit organizations, companies, professional sports teams and others around North America. For more on the book, click the Connections link here and pick the relevant Connection in Part 3.
Just as a book helped inspired Greg's initial interests in diversity, volunteering and philanthropy, the book based on his story (The First Thirty) has now inspired those same interests in others around the world.
Some of our favorite examples include: teachers using The First Thirty in their 'civic' or 'diversity'-related curriculum; individual people who have engaged in philanthropic or volunteer efforts after reading The First Thirty; student organizations at universities around the country incorporating The First Thirty into their civic or multiculturalism efforts; nonprofit organizations using The First Thirty to motivate volunteers and donors to get more involved;
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... civic groups ordering copies to encourage students to work hard in school and the community; faith-based groups using The First Thirty with students; restaurants using The First Thirty and its positive reflections on the F&B industry as a way to celebrate their work; companies using The First Thirty to encourage staffers to be socially-conscious; and conferences ordering copies for organizers or participants; companies using The First Thirty as part of their philanthropy efforts; and in some cases, people who have been inspired to do a little of all of the above (such as Florida restauranteur Claudine Mourjan who read The First Thirty, then bought 100 additional copies the same day -- giving copies to her staff, top customers and donating the rest to a local school).
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In various cities around North America, a variety of schools, organizations, companies and pro sports teams have sponsored community service related projects involving The First Thirty. For instance, star running back (and noted literacy advocate) Tiki Barber and the New York Giants (NFL) sponsored a community service essay contest based on the book for teens in New York. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Vikings (NFL) ordered copies of The First Thirty for local teens and then sponsored an essay contest based on the book for them - with the winning students receiving a signed jersey from then Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper. In Connecticut, New York, Minnesota and Canada, prominent banks sponsored essay contests based on the books - and, in some cases, ordered additional copies of the book for local kids. In Colorado and California, prominent restaurants sponsored contests based on the books
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...and, in a case of things truly coming full circle:
(1) The Multicultural Development Office at the university located down the street from Greg's childhood home incorporated The First Thirty into their 2006 Multicultural Development Student Retreat to the National Underground Railroad Museum Freedom Center. In other words, thanks to an office devoted to issues like civil rights, diversity, community service and philanthropy, a group of students, who are taking a trip to learn about inspiring people like Harriet Tubman, all read the book about how that same woman and others like her helped inspire a student in that same town to pursue his interest in those same issues.
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(2) California-based YAMS, Inc (Youth Against MS) ordered copies of The First Thirty for their Board of Directors and top donors, and a state chapter of the MS Society ordered copies for the students they are honoring at their summer banquet. In other words, the book about a kid's efforts to help fight a disease - and how that experience helped trigger a lifelong interest in philanthropy - is now being read by kids doing the exact same thing 25 years later.
As for the book Greg purchased all those years ago - the first book he ever bought with his own money? The one about Harriet Tubman that inspired him to try and make a difference?
Decades later, it still sits by the side of his bed) :)
To order The First Thirty -- and/or the companion workbook (A Place To Sit) based on the book - click here
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