In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to J’aime Drayton, Executive Director of Baltimore Family Alliance and Scott Kashnow, the President of the board. They explain the ins and outs of leading a non-profit and the significance of keeping families in Baltimore. They discuss how the non-profit came to be and how the three board members view changes in the city. Scott and J’aime walk us through many of the programs Baltimore Family Alliance offers, including Adopt-A-Family and Playground Crawl. Tune in until the end to find out how you can get involved!

QUOTES

• “I work for a non-profit! So I literally get paid to serve families. Which is unique… I actually get to serve people, so if people are pissed, I’m not having a good day.” – J’aime Drayton [03:20]
• “We’re coming together as families that are committed to great schools, safe streets, and great neighborhoods. And all of [that] starts with people.” – J’aime Drayton [06:21]
• “Managing volunteers is probably the hardest thing I think I’ve ever done. Learning how to do that has been really rewarding for me, personally. It’s  extraordinary to me how many people are actually willing to give of themselves so much time and so much effort.” – Scott Kashnow [34:48]
• “We are the face of families, but we don’t speak for all families. We want families to speak for themselves.” – Scott Kashnow [45:57] 

TIMESTAMPS 

• [00:04] Intro
• [01:45] Meet J’aime
• [03:45] Meet Scott
• [04:17] Scott’s IT Stack
• [05:55] The Baltimore Family Alliance
• [08:18] Scott’s Role at Baltimore Family Alliance
• [09:37] The Origin of Baltimore Family Alliance
• [14:15] The Main Thrusts of Baltimore Family Alliance
• [15:49] Walkability and “The Black Butterfly”
• [18:56] Programs of Baltimore Family Alliance 
• [21:24] Naming the Non-Profit
• [23:47] Living in a City
• [26:25] Systemic Racism and Poverty
• [27:37] Baltimore Family Alliance Offerings
• [29:54] Hosting the School Fair
• [32:57] Playground Crawl
• [34:18] Being the President of a Non-Profit
• [35:28] Adopt-A-Family and Starting a Family in Baltimore
• [43:28] School Funding and Pushing Change
• [50:00] Inspiring Reads
• [52:28] How You Can Help
• [53:55] Outro

RESOURCES

• The Baltimore City College
• Ednor Gardens – Lakeside
• Montebello Elementary/Middle School
• Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle School
• .NET Core
• Salesforce
• Microsoft Dynamics
• Sharicca Boldon
• University of Maryland BioPark
• Facebook
• Target
• Cross Street Market
• Harris Teeter
• Four Seasons
• The Black Butterfly
• Patterson Park
• The Great Halloween Lantern Parade and Festival
• Christie Getman
• Johns Hopkins University
• Tesla
• Charm City Roller Girls
• The Christian Warriors
• American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM)
• Tunbridge Public Charter School
• Hampstead Hill Academy
• Patterson Park Public Charter School
• Gilman School
• Google
• Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA)
• The Lyric Baltimore 
• The Charles Village Parents
• Kirwan Commission
• “The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley”
• “Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High” by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler

RELEVANT LINKS

• Baltimore Family Alliance
• J’aime Elskoe-Drayton on LinkedIn
• Scott Kashnow on LinkedIn
• Nyla Technology Solutions