United Way Takes On Reality TV

If it weren’t for Jacinda Adams’s affection for NBC’s The Apprentice, the Twin Cities might have missed out on one of the liveliest, most heartfelt community projects in recent memory.

Adams, a self-professed aficionado of the reality TV show, became a big fan of Randal Pinkett, Ph.D., president and CEO of BCT Partners; Winner of NBC's The Apprentice with Donald Trump. She wanted to invite him to the Twin Cities to speak for Greater Twin Cities United Way, where she serves as senior market segment manager and United Way Emerging Leaders program manager. She met with the organization’s marketing team to determine a way to make the most of Pinkett’s appearance.

The result was Volunteer Apprentus, United Way’s unique take on the TV program. The project’s goals were twofold: to promote the organization’s Emerging Leaders program and benefit United Way partner agencies. Adams arranged meetings with Cargill, Target, General Mills, and Best Buy, all of which instantly agreed to participate in the project, held in September 2006.

The four companies gathered teams of volunteers and received their assignment: Complete a makeover of their partner agency in thirty days with only $2,000. Then, a group of community leaders would judge each project after teams presented their case in the “boardroom,” with the final decision coming down from Pinkett at the “Season Finale” at International Market Square.

Cargill refurbished an art room and replenished art supplies for Horizon Youth Program. General Mills remodeled a kitchen and supplied a pantry full of food for the Oak Park Neighborhood Center. Best Buy updated two classrooms with new furniture and technology for Summit Academy OIC. Target remodeled the lobby/reception area and organized a new library at Exodus Residence.

Before the teams presented the projects in the boardroom (the fifth-floor ballroom at Graves 601 Hotel), Pinkett toured the four agencies and spoke with their staff and clients. “I was so impressed with the quality and the comprehensiveness of what each of the teams accomplished,” he says. “To this day, I tell people about this project—so much was accomplished with so little.”

The results far exceeded the expectations of the agencies and their clients, as well as the teams themselves. Reggie Reyes and John Maloney volunteered their creative talents for the Target team and reaped many rewards from the Exodus Residence project. “The space was very institutional and dreary when we started the project,” Reyes says. “We gave them a space they could really be happy with and enjoy being in—a place to call home. And you see that in the faces of those who use it and the people who work there.”

Adds Maloney: “You think of charitable giving as something that your parents do, but it was exciting to see it could be very appropriate and fun for people in our age group.”

Volunteer Apprentus was a natural fit for the corporations as well. “From a community-giving perspective, we’re always looking for new, innovative ways that go beyond writing a check,” says Amy von Walter, a spokesperson for Target. “The Exodus makeover put the team’s resourcefulness and creativity to the test.”

Though one could argue that everyone who participated won in this competition, Pinkett picked the Summit Academy/Best Buy project as the winner. “It was a well-executed project that was clearly going to amplify the preexisting work of Summit Academy,” he explains. “But there was this intangible part where they dedicated the room to W. Harry Davis, who made significant contributions to the community. It was a very touching tribute to his life   and legacy.”

The project enhances the services of Summit Academy, which provides job- and life-skills training to low-income adults and academic support to high school students and youth in the foster-care system. The school can now utilize the Internet for classroom lessons; within the year, Summit Academy will be able to broadcast its lectures to other OIC locations throughout the state. “This started off as a cosmetic project, but Best Buy truly added value to what we were doing,” says Louis King, president of Summit Academy OIC. “We’ve made some longstanding relationships with them.”

Furthermore, Volunteer Apprentus created Emerging Leaders out of most of the 200-plus corporate volunteers who worked with the agencies. “The program is a combination of bringing your business and community skills together to make an impact,” Adams says. “It is about leadership,    volunteering, being philanthropic, and understanding that those components encompass being an Emerging Leader.”

United Way is seeking corporations to participate in Volunteer Apprentus in May. Teams will be responsible for building new playgrounds for children to use in the summer. To be considered, contact Jacinda Adams at 612-340-7563.