Programs from the Heart

Every organization has a heart.  Sometimes if you are lucky – like the NRC – your organization might have two or three or more people who all function as the heart.   If you were looking for one of the biggest hearts at the NRC, you’d want to go directly to Penny Ferris.  Her official title is Programs and Volunteer Coordinator.  And what that means is she does a little of everything.  She designs after school programs for kids ranging in age from 6 to 18.  Some of these programs she does herself and others she is responsible for staffing with quality volunteers.  One of the main programs under the direction of Penny is the individual academic tutoring.  And, this is one programs that always needs additional help from the community through contributions of money, time or experience.

Here’s a very tiny portion of some other programs the NRC has provided under the guidance of Penny:  Arts & Crafts – everything from making art to going on field trips to the Friday artwalk;  Girl scouts and boy scouts; Gardening – teaching about the biology of the plant to ecology to nutrition and even cooking; Modern dance classes; Drumming;

Fashion sewing; Junior Board of Directors – teaching leadership skills, financial and communication skills; and the Recording Studio – a two part program that incorporates writing workshops and recording.

As if that’s not enough, she also works one-on-one with the kids and their families, teaching them about health issues, practical learning tools, and all kinds of resources to benefit the entire family.  Prior to her work at the NRC, Penny taught HIV/AIDS prevention classes and took pre-med classes herself.  Her passion for the health and well-being of the kids who come into the NRC is contagious.

We asked three questions to get to know her better.

Tell us about yourself.

I am Penelope Ferris, I go by Penny or Miss Penny. I became “Miss Penny” in the late summer of 2007 when I began working at the NRC. I grew up in New Jersey and came to Richmond 13 years ago to study social work at VCU.  Before I worked at the NRC, I was a skilled nursing health care social worker. I went around the world from November 2006 to June 2007, visited the north half of America, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, India and most of Europe. I speak french. I have two dogs and two cats and I love to make pottery. I believe we are all equal; good people do bad things; and hope is necessary to thrive. I believe people can change; systems can change; and hard work is the best way to spend your life.

Please give us your opinion of the NRC – maybe your first impressions, why you spend time there, why it works, why it is important to the Fulton community and Richmond.

I love Fulton Hill.  I am in love with this community because it loves me right back. My neighbors have made it clear that we are family. I have the best time in the garden with the kids. I love when we feed them things they’ve never had and they say, “Miss Penny, this is nasty!” and then proceed to eat everything in front of them and demand it the next week. I enjoy watching older kids teach younger ones how to solve conflict without hitting. I think the NRC provides a safe, consistent and nurturing environment for kids. When the stress of instability is removed, people can turn towards personal growth. I love that the NRC allows staff to implement change where needed. I can demand good behavior from the kids and send them out the door if they are not respecting the center and the center users. I can invite artists to share their gifts.  I can give older teens a volunteer experience.

I have a big wish list for the NRC.  I wish I had more time for their parents.
I wish more parents would hang out in the center with us. I wish the NRC had a scholarship fund for older teens to use for college or travel abroad. I wish we had a short bus for field trips. I wish we could hire a cleaning crew.

Just for fun tell us something that helps us get to know you better: a story about you, a story about the neighborhood, your favorite movie or book, where you grew up, favorite restaurant in Richmond, special skills, music….

Angie, my next door neighbor and president of the board, gets regular visits from my fence hopping dog, Elaine. She goes into Angie’s doggie door, up the stairs and puts her cold wet nose on Angie’s face. Then Elaine makes her way back over the fence, treat in hand. Angie has not complained- yet.

Thanks to Allyson Rainer for contributing this article.