Meet Erin Jansky of YPWA Worcester

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Jansky.

Erin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in a single parent home and was one of three kids. My mom worked a commission-based job, so money was always tight since there was no steady, salaried cash flow. In years when we had a little extra, during the holidays, we would visit a local elderly home and invite a resident without family or visitors to our house for dinner. It was always a nice experience and a way to give back when we were able. As I got older and started becoming more established in my career, I decided it was a good time for me to start giving back. I began volunteering with a number of different local agencies; CASA Worcester County, Veteran’s Inc., Worcester Animal Rescue League, Friendly House, etc. I found that while each agency needed different things, there was a common lack of resources due to budget and staffing constraints. These organizations spend all of their precious dollars giving back to the causes they support, so there isn’t much left for staffing and technology, particularly the social media and networking expertise needed to spread the word these days for critical fundraising efforts.

About 5 years ago or so, my husband and I “adopted” a family from Friendly House for Christmas. You’re given a wish list of items the family was hoping to see under the tree on Christmas morning. These families are homeless and living in a shelter. Their stories can be quite traumatic, especially for the children. Many are fleeing domestic violence, some lost jobs during the recession and haven’t been able to recover. Friendly House assigns each family a case manager who helps the family work to get back on their feet and self-sufficient once again. We had fun purchasing and wrapping the items on the list for the family we were assigned. When we returned to the shelter a few days before Christmas to drop off the gifts, we asked the shelter director if all of the families had been taken care of. She told us all but three, but that they’d scrape together some things for the last three families. How do you walk away from that? I asked her for the lists, composed a mass email to pretty much everyone I knew, and asked them to each commit to purchasing one item. Within a day, everything was purchased. My husband and I ran around Massachusetts, collecting items, assembling toys, buying batteries and wrapping paper, and then invited a group of friends over to help us wrap.

I wasn’t particularly surprised by the response – I have an amazing network of friends and family. However, what I noticed was that a lot of people said they had been looking for a cause to give back to and just didn’t know where to find it. This was a common thread I was finding between many of the places where I volunteered. People want to help, they just don’t have the time to find what’s most critical. The following year, we asked for five families right off the bat. Each year, we expanded a bit more, adding more families and more items. We found that using a wedding registry made it easier for people to instantly mark items “purchased” and see what was still left to be bought. We added a Facebook page and asked friends to share with their friends, which enabled us to take on 15 families last year and purchase every single item for each of them. It’s a ton of work, a little stressful (I’m always worried that we won’t get everything), but incredibly rewarding. We throw a wrapping party the weekend before drop off and supply food and drinks, play Christmas movies, and our house looks like a scarily-chaotic Toys R Us with post-its on the walls above piles of toys and clothes in every room, wrapping paper, scissors, and tape everywhere. It’s a lot of fun.

A big part of completing the drive every year, along with accomplishing other fundraising efforts throughout the year, is expanding my network. A few years ago, I joined the Young Professional Women’s Association of Worcester (YPWA). It’s a fantastic group of local, professional women who care about the community and about supporting other women through personal and professional development. The group offers a number of events throughout the year (September through May) for a low annual fee. Events range from educational seminars to formal networking events, fun social events, and community service. Events are hosted at different locations throughout the area to make members aware of all of the cool spaces to hang out in our community. After a few years as a member, I applied for a position on the board and became the Community Outreach Director in 2016. In 2017, I took over as President. The position has been incredibly rewarding for me. The women in this group come from a wide range of industries, backgrounds, and experience levels, but all have the desire to help and support each other to grow their careers and businesses. The women in the group have a keen understanding of the needs of the community and have been incredibly supportive of my fundraising efforts. Many of my biggest donors are YPWA members!

Networking enabled me to collect backpacks and school supplies for CASA for years, it enabled me to do my part to raise $50,000 for the Worcester Animal Rescue League as the Wagtime gala committee chairwoman, it enabled me to have a beautiful California Closet organization system installed at Friendly House’s Elm Street shelter to organize clothing donations, and so much more. Putting kind and generous people in touch with the local charities and causes that need resources has become a huge part of my life and by far, the most rewarding.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There have certainly been struggles. Learning to accept rejection and to be persistent has been tough. Companies and organizations often have rules for giving – the types of organizations they will give to, the amount, the application and approval process, deadlines, etc. It can be daunting. You’ll get companies that only donate to “people causes” not pets, or people who say they just gave to another charity, so they can’t give to yours. I have even had people question why a homeless child should ask for a video game, assuming homeless children should only want things like winter coats, socks, or pajamas (as if being homeless makes a child less deserving). I’ve learned that people want to hear the story behind the cause. That personal connection is vital for a lot of people – who specifically are they giving to, why, what brought them to where they are. Nonprofits often don’t have a lot of time to get that detailed with each need.

Please tell us about YPWA Worcester.
I’m proud that I’ve been able to always deliver on my promises. Part of that is me being a bit of a perfectionist and pretty hard on myself, but persistence is key. If there’s a will, there’s a way, and I’ll find it. I also take pride in helping local agencies. My husband and I put down roots in Worcester County 10 years ago and have been so proud and impressed with the amazing energy in the area. I like to put my efforts into doing my part to help the community in any way I can and to assist in that energy and growth by helping the area’s most vulnerable populations. No one should be left behind.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Nothing. Every setback in life is a learning experience and provides personal growth and insight. There’s a quote that goes something like “If you don’t make mistakes, you aren’t really trying.” As long as you learn from your mistakes, try again, and do better the next time, you’re on the right track – keep going.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ypwaworcester.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/friendlyhousewishlist/

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