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The Benefits are Endless- BOND Membership

You ever want to know what it’s like being a BOND Girl? There are added benefits of joining the sisterhood. Below is a list of what you can expect as a member of such an amazing organization. 

• Participate in BOND's Mentoring Program
• Receives support and encouragement
• Celebrates in personal successes and triumphs
• Receive personalized letter of reference/recommendation
• Contribute to BOND’s Volunteer Program
• Take part in Annual Community Outreach Project
• Receive retailed discounts through BOND Card Incentive Program
• Participate in fundraising awareness/initiatives
• Reduced rates during Gatherings and BOND hosted events
• Networking opportunities
• Build meaningful relationships with other women from a variety of backgrounds
• Opportunities to enhance and hone on skills and gain new ones
• Access to businesses and a variety of subject matter experts
• Be on the receiving end to countless giveaways and raffles
• Receive Membership Swag Items (logo t-shirts, member certificate etc.)
• Attend business/entrepreneurship workshops/training
• Attend special guest speaker workshops/Gatherings
• Receives resources to equip you in the areas of personal and professional development

 The benefits are endless when you’re a BOND Girl!

Other Post that May Interest You

Calling All Women Owned Businesses  

Mama Knows Best

Membership Form is Now Online

 

Spotlight Feature-Hope Marshall "I'd Seen the Enemy & the Enemy Was Me"

Meet Hope Marshall. One could say that her commitment to service began right after high school, when she enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Hope always had the desire to be a part of something bigger than herself. After 7 years of service, she returned to Maryland and later graduated from Towson University with a BS in Sociology/Anthropology.

As a civilian, I officially began my career in Human Services in 2006, specializing in challenging populations. Throughout this journey, I’d noticed that the individuals I worked with who had some semblance of independence i.e. employed, always fared a little better than the others who didn’t. I came to understand that it wasn’t the job per se’, that contributed to that independence, but more so the sense that it was the one thing that they had a say in. The one thing to look forward to each day. From then on, I made it my business to help people reach economic empowerment through meaningful work.

However, I did not have the proper credentials/experience to become a career/job coach, so I joined a national service program called AmeriCorps. For 2 years, I worked on a Veteran career management project, where I developed employment support programming for Veterans. During my service I was able to create a student Veteran club on campus, create and distribute a 25 page Veteran career resource guide, and held 3 career expos that included over 30 organizations from the community. I loved the work. This experience helped me land a position with St. Vincent De Paul, as a Career Development Specialist.

 My greatest accomplishment to date has been:

Two great things have happened, almost simultaneously:

Serving 2 years as an AmeriCorps VISTA. I have had both the honor and the privilege of meeting some great people, doing extraordinary things in the community. I saw, first hand, what can happen when people work collectively. My service solidified my belief in, and affinity to, grassroots-efforts. I gained a deeper understanding of the science behind career development. In addition, I was the recipient of the President's Volunteer Service Award for my works with the Veterans Career Management Project.

Having the courage to start my own business. Pre-dawn hours and weekends find me tinkering around with “The Laffin' Afro”, which is home to wearable art, stationery and other items that lampoon the supposed-to-be's of femininity, with a unique blend of humor and empowerment. I created The Laffin Afro as a way to combat the messages of how women are "supposed" to behave.  There’s always some rule, top-ten list, Youtube video, or something else, relegating women to ‘get in their place’. Where ever that is. So rather than be upset about it, I point and laugh. In fact, among other things, catch new memes every Tuesday, #funnygirlfindings at www.facebook.com/Thelaffinafro, or on Instagram: @TheLaffinAfro.

The most challenging thing I ever experienced is:

Walking away from a “seemingly perfect” relationship. A few years ago, I threw caution to the wind and moved clear across the country-Oregon to be exact, to be with my then boyfriend, whom I was certain I would marry. However; once the excitement wore off, and the smoke cleared, I’d realized that although he seemed “perfect” for ME, I wasn’t the right woman for HIM. Knowing that, I could not longer, in good conscience hold onto him. So I let him go. I’d seen the enemy. And the enemy was me.

Most often, when we leave relationships, we tend to place the blame on the other person, as to why it didn’t work out. That relationship forced me to face to hard truths about myself. So, with my broken heart, pride and ego in shambles, my 14 year old Honda packed to the gills, my pet cat, and GPS, I found myself back in Maryland.

Most Valuable Lesson:

I spent a large part of my life, trying to create a safe bubble where nothing bad could happen.  It was exhausting.  I’ve since learned that bad things are inevitable. No religious dogma, no avoidance tactic, no relationship, or anything of the sort, will shield me from misfortune. This is not to say I go looking for trouble, but I’ve now learned to accept that the bad, is as fleeting as the good. My new motto is: no matter what happens, I’ll be okay.

Final Remarks: 

There is a quote from Frederick Buechner: “The place God calls you to, is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” It is extremely important to find your passion-something that you believe in whole-heartedly, and let it fuel you. Maybe you like animals. Maybe you play a mean ukulele. Whatever your gifts are, you can improve the lives of others with them. Always know that.  

Recent Spotlight Features

"A Life Change for the Better"- Tanya Baylor

"From Pain to Purpose"- Lakita Stewart-Thompson

Keeping You in the Know-August 2014

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BOND Inc Spotlight features ordinary African American women who are doing extra-ordinary things. If you or anyone you know would like to be featured, send your requests for more information to iambondinc@gmail.com.

Keeping You In the Know- August 2014

I don’t know about you but I’m so glad to see the weekend. A sistah is tired and needs a moment to decompress as I have a busy weekend ahead of me. There are a few things buzzing at the moment and I want to ensure that you’re well informed.  So follow me, Ok.

•  This Saturday, I will be accompanying our 2014 Mother’s Day Spa Package winner Natasha during her pampering session at Msprity Enterprise. I understand she’s in for a real treat so I’m excited to witness her face after her session. While there, I will be snapping a few pictures and interviewing the owner of Msprity Enterprise, Cynthia.  Be on the lookout for the interview but in the meantime read the back-story behind Natasha wining the Spa Day, here it is.  

 

• If you’re following us on Facebook you know that we’ve been posting for the last couple of weeks our upcoming September Gathering- “Black Women and Friends- The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and the Lack thereof”, facilitated by yours truly. There are varying views on what it means to be a friend in our adult years. Some find friendship easy to maintain and make new ones while others find it daunting and not worth the energy. Friday, September 19^th @ 7:30 PM you will hear it all and so if you haven’t RSVP’d or paid your ticket here’s your opportunity to do so. Since posting, I can already tell that this is a hot button item. You can rest assure that the discussion will be nonstop, thought-provoking, igniting a number of emotions.  RSVP here
  
  
  
  Call to Action: We put out a call for 2015 Gathering topics and speakers. If you have a topic of interest you’d like for us to discuss or you’re interested in being a guest speaker email us at iambondinc@gmail.com. We are all eyes and ears. 
  
  
  We’ve also posted our ongoing efforts for the Mama Knows Best Mentoring Initiative. We have joined forces once again to host Mama Knows Best Part II.  Like the first one, this one is free so I encourage you to RSVP in advance. If you missed the first one, you’ll be mad you’d missed Part II.  Bottom Line- This mentoring program is geared toward African American who are looking for direction or support in a variety of areas as health and wellness, entrepreneurship, money management, career development education and much more. We still have opportunities available for mentors, mentees or both.  Sign up here.

• BOND’s board will be meeting, Monday, Aug 18^th to discuss the way forward for 2015 and beyond. We have some exciting topic s on the agenda that will positively impact you as a member, potential member or supporter of BOND Inc. We hope to bring you along for the ride because BOND is going places and we hope you will tag along.

 Call to Action: We put out a call for folks interested in being apart of BOND’s growth for 2015 and beyond. This is your opportunity to share your gifts and talents. As a member of the sisterhood you will have the opportunity to take part in a number of initiatives, be a part of something bigger than yourself, network with prominent business owners and organizations from in and around the community, gain additional skill set you can add to your professional resume and feel of sense of “paying it forward” for your efforts. There are a number of opportunities for you to share your expertise.  

Areas of Interest: Marketing, event planning, administration, speakers, planning, membership recruitment/retention, partnerships/community outreach, writing/blogging, graphics design, special projects and more. If interested email us at iambondinc@gmail.com with your name and area of interest and we will provide you with more details in the upcoming weeks.

• Lastly, have you been impressed with our latest Spotlight features?  These women are on the move and are doing amazing things in and around the community. It’s through our Spotlight Features, that we shine the light on the positivity that women of color are doing. We have more where that is coming from. If you’d like more information or want to be a featured, inquire at iambondinc@gmail.com. 

 

BOND Inc Committee Overview

Administration & Marketing Committee (AMC)
Responsible for providing guidance and leadership to the organization in order to stay focused, thriving and achieving positive results
 
Birthday Club & Special Events Committee (BSEC)
Responsible for coordination of BOND member birthdays and BOND’s related events

Business/Organization Partnership Committee (BPC)

Responsible for establishing a clear line of communication between BOND and selected and potential partnerships

Fundraising Committee (FC)

Responsible for raising funds in order to support and maintain organization’s mission and community outreach initiatives

Historian Committee (HC)

Responsible for preparing and regularly publishing quarterly newsletters in order to keep members and supporters informed of activities, events and important information
 
Membership Recruitment Committee (MRC)
Responsible for the recruitment and retention of new and existing members

Newsletter Committee (NC)

Responsible for preparing and regularly publishing newsletters and blogs in order to keep members and supporters informed of activities, events and important information

Scholarship Committee (SC)

Responsible for the operation and longevity of BOND’s scholarship fund

Sponsorship Committee (SC)

Responsible for promoting the value of BOND Inc and contacting and recruiting possible sponsors for BOND hosted events and/or initiatives

Volunteer & Community Outreach Committee (VCOC)

Responsible for the coordination of activities/initiatives that coincide with the mission and purpose of BOND Inc

To join any one of the BOND Inc Committees you must be a full fledged BOND Inc Member.  Click here for more details of how you can be apart.

Committee PSA- Event Planning Members Needed

Do you have a knack for planning fab events? Do you have a great eye for creating a great ambiance? Are you someone that enjoys meeting new people? Does the thought of fundraising and finding ways to give back excite you? If so BOND Inc needs you.  In preparation for the 8^th year Anniversary in November and our 2^nd Annual Poetry & Presents fundraising event in December, BOND is seeking volunteers to be apart of the Event Planning Committee.

As a member of the team you will have the opportunity to take part in two of BOND’s most successful and much anticipated events this year. This is also a fun and exciting way to network with prominent business owners and organizations from in and around the community. You will also be able to gain additional skillset that you can add to your professional resume. If the thought of working on a great team interest you please email us at iambondinc@gmail.com for more details.

We plan to kick off our first Event Planning Committee meeting in just a few weeks. Join Us!!!