Florence Crittenton News — May, 2009
Newsletter Archives
In this issue:
- Profile: Rakesh Mehta
- Election Aftermath
- Crittenton Fathers Update
Rakesh Mehta : Giving to Others
As a boy growing up in a small village outside of Calcutta, Rakesh Mehta remembers that on his birthday his mother would take him to distribute food to people less fortunate then themselves. “My birthday falls on a pretty auspicious day on the Hindu calendar,” he says, “and I have vivid memories of my mother taking me to the village. Very early on, my parents instilled in me the idea that even on your birthday, you shouldn’t expect people to give to you, but rather give to others.”
This attitude of generosity is one Rakesh brings to his new position as President of FCS’ Board of Directors.
Rakesh lived in India until he was 12-years-old. His parents then decided to move to the United States to make a new life. Already on their 40s, both knew starting from scratch posed serious challenges.
“Clearly, my life would have been very different if my parents had been risk-averse and decided to continue to raise us in India,” he says. “But they had the fortitude to take the risk and, as a result, all of our lives were changed.”
Rakesh studied filmmaking at Syracuse University. He then went to the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, graduating in 1999. Still, he never lost the desire to help others. One of the most rewarding volunteer experiences for him was the time he worked for Habitat for Humanity the summer before he started business school. He was able to see the completion of one of the houses he worked on and watched a family move into it.
“They felt so much pride in their new home,” he says. “They made a huge meal for all of us who helped build the house. Seeing the tangible benefit to this family was quite rewarding and fulfilling.”
Currently, Rakesh serves as the Executive Director of Healthcare Investment Banking at JPMorgan Chase. The corporate giant has been a long-time supporter of FCS. “I’ve been doing this work for about 10 years and find it very rewarding,” he says.
While he thrives on his professional work, he knows his life would be incomplete without an active role in helping the less fortunate in San Francisco. As he searched for volunteer opportunities some time ago, he was introduced to FCS and was immediately intrigued. He felt that the agency’s mission of “ending poverty one family at a time” dovetailed with his own current priorities for service.
“I really like the mission of the organization,” he says. “We have a three-year-old daughter, and as parents we have full appreciation for the amount of time and resources required to raise a child. These days, most everyone has to work and if you have a child, it can be economically devastating for a family member to forgo work to raise the child. Helping people so that they don’t have to make that choice really inspires me.”
A big part of Rakesh’s job as an investment banker involves problem-solving within teams. That skill comes in handy as the new board leader.
“In banking,” he says, “we tend to be quite analytical in our decision-making. And I try to bring that perspective to the table at FCS. My hope is that when the leadership team comes to the board for guidance, we are thoughtful and make decisions based on facts and analysis.”
Rakesh is excited about the chance to provide the right guidance and oversight to help the agency reach its full potential. It’s a felling he shares with his colleagues. “The FCS board is a very well functioning one,” he says. “Board members like and respect each other and there is a healthy debate about issues and the right understanding about the role the board can play in helping FCS flourish.”
"To his credit, Rakesh is willing to take on new responsibilities during challenging times. The economic downturn has squeezed non-profits throughout the country. Meanwhile, the funding climate for child care and other human services programs will likely be depressed for a while.
“It’s quite ironic that the economic climate constrains our resources at the very moment when the services FCS offers are most required,” Rakesh says.
“Within FCS itself,” he adds, “we are undergoing a change in leadership and that is always a stressful time for any organization. But the board has been actively involved in managing the transition and my hope is that our constituents will see changes that they will view as positive in furthering the mission of the organization.”
Like his parents, Rakesh is undaunted by the prospect of uncertainty. He is, in fact, quite hopeful about the future. “We have a long history of providing services within the San Francisco community and I believe that our constituents want us to succeed,” he says. “The services we provide are necessary and vital. I think our supporters recognize that and will step up to the plate to support the agency during these trying times.”
“My biggest desire as board President,” he concludes, “is that I can be helpful to FCS and to the people that we serve.”
Voters Reject Prop 1D
When California voters resoundingly rejected Governor Schwarzengger’s Proposition 1D, they made a very clear statement: don’t try to balance the budget on the backs of the state’s most vulnerable people.
“Of course we are very pleased that Prop ID failed,” says Laurel Kloomok, Executive Director of First 5 San Francisco, an important FCS funder that responsible for providing early childhood development services. “I hope that it really does mean that people understand the importance of investing in the first five years of a child’s life.”
Although the proposition was defeated, no one knows how the governor or legislature will respond. Nor is it clear what additional challenges agencies serving low-income children and their parents will face in the near future. As a result, FCS supporters must remember the economic and social benefits of child care far outweigh the costs. With each dollar spent on child care leading to a $2 benefit, as many studies indicate, supporting child care makes good dollars and sense.
For her part, Ms. Kloomok is ready to get back on track. “The election means that First 5 SF can get back to work implementing our strategic plan,” she says. “We look forward to continuing to promote policies that support young children and families, and to help build the safety net of prevention and early intervention services that they need.”
As a human services agency, FCS can’t achieve our mission of ending poverty one family at a time without your continued support. We want to thank you for helping to defeat Proposition 1D.
Crittenton Fathers
On April 11, the Crittenton Dads Father Child Bonding group led an Easter egg hunt at a small park on Leland Avenue in Visitacion Valley. The event was a collaborative effort between FCS, the Visitacion Valley Family Community Center and other community organizations.
The bonding group, lead by FCS Family Advocate Atiim Chenzira, meets monthly to help fathers better bond with their children through play. The Easter egg hunt was the perfect space to invite other community members to join in the fun. Nearly 100 children and 70 parents were in attendance, including 8 regular FCB group members. The bonding group’s next meeting is scheduled for June 13, 2009.
