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Blog

08.10.11 Back to School Posted under: i[give], School Posted by: Kemi

It’s a bitter sweet moment for most of us… actually, it’s mostly bitter; but the summer is coming to an end which means “Back 2 School”! Whether your going back to the same routine of high school, or starting fresh in college like me, it’s a sensation of excitement, sadness and other mixed feelings. Now that school is starting again, it would be a good time to start thinking of ways to get involved in your community. With all the extra-curricular and service clubs centered around community involvement it should be easy to find something that interests you! Once you find the activity that is right for you staying involved is a piece of cake! And don’t forget that when trying to get into college or even grad school community service on your application speaks loudly!

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04.12.11 Volunteer with i[x] Posted under: Community Involvement, i[give] Posted by: Will.i.x

Hey friends! Earth Day is just around the corner and I have an awesome opportunity for you guys to volunteer and give back to the Atlanta community.Join me on Saturday, April 16 (9am-12pm) to help the Georgia State University Student Government Association clean-up around downtown Atlanta with the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association. 

There will be free munchies and a tailgating after the clean-up. We’ll be meeting on the parking lot operated by Parking Co. of America on John Wesley Dobbs Ave. 

If you want to help out you can sign up here or email me at will@doyouix.com and let me know if you plan on helping.  Please spread the word!

*Instructions for Volunteering: Meet us in the parking lot at the corner of John Wesley Dobbs Ave and Peachtree Center Ave. betweet 8:00 am and 9:00 am on Saturday, April 16.  If you’re taking MARTA, take the south exit at Peachtree Center Station and walk east on J.W. Dobbs Ave, between the Candler Building and the Georgia-Pacific Building.

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04.08.11 Brian Jordan – Planning for Success Posted under: Feature Post 3, i[give] Posted by: Will.i.x

He’s been an All-Star with the Atlanta Braves, an All-Pro with the Atlanta Falcons, an Emmy award-winning sports analyst and an accomplished author.  Brian Jordan is a man with many talents.

He even started his own foundation, the Brian Jordan Foundation (BJF), in 1998, which helps children strive to reach their full potential.  Brian was kind enough to sit down with us recently to talk about his success, advice for i[x]er’s and inspiration behind starting the BJF.

i[x]: Early in your career, you were a two-sport athlete and being a two-sport athlete is a rare occurrence.  How were you able to balance the rigorous day-to-day activities of both baseball and football?

BJ: I was inspired at an early age to stay active and play as many sports as possible. So from the time I was six years old, I played three sports: football, basketball and baseball. I managed to balance my seasons and days accordingly. When I got to college, I eliminated basketball from my day-to-day schedule and focused on football and baseball at the University of Richmond.  From that point, I was blessed to continue both sports at the professional level.

i[x]: After juggling baseball and football for several years, why did you decide to give up your football career to concentrate on baseball?

BJ: After having three successful years in the minor leagues for the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis offered me a three year guaranteed contract to stick with baseball. I had played with the Atlanta Falcons for three years and just been named as an alternate in the Pro Bowl. I was now an unrestricted free agent with the Falcons, although I didn’t want to give up on football, I decided to commit to baseball.

i[x]: Who had the biggest influence on you as an athlete?

BJ: Growing up as a child, the athletes who had the biggest influence on me, besides my athletic parents, were Walton Payton and Earl Campbell on the football field.  I admired their toughness and work ethic. On the baseball diamond I admired Ozzie Smith and Cal Ripken. Both of them had big hearts in the game and in the community.

i[x]: What is your favorite memory as a Major League Baseball player?

BJ: My favorite memory as a baseball player was making the 1999 All-Star Game. The All-Century team was announced and gathered on the field during that game. To be in the stadium and to witness the greatness on the field before the All-Star game started was just an honor to me.  I remember seeing Ted Williams riding in the golf cart onto the field. That was incredible, especially since the game was played in Boston.

i[x]: You currently work as a TV analyst for the Braves. How did you get into commentating?  Is it something that you see yourself doing for a while?

BJ: After retiring in 2006, I received a call from Fox Sports South saying they wanted me to audition for the Pre and Post Game Coverage of Braves Live and the rest is history.  I also work for Comcast Sports South, the Gwinnett Braves and call College Baseball games. I never thought I would be commentating, but I’m enjoying my new career.

i[x]: You also are an accomplished writer having written a best-selling children’s book, I Told You I Can Play and Overcoming the Fear of the Baseball. What inspired you to write books?

BJ: Growing up watching my mother, a special needs schoolteacher, pour her heart and soul into her kids at school inspired me to give back to children. I knew if I ever reached my goals and dreams, I would help young people.  Writing books was a way for me to share my childhood experiences and encourage kids to read. Both of my books I Told You I Can Play and Overcoming the Fear of the Baseball are childhood experiences that will hopefully inspire and motivate our youth to dream big, never give up and overcome any fear they may have.

i[x]: What artists/music do you have on your iPod?

BJ: I listen to all types of music. I have R&B, Jazz, Country, Rap and Gospel. Some of my favorite artists right now are Usher, Black Eyed Peas, Jay Z, Fred Hammond and Taylor Swift.

i[x]: You are obviously very accomplished on and off the field and have worked very hard along the way.  What advice do you have for students as they begin future life endeavors?

BJ: Dream big, have a vision and a plan A, B & C. Work hard to execute it by being patient and resilient. Always believe and trust in yourself. Last but not least, have confidence. Confidence is the key.

i[x]: i[x] is all about being smart with your money.  Do you have any financial advice or tips to give young adults today?

BJ: Start saving for the future now. Set up a savings account and slowly add to it and let your money grow for the future.

i[x]: One of the pillars of the i[x] mission is “I Will Help Others.” You started the Brian Jordan Foundation (BJF) in 1998 to create and support programs for children and their families. Can you tell me what inspired you to start this foundation?

BJ: Watching my mother inspired me to start my foundation and inspired me to want to give back and help our future any way I could. The mission of the foundation is “In Every Child There Is the Potential For Excellence” and I truly believe that, and I hope to inspire all children to reach their full potential.

i[x]: What does it mean to you to be involved and give back to the community?

BJ: It means a lot. The joy of seeing the smiles on the faces of children when you take the time to read a book to them, help them swing the bat or catch the ball, provide them with school supplies or a scholarship for college is indescribable and makes it all worthwhile.

i[x]: What type of programs does the BJF support?

BJ: The Brian Jordan Foundation helps all children through programs that focus on literacy, health and fitness and scholarships.

i[x]: What do you have in store for BJF in the future?

BJ: In 2011, the Brian Jordan Foundation will have the following events:
• BJF Scholarship Program (Applications accepted from February – May 1st)
• Rolling For the Future (Kids Bowling Event Sponsored by Kids ‘R’ Kid) – July 12-14, 2011
• Sips For Success (Wine Tasting/Casino Night) – August 27, 2011
• Camp Jordan 2011 (Free baseball camp for kids) -  July 30, 2011
• Halloween Themed Par Party – October 30, 2011
• BJF Celebrity Golf Classic – October 31, 2011
• Katchin’ for Kids (Bass Tournament on Lake Lanier) -  November 12th

i[x]: How can our i[x] members be involved or help out with the BJF?

BJ: Visit our website at brianjordanfoundation.com and sign up to volunteer or call our office at 770-774-3516.  We are also always looking for volunteers, sponsors and donations for our annual events.

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02.28.11 Guest Blog – GCADV Posted under: Community Involvement, i[give] Posted by: Will.i.x

As part of this quarter’s i[give] with the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (GCADV), we have a special blog post: 

1 in 3 teenagers experiences relationship abuse.  Relationship abuse crosses all racial, economic and cultural backgrounds.  Unfortunately, I know a bit about this sort of abuse, and I want to let you know that you are not alone if you are someone that is being abused.  That’s important.  It can be hard letting anyone know about the “real” relationship you and your boyfriend have because the abuse can get even worse.  Economic abuse, or abuse with money, can cause a lot of issues in a relationship, even if you’re a teen.  Here’s my story… 

Okay, so I started hanging out with this guy when I was 14.  He was 15, hot, a grade older than me, had a job, and was very popular.  Dating him was great because when I started my freshman year at the same high school as him, he was a sophomore and already well-known.  Plus, people thought I was older than I was because I was always hanging around him and his friends.  It all started great but moved pretty quickly. 

Once we had been together for about 6 weeks, he gave me $500 for my birthday.  For our first anniversary, he bought me a huge sapphire ring.  He would tell EVERYONE that he got me the jewelry and make sure that anyone we came into contact with knew that I was his.  He took me shopping and picked out clothes for me.  I didn’t even realize how much I started changing.  In the back of my mind, I always felt like I owed him something because he had given me so much.  My parents always told me that we were getting too serious, but I didn’t feel that way.  I didn’t realize that his behavior was how he started controlling me. 

When I turned 16, I started thinking about getting a part-time job so I could get a car and pay for my own phone.  He was always angry at my parents for making me get off the phone because they were getting overages on their bill.  He told me that getting a job was stupid idea because he would never get to see me if we were both working.  I told him that we could hang out at school or on the nights that we were both off since he had a car.  He wasn’t happy, but I got a job anyway where all my friends worked.  He came into my job constantly.  He ended up getting me fired because my boss said that he was a distraction to me and my coworkers.

 After I was fired, I couldn’t pay for my phone anymore so he got his parents to add me to their family plan.  He agreed to pay for my unlimited minutes and texts.  He would grab my phone out of my purse so he could see exactly who I had been texting.  When I got mad at him, he’d say, “Well, you’re not paying for the phone anyway.”  He’d text my friends back from my phone pretending to be me and saying things that I would never say.  If I was talking to or texting guy friends, he’d call them and threaten them.  Everyone I knew well starting saying that I had changed and that I was “all up him.”  He’d text me all the time so that I couldn’t sleep.  My grades started slipping so my parents were pissed at me.  I couldn’t talk to them because they would tell me that they “told me so.”  All my friends started talking about how they were afraid he would “go psycho” on them, so people started avoiding me since he was always somewhere nearby.  Even though my Facebook showed this super-happy couple, I felt like I couldn’t talk to anyone.  I felt isolated and alone.  We finally broke up after a year and a half because I found out he had been cheating on me. 

My story isn’t different from a lot of teens.  This guy was my first serious boyfriend, and I didn’t know what was normal and what wasn’t for a relationship.  Now I realize that there were so many things unequal in our relationship.  He used his money, social status and technology to influence, monitor and control me.  Over and over, he showed a pattern of being jealous and possessive, and he tried to put me down in front of others.  Even though he would tell me that he loved me, his intentions were to make me do what he wanted me to do.  I wish I could tell my friends now what would have helped me then.  If you have a friend that is dealing with an abusive relationship, let them know you are concerned about them.  So many people gossiped about me, but none of my friends actually asked me if I was okay.  That would have helped me a lot.  Need more advice?  Call 1.800.334.2836 or http://www.loveisrespect.org.

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