Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Naponelli.
Hi Jill, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My husband and I moved to the Springfield neighborhood of Jacksonville from the Bay Area in CA about four years ago. We were immediately taken with the close-knit community and decided to move here after a couple of visits. I became involved with Hubbard House as a volunteer shortly after moving here and put together Project May Day as an informal community organization to support Hubbard House’s mission. Project May Day has put together various small-scale fundraisers over the last several years by finding fun ways to bring the community together, promote local business, and, most importantly, raise money and awareness on behalf of Hubbard House!
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Project May Day started to come together as an organization just before the pandemic hit. There was so much uncertainty at the time and on many different levels. And the needs of the people Hubbard House served became even more critical. So as a group, we came together to figure out manageable ways to continue to support the organization in any way we could. We re-tooled the work we did for big plans and switched gears to smaller ways we could be of service. And we learned a lot of valuable lessons as a result: people want to come together to help each other even when we are all individually struggling; raising awareness is as valuable as raising money; tiny steps are critical to building a larger platform.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Project May Day is a community organization based in Historic Springfield with a mission of supporting local nonprofits through creative fundraising. All our efforts have been dedicated to Hubbard House, and it has been a privilege to witness how people come together to give what they can. As someone not from this part of the country and without making value judgments, it is remarkable to be a part of a community that comes together in this way.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some changes you expect to see over the next five to ten years?
Philanthropy is not my primary focus, nor is public policy. DV is a complicated, multi-faceted issue, and there will likely always be a need for more awareness, education, and funds. Regarding the trajectory of Jacksonville’s growth, the hope is that more funds are dedicated to social services so that the rising tide will lift all boats.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/projectmaidez
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/project_mayday/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projectmaidez
Image Credits
Renee Parenteau
