Project 4063

Goodbye ::sniff::

2009-12-10T08:11:00.000-08:00

Well, our class is finally drawing to a close and with the food drives and events squared away, it seems like Project 4063 is about ready to wrap up.

This experience has truly been a unique one. At first I was quite skeptical as to how social media could be "taught" considering it's still in infancy. However, it was interesting to see the ridiculous amount of social media platforms that can be leveraged for something as simple as raising food and funds for an organization. People rarely ever think of using social media to do good and I'm proud that Project4063 not only spearheaded an effort to show just that, but did so successfully.

This class/project was somewhat atypical of what one would expect in an "interactive marketing" class. Personally, I thought our butts would be lodged firmly in those uncomfortable chairs for two and a half hours every week and that our professor (this was before Dave walked into the room) would drone on for the duration of the class about things that, frankly, I couldn't give less of a damn about. The idea of taking notes in another marketing class and sucking up to yet another professor was unbearable to me. Luckily, I didn't have to do either.

Quite frankly, this class was a pleasant and a welcome surprise. From going to visit William Byrd Community House to talking about Twitter and cyber stalking various individuals, this class was truly a mix of the good, the bad and, well, if you saw some of the pictures on our Flickr account, at times quite ugly.

In the end I'm hoping everyone else in the class will walk away with the same appreciation for social media, and interactive marketing, (and maybe Dave) as I did.

And, if there's one thing I've learned from all of this....Google's gonna be big.

-Ana

Food Drive

2009-12-10T06:44:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say thank you so much to those who participated in the food drive. We were able to donate a lot of food to the WBCH. They appreciated our efforts very much.

The semester has gone by so fast. I can't believe that class is about to end, and how much the blog has developed. The blog started out with posts about anything and now we are posting with a purpose. It has been really interesting seeing the progress, and how much everyone has learned about social media.

- Caitlin

Project 4063 Coming to an End

2009-12-08T12:54:00.000-08:00

(by: melissa calabro)

Greetings all!

With the semester coming to close, Project 4063 is also coming to a close. We've had an awesome semester, learning a little bit more about William Byrd Community House and their involvement in our community and a lot about social media! We ended up donating about 10-15 bags of non-perishables from our food drive, and cannot thank you all enough for your support. It's been a fun ride, and I hope you all have enjoyed being a part of this project as much as I have!

Also, consider volunteering with WBCH during some of that free time. Non profits can always use an extra hand with something and WBCH is doing great things for our community!

Thanks again for all of your support! Have a happy holiday and an awesome new year! May our paths cross again soon....

Cheers,
Melissa

The semester is all but over

2009-12-05T11:29:00.000-08:00

Well Project 4063 had our canned food drive this past Thursday. I would call it a success. We had several bags and boxes worth of food to donate to the William Byrd Community House. Thank you to everyone who donated, it means a lot to us, but more importantly, it means a lot to the people who are struggling to support their children and received the food. Project 4063 was a fun experience. I think we all learned a lot about using the internet as a means for marketing. At the very least, I can say I know more about blogging now. Stay tuned for more updates about the future of Project 4063.

-Yvonne

Thank you so much

2009-12-03T16:34:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and donated during our canned food drive today - what a success! I don't know personally the final number of food items we recieved, but I do know that when we were packing everything up to bring to WBCH it took quite a few bags/boxes and some heavy lifting.

I'd also like to thank everyone in Project 4063 for making this drive possible - special thanks to Yvonne for coming through with a banner at the last minute, and Melissa and Lynna for dropping all the food off at WBCH.

Great job everyone!

-Sophia

Hey there! Got a minute? I'd like to share some cool ideas.

2009-12-01T22:15:00.000-08:00

So as you may or may not be aware, the class, Mass Communications 491 - "Interactive Marketing", and Project 4063 (the student-led community service effort of this class) are both quickly coming to a close.

In fact, this week of November 29th to December 5th marks the students' long-awaited dream finally realized: The last week of classes.

Yet, we students "aren't out of the woods yet", as there is, after this said week, the week for final exams. Lo and behold, although the classes shall cease, we still must look forward to an exam for this class.

What on earth does this have to do with my title of: "Hey there! Got a minute? I'd like to share some cool ideas."?

You might be thinking right now, "Where are the 'cool ideas'? I'm leaving this blog post!".

Not to worry, my friend, I do have some cool ideas to share as I promised. I call them ideas because I'm not exactly sure of the validity of them yet. They are things that I've learned from this class experience:

I learned that on social media networking sites (such as the likes of "Facebook", "Twitter", et cetera) it is rude to not respond to someone who has left a post on your profile.

"You tube" and many other websites are studied by some people in order to observe the user behavior on these places. "You tube analytics", for example, provides data on people who use You tube. These studies are very much like market research.

Finally, if you want to draw eager attention to something, you must demonstrate to people why they should care. People are busy and are focused on their own lives; so you really need to be interesting in order for folks to take the time with something you are showing to the world.

-Stephanie

Write this down!

2009-11-30T18:56:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, just a few reminders:

THIS THURSDAY is the Project 4063 Canned Food Drive to benefit the William Byrd Community House. Please help out by donating between 10am - 4pm in the hallway between Temple and Oliver Hall.

Also, don't forget the 1st Annual Shockoe Slip Open House Block Party is coming up this December 10th and 11th - have fun AND donate to local charities!

Lastly, I know it's early for this, but registration for the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k starts TOMORROW DEC. 1st. Join the Anthem Massey Fundraising Challenge to help raise funds for the 10k's official non-profit partner, the VCU Massey Cancer Center.

-Sophia

THIS IS THE WEEK!!!!!!

2009-11-30T12:34:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone out there had a happy and belt-busting Turkey Day! I know I probably gained a few pounds from the continuous 4 days of feasting. We had so much food left over that it could probably feed us till Christmas! Then I thought about Project 4063 and how we really need this week's Food Drive to be a success!!! Families a part of the Williamn Byrd House may not have had enough to eat this past Thanksgiving, so please come out this Thursday, Dec.4 from 10am-4pm and donate any type of non-perishable food you can! See you all there!

Happy Holidays!
Rachel

Wishing you warm Holidays!

2009-11-27T15:44:00.000-08:00

Now that the Thanksgiving holiday has passed, we all need to make an effort to come out and support our local community by donating a non-parishable food item that will benefit the William Byrd Community House. We all know you have leftovers....so be kind and give back to those in need!

Projects 4063 is hosting our food drive On December 3rd. from 10-4 p.m. in the hallway between Temple and Oliver Hall!

Thank you all so much! Can't wait to see you there.
-Sara

I found something cool!

2009-11-26T12:14:00.000-08:00

Ever noticed how it is always when you're not intentionally looking for something that you find stuff? Maybe that's just me and indeed that did happen to me just now. While surfing the net, I happened upon a website that I had never heard of before - it's called "Oregon Hill.net"!

You may or may not know that Oregon Hill is a historic neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia, USA, but Oregon Hill.net is an online publication devoted to showcasing interesting events and happenings going on in the neighborhood itself, and larger events, too, that are impacting the community (namely, the greater Richmond area).

I think it's cool to have the residents of a community come together; it can build pride, unity, and it provides an outlet and opportunity for people to get involved with something meaningful and rewarding. Local involvement activities to me are something that can be personal to you and more within your reach and means, because it is literally right within your very own living community! You also get to share and commune together with your family, friends, and neighborhbors in an experience.

Sorry, I know I have spent a lot of time writing about Oregon Hill.net; my interest was stirred by this finding, but it does relate to Project 4063. When I was searching for something about Project 4063 on Google, I found a blog post about us. Again, because Oregon Hill.net covers local events in Oregon Hill and sometimes the larger community, one of our events was up on there. The one about the New Media Mixer was simultaneously blogged about and advertised by the guy who started the website. Although the post had some slightly incorrect details, it was still neat to see how wide Project 4063 has been placed across the internet, how many eyes have seen us, as well as how many of our acquaintances have been made aware of the project and have participated with us. Check out the blog on the Oregon Hill Website yourself!

Thanks and peace out!

- Stephanie

A Little Extra

2009-11-23T18:00:00.000-08:00

Three days ago what was supposed to be just a few friends getting together for a neighborhood potluck dinner turned into a fairly decent canned food drive! It was advertised through outside parties on facebook briefly but really had a good turn out. I would just like to say thanks to those who dropped by and thanks for the donations. A total of 17 cans and 3 dry food donations.

This is proof that people are willing to donate even though money is tight. I will be adding these donations to the project 4063 canned food drive on December 3rd and I look forward to the success of the project at the end of the semester! Come see us at the Project 4063 canned food drive for the William Byrd Community House! We will be at the walkway in between Temple and Oliver Hall from 10 am to 4 pm on December 3rd.

-sean

Looking Ahead

2009-11-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

We're not going to let the hurricane weather or turn out stop us from making a difference! To re-cap: Hashbrown networking had some donations and we just wanted to say thanks to all those who drove in the crazy stormy weather to come out and eat some waffles and donate to the William Byrd House! The mixer at Blackfun Wednesday night produced a good a mount of yummy donations. Speaking of yummy food, the apetizers and finger foods at Blackfin were delicious! The turn out was a good amount, and Project 4063 tried to represent ourselves to the best of our abilities, but most of us had class during that time.

Please continue to support Project 4063, especially as the holidays are coming up. We will be having our main event: Proj 4063 Canned Food Drive on Dec. 3 from 10am-4pm on the VCU campus at the crosswalk of Main St. in between the Temple and Oliver Halls. We'll be posted up with a table and brown bags for you all to drop off the food. After the drive, we will be delivering the donations to the William Byrd House. Just think, if we all donated at least 1 thing how much of a difference it will make to those in need's Christmas dinner.

We are promoting this event not only on here, but through Twitter and Facebook as well so please RSVP to the Facebook event to show your support for our drive!

-Rachel

Food Drive...December 3!!! Because Helping out feels good!

2009-11-20T18:27:00.000-08:00

December 3rd...

Project 4063 is hosting a food drive to donate to the William Byrd Community House!

Location: Between Oliver Hall and the T. Edward Temple Building on VCU's Monroe Park Campus.

Time: 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

Can't wait to see you there!

Tis the Season

2009-11-19T12:39:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving always serves as the kick off for the holiday season and naturally puts people in good spirits. The end of the year brings with it time to reflect upon everything we've experienced, be they good or bad, and what we have to be thankful: things we've learned, acquired, accomplished etc. I'm feel very blessed to be in a position where I have all of my necessities. However, I can not be totally content knowing that many people, children particularly, may be going without. This is why I really hope the class canned food drive on December 3 will be a success! Unfortunately, I could not attend the other food drives the class held because I am very busy putting together a cabaret show for next month.

This class will end in a few short weeks, but hopefully people's drive to give back will continue. The show I have produced and created with my dance group Lipstick, will be held December 11th at Rendezvous and will hopefully be a great benefit for Safe Harbour, a women's domestic violence shelter. I encourage those who enjoy the arts to come out for a night of entertainment. Richmond.com description

If you could care less about this event, something I did last year that was very fulfilling, was volunteering with HandsOn Greater Richmond. One of MANY events they are hosting this season is a Float-On Food Bank( RSVP to this event!)on December 5th. No matter what you choose, I hope everyone finds a way to give back this holiday season!

Lois

Watch what you blog

2009-11-19T12:35:00.000-08:00

I read an interesting article recently that everyone who uses social networking sites should read. Can The Law Keep Up With Technology is about recent law suits filed over comments made on social networking sites such as Twitter, Blogger, and Myspace. Social networking sites are relatively new, and 5 years ago it would be difficult to imagine posting a blurb such as "Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon Realty thinks it's okay" would get you slapped with a $50,000 law suit by your landlord. Its not that I think our blog would ever have something posted like this that would get us into trouble, but i just think its interesting how the medium itself, blogging, tweeting, posting, has created a situation where the law is struggling to catch up with the times and navigating a divide between free speech and malicious intent to defame. Something to keep in mind in our online lives.

- Tommy

Society must band together to help children achieve

2009-11-19T12:11:00.000-08:00

A column published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Nov., 16th spoke out about what many organizations are trying to do to help the youth of today make a better tomorrow. Guest columnist B.H.B. Hubbard III spoke of how some children in today's society are not receiving the attention, education and care that they need to become well-rounded adults.
He says that "as a community, we cannot sit back and wait for others to fix theproblem. We all have to be proactive."

This is a view that is shared by the William Byrd Community House. They provide the right stuff to help them be self sufficient members of society. "William Byrd Community House strives to be a catalyst for transforming the lives of people, particularly children and youth, by helping them move from dependency toward self-sufficiency as quickly as possible."

It is our job to help these children and help these organizations who have a goal of making society better. The WBCH is a way that we can help this effort locally!

Looking forward to upcoming events and the new media mixer

2009-11-18T07:10:00.000-08:00

As the semester is winding down, I am really starting to look forward to the canned food drive we are doing. Although all the details are not finalized, the event will definitely be on Dec. 3rd. I think we might just be able to pull off a successful canned food and give the William Byrd Community House some much needed food. I am excited to see how the turnout will be for the event. In addition, I am really looking forward to the new media mixer tonight. I hope lots of people bring cans or are willing to give a monetary donation. Hopefully my teacher will let me out of class early enough to attend the mixer for a little while.

- Caitlin

The semester's end is coming up around the corner!

2009-11-17T21:14:00.000-08:00

It looks like we're coming to the end of our project. We have two more events we are participating in: There will be a social event called the "New Media Mixer" and the other event is our own canned food collection day.

The "New Media Mixer" will be held at a local Black Finn Restaurant right here in Richmond, Virginia and our professor has asked us to come out to it.

Our canned food drive will be the last day of classes for us students, but the issue with it is that it isn't definite where we are going to collect our goods.

We are thinking of having it at the student union on our university campus, but you've got to request for the space and then get approved in order to reserve it. It is a process, and I'm not sure if we're going to have time to get it before the day of our event. Who knows!

But I think that we're doing great with our project so far and in the end it'll only be all for the better for the nonprofit organization we're helping - the William Byrd Community House.

-Stephanie

Block Party!

2009-11-16T19:21:00.000-08:00

This year Shockoe Slip is celebrating the holiday season with their 1st Annual Shockoe Slip Open House Block Party. The event, held December 10th and 11th, will feature shopping deals, drink and dinner specials, and multiple opportunities to raise funds and donations for charities, such as Toys for Tots.

More information can be found on their facebook event page.

-Sophia

Thanksgiving leftovers

2009-11-16T13:35:00.000-08:00

The need for canned food doesn't end on Thanksgiving. Many people seem to have the idea that holidays are the only time people need food. Thats why on December 3rd, Project 4063 will be accepting any donations to the William Byrd Community House. We plan on helping to support the families associated with the WBCH even after Thanksgiving and hopefully into the Christmas season with our donations.

-Sean

Ya Know What I Noticed...

2009-11-15T17:24:00.000-08:00

You know what I noticed....

So i have been to various grocery stores in different areas of Richmond this week and I see that all those places are collecting non-perishable food donations as well. It makes me really sad when I see some boxes barely filled and then they have signs that make you feel even worse: "1 box feeds a family of 4 for 1 day" I never realized how much food these organizations need and how hungry some families are. The economy is not in good shape, but I really take for granted the fact that I don't have to think twice how much a meal is or wanting to eat out at a nice restaurant or not. Then it got me to thinking about the William Byrd House. It're really important to donate anything: time, money, canned goods because anything helps. You make not like those can of green beens in your pantry or not think about buying those 68 cent cans of beans --> but to those that really need food, they'd love to have it.

On a lighter note! I'm really excited for Blackfunn this wednesday. :) Is it true? Free drinks on Dave? hehehehe

<3 Rachel N.

Donate more than just food!

2009-11-14T14:29:00.000-08:00

Did you know you can donate more goods to the William Byrd Community House than just canned food?
They also accept a variety of important everyday goods at we forget about! Think about donating pack of toilet-paper or diapers along with your cans of peas and boxes of macaroni.
Here are more items that the WBCH gladly accepts...
Toilet paper, paper towels, dish detergent, sanitary products for women, laundry powder, diapers (medium and large sizes) and deodorant.

Don't forget about that it's time to help those in need!
Everything is appreciated!

Hashbrown Networking Kind of a Success

2009-11-14T10:46:00.000-08:00

A few of us were able to meet at the Waffle House on Broad street for the hashbrown networking event this past Thursday. We collected a modest amount of food, thanks to everyone who donated. There was a small amount of people, that showed up. I heard that recently hash-brown networking was packed because of a similar event... By the way, I forgot how much I like a $2 waffle. Unfortunately, Mr. Dave Saunders, our social media luminary, was not able to make it due to another "commitment". The showing at Black Finn should probably have a bigger turn out. Thanks again to all of you who read our blog & have donated to our cause!

-Yvonne

New Media Mixer.......

2009-11-13T17:29:00.000-08:00

As you all know we hosted a food drive in conjunction with Hashbrown Networking last night at the Waffle House on broad street! It was great to see people contributing to such a great cause, eventhough the weather was so gross! Troopers guys...great job! It is always nice to meet new people and engage in interesting conversations as well.
I met several interesting people and look forward to meeting many more.

If you were unable to attend Hashbrown Networking....don't fret, you are given a second chance.
Project 4063 is hosting a

...........NEW MEDIA MIXER..........

Do you like Dancing? Drinking? Networking? Donating? FUN?......if so, this is the place for you!

locationt: Richmond's Blackfinn 1001 Haxall Point, Suit 100.
Richmond va 23219
Date: Wednesday November 18th
Time: 5-7 p.m

Please Donate(non parishable food item or $) admission is free with a can!
This is the time of year to give back so....
Come on out and meet and greet your community!

All proceeds go to the WBCH.
Thank You!!! See you there!
Sara.

Coats for Kids

2009-11-12T10:52:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,
Check out Coats for Kids. Puritan Cleaners and the Salvation Army have teamed up again this year to help gather coats and donations for families in the Richmond Community.
Drop-offs can be made at any Puritan Cleaners between November 1st - 30th. For more information, or to volunteer, you can contact the Salvation Army at (804) 225-7470.
Also, check out their website for information on the Ballpark Warming Party, and to watch their video blog.

Please donate!
Thanks,
Sophia

The canned food drive!

2009-11-11T09:49:00.000-08:00

I am very excited about the canned food drive coming up on December 3rd at the VCU Student Commons. I love being involved with projects trying to raise food or help out nonprofit organizations. As the semester has progressed and is soon coming to an end, I have really enjoyed working on this project and learning about social media. It is really neat learning about how to market events like this through social networking and media sites. Although there are only a few weeks left in this semester, I'm eagerly waiting the turnout for our upcoming events and where the rest of the semester will take us.

- Caitlin

We're going can crazy!

2009-11-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

I am excited to see what's going to happen this Thursday at the Hashbrown Networking event, the New Media Mixer, and (drum roll) our very own BIG canned food drive. I think William Byrd Community House (www.wbch.org) is going to love us for our efforts, and I am interested in seeing what results we're going to have (in how many cans we collect, that is).

Something I'm concerned with is the challenge of getting folks to donate. I noticed on campus that a fraternity and another VCU student organization are both hosting their own canned food drives around this time, so I hope we don't wear people out by asking them for cans too!

Someone told me an interesting fact: The individuals who donate the most to the local food bank are those who have personally experienced having a lack of food themselves at one point in their lives. Also, since it tends to be difficult to get folks to donate, it is even more so nowadays with the economy they way it is, according to someone who spoke to me.

Anyway, like I said, I can't wait to see what our fruits will be in this class. Even if it's just one can, the WBCH will only be more better off!

-Stephanie

The Week In Review & then some

2009-11-09T19:10:00.000-08:00

I'm really excited that this project is coming together! I hope all the events we have lined up go really well. I can't wait to meet new people, drink some booze, eat some hashbrowns, & stock up the William Byrd's food supply. Money is tight for everyone right now, but i just think about how worse someone's situation is than mine & I'm so thankful that I am able to help out & donate to them. I can't wait for Thursday's Hasbrown networking event & I'm even more excited about the event @ Blackfinn where you can come in for free if you bring a non-perishable food item! Cool-drinking during class! I think that's a first! Which means Dave Saunder's is the best professor EVER for letting us drink while doing school work! :)Is that even really allowed? hahaha. Anyway, everyone out there! Start collecting your cans & see you this Thurs night @ 8pm (waffle house. broad & glenside..yumm!)

:) Rachel N.

Project 4063 Flickr Update!

2009-11-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

(by: melissa calabro)

Hello again, Richmond! Project 4063 had the opportunity to visit the William Byrd Community House a couple of weeks ago, and we wanted to share our experience with you! Check out our Flickr for some new photos of the group!

And don't forget to bring some canned goods for William Byrd Community House to Hashbrown Networking on 11/12 at the Waffle House at Glenside and Broad! See you there!

Melissa

Time Flies

2009-11-09T06:01:00.000-08:00

The Project 4063 food drive and the end of the semester are both quickly approaching. I will also see what i can do about an additional food drive in the form of an Thanksgiving Leftovers Potluck in Oregon Hill but this is still in the planning stage and may or may not happen. I feel we've all learned quite a bit throughout this class (I, for one, have already started my own blog to serve as an online portfolio) and I can definitely see us reaching our goals during the food drive on December 3rd. I believe we will be able to give a sizable donation to the WBCH .

Please check out other Project 4063 pages!

2009-11-07T19:02:00.000-08:00

Project 4063 is on Facebook and Twitter so please don't forget to check us out there! We love new friends =) Our Flickr account is growing every day. Come back soon to see some pics from the upcoming event at Black Finn, Hashbrown networking and our canned food drive on Dec. 3rd. More details to come!

-Yvonne

Food Drive...

2009-11-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

Hellooooo world,
VCU's Project 4063 is hosting a food drive to donate to those in need at the William Byrd Community House.

This event will take place in the VCU Student Commons from 11-3 p.m. on December 3rd.

We will be accepting non parishable food items such as canned vegetables, peanut butter and boxed mixes.

Please donate generously to a community that caters to those in need.
Thank you!
-Sara

Tips on Donating Food

2009-11-03T17:41:00.000-08:00

With the holidays approaching people often find it in their hearts to donate to those in need. One of the best ways to help out is by donating food to food pantries (which the William Byrd Community House has!)
A lot of people think that donating food means cleaning out your own food pantry... think again! Here are some tips that can help make your donations even more appreciated.

- Check the expiration date on canned goods. That can of Spam that you had to blow dust off of may have already expired.
-Remember that although you love lima beans doesn't mean everyone does. Don't get us wrong, food pantries and the people they serve are grateful for anything they can get, but try to vary the food you donate.
- Ask an organization what their needs are. Sometimes they need more than just food.
- Most pantries will accept all sorts of goods such as...

meals in a can, such as stews and ravioli

canned soups

canned tuna or other canned meat

peanut butter

pasta sauce

canned fruit

macaroni and cheese mix

disposable diapers and baby formula

- Many organizations will gladly accept monetary donations as well. Sometimes they are even preferred because they can use that to buy specific goods that people need!

Do your part to help those who are in need! Whether it is donating food, time, or money.

Lynna

touching story

2009-10-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

While we all visited the William Byrd Community House we began to understand a little more about what they do for the community. One story our guide told us all that I particularly liked was about a program that the WBCH runs in which they trace the children's family lines back to the beginning. One of these kids turned out to have relatives still living in Africa. The child's relative was actually the chief of a village and surprisingly came to visit the WBCH. We heard so many more stories about how the William Byrd Community House helps out around the Richmond area but that particular story really stood out to me as a representation of how much they really do.

-Sean C.

Thoughts

2009-10-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

Eighty six years. William Bird Community House has been in existence for 86 years and these past few months are the first I’m hearing about it. I wasn’t entirely sure why WBCH had flown under my radar for so long and I automatically attributed it to them not doing enough to secure a very prominent place in the community. However, after taking a tour of WBCH last week and meeting the people who run it, I realized just how much WBCH actually does for people and that getting their name out there would only benefit the community as a whole.

Adventure!

2009-10-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

Today we will venture to the William Byrd House for our tour. I have already been there before but am looking forward to actually being walked around the facility. I contacted them about a month ago to seek a volunteer opportunity with 3-5 year olds. Once placed, I can be an assistant teaching dance and music and reading to the kids. It's a great opportunity that I will take advantage of once I get some more free time. Today I hope to gain clarity in exactly what this blog's purpose is going to be. The semester is half way over and there are no definites yet. Tonight after class I am holding auditions for a great community event that could also be charitable. It's called "Muse" and yes I am definitely using this blog as a sly way to promote it. jk! ;-) Here is a link to the facebook event!

Lipstick presents "Muse" Cabaret Auditions!

Going to the William Byrd Community House

2009-10-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

I wonder how the Byrd people will feel about us and about our project? I think as long as we are doing this fund-raising project responsibly, they will be okay with it and us involving them. Hey, it ought to be more publicity for them and maybe even more public interest in them.

I think the William Byrd Community House is neat because it is like a safe haven within the local neighborhood that is within reach; everyone may have access to it. The place seems down-to-earth, humble, effective, and very caring about the population and should be in touch with the people they serve and issues relevant to them.

-Stephanie

What will be the turnout for our class?

2009-10-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

I am interested in seeing how exactly we are going to do this project. Things are still in the works and it seems to be a race against time. We are trying to come up with something that'll be effective in generating funds and something that will work to attract attention to our effort. It seems like we have to think about the planning and the logic of every idea we come up with. Will we ever land on something? I know we will and I'm interested in seeing what it is, because everything's so "foggy" now.

I think some of the main questions we're wondering is how are we going to get people interested in our cause, what format are we going to present ourselves (besides using this blog), and how are we using interactive marketing in this project?

I don't know -we'll see!

-Stephanie

So what's next?

2009-10-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

So far, Project 4063 has taken advantage of many social media sites, like facebook, twitter and tumblr.

Today, Project 4063 is going to visit the William Byrd Community House to take a tour and learn more about the organizations' history and mission. I am looking forward to learning more about how they started out and what they do to help the Richmond area.

So what's next? Do we host an event? If so, what kind of event- concert, party, bake off, yard sale? What do you think?

-Catherine

Raising money

2009-10-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

I enjoy raising money for charities and donating a lot, so I am very hopeful that we will be able to do that for the William Byrd Community House. I have really enjoyed watching this project progress as the semester has gone on. I think we are really starting to advertise well and get our name out some around Richmond. I can't wait to see how much money we raise at the end of this project. So far, I have really enjoyed learning about blogging and how to advertise efficiently on the internet.

- Caitlin

Excited about touring WBCH today!

2009-10-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

I am really looking forward to seeing the WBCH today. I have passed by the place so many times while my time here at VCU, but I have never seen the inside. I am aware of the many programs they offer children and how they help the community, but I would like to see the insides of this place. I will update you on how the tour of the house goes.

- Caitlin

Going to the WBHC Today!

2009-10-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

I'm excited about the chance to meet everyone at the William Byrd Community House today. Our class will be shown around so we can get a better idea of what the WBHC is all about. It will be good to us to get an in depth understanding of the types of programs they have put together and what it is they do to really help out the community. The William Byrd Community House is important to the area and it is necessary for us to have a clear outlook on what they do to help our community.

- Tommy

Employment Opportunities Arise...

2009-10-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

William Byrd Community House stands proud as participants move forward with their lives by gaining employment opportunities with the education received in WBCH's Career Readiness Program.

Follow the link above to read more about this!

WBCH is Open Monday-Friday

Evening and weekend programs available!

(804) 643-2717

email: doffice@wbch.org

-Sara

Project 4063 is now on Tumblr

2009-10-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Our blog is officially on Tumblr! So far I have been able to load a few of the pictures Melissa and Lynna took of the William Byrd Community House. Let me know what you think.

Don't forget to visit New York Deli on Thursday, Oct. 22nd for Deli-Palooza to support the William Byrd Community House.

-Catherine

Blog Directories

2009-10-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update, we are officially on RVAblogs now. You can also check us out on loadedweb and blogflux. There are many more blog directories to come and I'll keep at them! This will also help the William Byrd Community House get out there a little bit more since they are mentioned in our site descriptions. We are still working on the Times Dispatch blog directory as far as I know. If anyone has any suggestions of other blog directories that I can put us on then go ahead and post them and I'll get right to it.

-Sean C

Enthusiastically Anxious

2009-10-18T18:31:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone out there in the bloggosphere! I'm realy excited to get this project going and I hope that we can raise as much money possible for the William Byrd Community House. We're halfway through the semester and I'm running through all kinds of emotions! I am learning a lot from this class & i really think it's going to be beneficial for me in the future. I'm anxious also to see where our project is going because I don't want to fail! But I know with our team, we're going to definately KICK BUTT! Ummm..what else can i say? Oh yeah, there's this guy who teaches our class-he calls himself many things from Dave to MadMan, tothe King of Social Media to Mr.Drinking out of a Rugby Cleat ..he's awesome & i wouldn't mind him being my dad! I love going to class and hearing his stories of the week! haha

Okay, well I'm going back to working on schoolwork cuz apparently that's why I'm here @ school-to do work!

Rachel N.
Class Treasurer (<- haha that sounded so high school)

It's a sign!

2009-10-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

The other morning at breakfast I saw the William Byrd Community House bus!

Also, don't forget about WBCH's Deli-Palooza - Donate to the William Byrd Community House and recieve a meal discount at New York Deli on Thursday, October 22nd.

It's a great cause and an excellent reason to go out for a good meal.

More info at their website http://wbch.org/

- Sophia DiPersio

Project 4063 on Flickr

2009-10-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

(by Melissa Calabro) Hello all! Great news...Project 4063 is now on Flickr! Thus far, we've only got a few photos of William Byrd Community House, and a couple of Lynna posing by WBCH, but keep any eye out for more photos to come! We should have photos of the entire class, as well as our future endeavors with WBCH. Can't wait to share them with you!

Melissa

A quick word on the web banner

2009-10-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

Our new web banner is up, yay! It was a true collabortative effort from Randy and myself, and I think we're both really happy with the way it turned out.
For those who weren't aware, the webs in the banner and logo are meant to represent a social network. The power of a social network comes from its ability to spread information and ideas rapidly, and learning how to understand the elements that make it successful is what this class is about.
We decided early on that any profits we earn will benefit the William Byrd Community House, so please donate to us today! Thanks for supporting us.

-Yvonne

Project 4063 on YouTube!

2009-10-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

We are finally up on YouTube! We don't have any videos yet, but that should change soon. Keep posted to see videos of our class and all of the things we are doing. Subscribe to our Project 4063 YouTube Channel and keep your eye on us. Things are getting exciting!

The William Byrd Community House Vision for the Richmond, VA Community

2009-10-08T17:32:00.000-07:00

The William Byrd House presents the Richmond community with an excellent opportunity to engage in charitable efforts. Any kind of giving, through means of time, funds, talents, etc, is accepted and beneficial to the organization. I find it interesting that few students are aware of the great volunteering opportunities available to them through this organization. Not only is volunteering personally gratifying but it also is a great resume builder. It's also awesome that the organization does so much for children, teenagers, and young adults. Though, I'm sure there are more early childhood and school age children who partake in these programs than there are young adults, it's great that people who need assistance and help in becoming self-sufficient have somewhere they can turn. I really like the vision because it is, in my opinion, quite unique. I'll end with that...

Vision

"Our vision is to be the catalyst for transforming the lives of people, particularly children and youth, by helping them move from dependency toward self-sufficiency as quickly as possible."

This vision, along with the mission statement can also be found on the organization website at http://www.wbch.org/go/about/overview/

Sophia's first personal blog post

2009-10-05T16:10:00.000-07:00

This is my first post. I have absolutely no idea what to write about. The class is pretty fun so far and I think this blog is coming along well. I'm sure as this continues I'll become more involved and writing these posts will come more natually.
Anyways, here's a pic of Dave from our last class!

Volunteer at the William Byrd Community House

2009-10-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

If you want to help us with our pet project you can donate your time directly to The William Byrd Community House! They have many volunteering options that help you get involved in people's lives or even just help stock the food pantry. The opportunities range greatly. They're always looking for more volunteers to help make the lives of Richmond children and their families better, and they are grateful for any help they can get. They can even use your special skills such as photography, dance, arts and crafts, computers, and much more.
To find out more about volunteering at the William Byrd Community House check out their website.

BLAHG!

2009-10-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

I think I'll go ahead and fill this blog post with the most interesting little puzzle pieces that keep our class, well...insane! (In the best way, of course!) There's a lot of "Miss DiPersio driving," (keeping notes as the most swell secretary around), specials guests (aka Magzoid and others) and random conversations that begin with things like "I have 50 nicknames." There's also a lot of in-class tweeting and facebook lurking. Duh. It can basically be considered research since we're in "interactive marketing." And Dave is simply jovial, always laughing, and sometimes even throwing in his Mr. Moviefone voice. Impressive, to say the least.

When I first heard the news that Dave was giving us $500 to build a blog, I was totally shocked. But it's true! So we've got this thing called "Project 4063" underway, about to blow up, and all proceeds up to that $500 mark will benefit the William Byrd Community House. If we surpass that $500, we'll probably just plan to take over the world or something. No but really, if we can find some creative ways to make that money back, it would be awesome and we'd just pump it back into our community! Yay non-profits! I'm super anxious to see where this thing leads us. And with Miss DiPersio driving, I'm sure we're headed in the right direction! holla!

<3mel

Google Wave

2009-10-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

As we all have learned, everything we do in life is somehow affected by Google. Well maybe thats a bit of a stretch but i just thought i should point out that Google Wave was released to 100,000 testers yesterday. Why is this important? Google Wave promises to make the web even more interactive.

Google's definition: Google Wave is a product that helps users communicate and collaborate on the web. A "wave" is equal parts conversation and document, where users can almost instantly communicate and work together with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more. Google Wave is also a platform with a rich set of open APIs that allow developers to embed waves in other web services and to build extensions that work inside waves.

Wave is something we should all be excited about as it can enhance the way we communicate and collaborate on ideas. Whether you're in interactive marketing, PR, or advertising Wave offers a new tool that you can use to complete tasks faster and more efficiently. As technology keeps advancing our online lives will continue to get more interactive. It is necessary to embrace these new technologies and figure out how to use them for your advantage.

Here is a link to some of the extensions that have been developed for Wave during the preview. It will be cool to see how this all may affect the way we communicate and work together in the near future.

-Tommy

No Longer Doubtful

2009-10-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

Here I am my very first blog post. At first, I was scared and intimidated about making this blog and sharing my thoughts about our class. You can say I was the doubtful one of the group. But here we are, several weeks into class and after reading the posts from other group members, I am more than certain this blog will be successful. We have a passionate and creative team that genuinely wants to help out the William Byrd Community House.

David Saunders, who is the President and Chief Idea Officer at Madison + Main, Advertising and New Media, is our teacher of Interactive Marketing. He is a pretty cool guy and class has definently been interesting with him thus far. I can honestly say that this is the first class since coming to Virginia Commonwealth University that I haven’t wanted to skip.
Become a fan of Project 4063 on Facebook.

-Catherine

Some Information about WBCH

2009-10-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

William Byrd Community House is a charity located in Richmond, VA, and is very helpful to the people in need in the community. They are open Monday through Friday and offer an abundance of services. The mission of WBCH is to create pathways for success through a variety of ways, and by delivering programs that fit the people. One of the services they include is an after school program. The after school program offers games, homework help, and group discussion. The after school program serves over 80 children. They also offer a career readiness program to young adults, to help them with life skills that are essential. WBCH also offers a preschool program to young children. The program offers at risk children a safe environment and maximize growth and development. Overall, the WBCH offers a wide variety of programs offering assistance to people of all ages in the Richmond community.

- Caitlin

I need to stop calling him Madmain in public...

2009-10-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

Here we go - obligatory blog post to get the grade. Actually, I'm not even sure we're being graded on this particular blog post. Regardless, here are a few thoughts on the class thus far.

Interactive Marketing - Let me start with Dave Saunders. Stand up guy and a real joy to have as a professor. In fact, in the four years that I have been a student at VCU I have never, ever had a professor as amiable, considerate and down-to-earth as Dave Saunders. I could further expound on my thoughts on Mr. Madmain but what I have to say may induce nausea fairly quickly.

On a serious note, I am fairly intrigued by the idea of this blog. I believe our goal is admirable and that collectively we can really achieve something worthwhile. Everyone who is a part of this project seems to be bringing something different to the table and it will be interesting to see whether the back breaking effort we're putting into this blog will pay off in the long run.

-Ana

Do what you can now

2009-10-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to see where this experiment will take us. It's awesome to work with a whole class worth of people on something like this. In order to really get this thing off the ground, I think we should all think of all the most direct ways we can network and use resources from other classes to help Project 4063.

For example, in my Completeness class, we are starting a non-profit organization that will give underprivaleged kids a chance to attend events like basketball games and theater shows. We only have a facebook fan page right now, but eventually we'll have a real website that will hopefully gain attention and from there we can link to Project 4063.

Eveyone should also just takes small steps to linking people to this blog. Post a link on your facebook (under your websites, or make a note, or away status, whatever). Or link from your pre-existing blog. Anything that we can easily do now to get people to see/track this page is worth doing.

p.s. can we use a different layout? This one is boring >_<

-Randy

First Reactions and Hopes for the Future

2009-10-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

When I saw that an "Interactive Marketing" class was being offered here at VCU I jumped at the chance to be a part of it. Being a Creative Advertising major I'm always looking for a new way to go about publishing my work or getting my name out there. Blogs had crossed my mind as a new way advertise but I never followed through with my curiosities. When Dave first walked into our class I was a bit skeptical. He wore a sleazy car salesman smile like nobody's business and the look in his eyes suggested the use of caffeine pills but as soon as he passed out a multiple page list of terms we should know I knew that I was in for an educational experience. I have high hopes for this project of ours. I think that this blog is a great way for us to learn and for the William Byrd Community House to get a little cash on the side. I look forward to finding out what we can accomplish as a class.

-Sean

Dave knows a lot

2009-10-01T08:10:00.001-07:00

We've been in class for several weeks now & I do have to say that I look forward to it each time. I feel that Dave would be the ultimate Trivial Pursuit partner. He's got a ton of information stored in his head. Good thing he's not all awkward-like.

Interactive Marketing - it's really more of a concept.

2009-09-30T22:42:00.000-07:00

Hey,
here's a thought - interactive marketing as a concept. Why am I saying it is a concept? Because I feel that very soon, and I mean, very soon, this practice will no longer be a real-life activity. What businesses are currently doing now will eventually change or be done away with totally, because this subject we are studying and observing in the real world will become obsolete sooner than we realize. So interactive marketing will soon evolve and change as an activity or it will be replaced by some totally different way of online marketing. I predict this will happen because of the way the world changes and does so so quickly. Again, it think instead of this being an activity that's being practiced actively it will become an outdated concept, a subject people will look back on reflectively.

- Stephanie

Who wants a bagel?

2009-09-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys- Just getting a feel for our new blog and The William Byrd Community House. While browsing their site I came across something pretty cool and I thought I would share...

Starting October 7th The WBCH will be hosting a Bagel Breakfast

This is the perfect time to gain knowledge about how you can help out in the community, while chatting it up over a delicious bagel breakfast.

Getting this thing off the ground

2009-09-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

It's our fourth class and I guess we're doing okay. We have a name, Project 4063, and we've just logged onto Blogger for the first time. Dave is talking A LOT and I am typing as fast as I can. But I guess we'll learn something if we keep our eyes and ears open. OMG FIRST POST!!!!1

All the proceeds we obtain from this blog will be donated to the William Byrd Community House.