When Avon Scherff first announced the concept for her foundation, I Am I Can in June, that’s all it really wasa concept. After crafting I Am I Can part-time while running Scherff Insurance Agency, Inc. in Clifton Park full-time, the organization that seeks to empower girls throughout high school and help them establish a plan for after graduation, is another step closer to being up and running.
The foundation had its official launch in early November with an event at Saratoga National Golf Club that raised around $5,000. It was meant to get the name out there and hopefully generate some interest throughout the community, both among young girls who could benefit from it and local women who want to help them thrive.
I’ve had women from that, reach out to us interested in being community directors or an advocate to work with the girls mentoring, and also some women who just want to be available to volunteer,` said Scherff.
I Am I Can already has seven board members but Scherff hopes to find up to four more. A board member would be responsible for attending a monthly board meeting and assisting on the administrative arm of the organization. That could mean finding women to be involved or helping with events and fundraising.
The foundation also needs community directors, who will basically be a spokesperson in various communities. Scherff is shooting to have a community director in every school district in the Capital Region, eventually.
`I can’t physically be out speaking to everyone, so the plan is these directors would share the mission of the organization and develop their team in that community, so finding mentors and doing outreach to get girls to participate in the program,` said Scherff.
I Am I Can is in need of advocates, too, who will serve as mentors for interested girls.
`If a particular girl wants to be involved I’ll pair her off with a woman in that community and they would spend time together, get to know each other; it would be their support person during high school,` said Scherff.
The mission of the foundation is to steer girls through their high school years and help them develop a post-graduation plan. That could be college or an alternative route.
`It’s great to encourage college but it could be something else like cosmetology, trade school, a branch of the military,` said Scherff. `The mentor will be there to listen, guide and support them. Talk about plans, college visits maybe.`
Girls in the program will have access to more than just mentoring. They might participate in group activities that foster teamwork and relationship building as well.
Her biggest challenge has been handling everything alone and still fulfilling her duties as owner of her company.
`The push is to get women involved in all these roles,` said Scherff.
For more information or to learn how to get involved as a volunteer, community director, advocate or board member, visit www.iamicanachieve.org or contact Scherff at [email protected] or 688-3010.
“