California Climate Action Corps volunteer, Mei Sze Phung, interviews Eve:
Can you tell me what led you to being the CEO at White Pony Express?
Sure. My whole life I’ve held community service-related positions. I started in direct service working with court appointed young girls and then moved to a nonprofit that advocated for juvenile justice system reform. And then I thought, well, if I really want to impact change, I’ll go to the federal level. In that way, I can work to change the policies that are driving these issues. And so I did that.
I worked at the Department of Education in the Office of Safe and Healthy Students. I also worked at the Department of Justice in the Office on Violence Against Women (both in Washington, DC). When I moved back to California, I joined FEMA and worked on emergency management and response. At the same time, I started volunteering at White Pony Express. I was working at their mobile boutiques and had not had the experience of that more direct person to person exchange of love in a long time. I fell in love with the organization. At that time, this deep want to become part of this mission was seeded.
A year later, in 2019, WPE hired a search firm to find a new executive director. The search firm contacted me and to my delight I was offered the role.
I am grateful to be back in the nonprofit world, and particularly in this world, which was designed by WPE’s founder, Dr. Connor, where the focus is to be a vehicle for loving service. I’m so grateful that my story came around full circle and now I’m back working in the community for the community, in direct service.
What is a typical day/week like for you?
I think the beauty of White Pony Express is that every day brings new challenges and adventures, so there isn’t really an average day. The days are long, and we operate seven days a week. One of my responsibilities is to keep the doors open, so many days are spent in partnership meetings, writing grant applications and reports, and reaching out to potential supporters. Fortunately, there’s nothing I enjoy more than sharing the WPE story. We also have community events and host corporate groups nearly every day. But I’ll tell you, every day when I go home, I have this feeling of joy, and I feel so lucky to be part of what’s happening here.
How long have you been working at White Pony Express?
Just over five years.
What is the mission of WPE and at the heart of it all?
Well, the heart of White Pony Express is this delivered with love volunteer-powered vehicle for service. We were founded by Dr. Conner to be the connector between abundance and need. There is so much abundance in Contra Costa County that nobody should have to go to bed without food and other survival essentials. She created this beautiful model where she identified surplus. She would pass Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s and they would be throwing food into their dumpsters. When she asked them about that food, they said, ‘we have to make space for new inventory’. She said, ‘would you like to do something different? And may I provide that food to our hungry neighbors?’ The answer was emphatically yes.
The thing she knew and that we now know is that it’s as uplifting, if not more uplifting, for the giver as it is for the receiver. And so, when people come and join us in the sorting room and drive with us and work alongside the team in service, there is this feeling of lightness where you forget about your own, you know, sort of petty issues and you join in this wonderful wave of service. I mean, this model she created has expanded so rapidly that we’re now delivering 12,000 pounds of food every day to over 100 nonprofits we serve. It is just staggering.
What are the core values of White Pony Express?
Our guiding principle at White Pony Express is unity. You might know the story of the name White Pony Express, which is a mash-up between the Pony Express, which revolutionized fast efficient delivery, and the white horse, which is a symbol for unity in many faith streams. So our guiding principle is unity, with the understanding that we are one human family, and that we have a responsibility to each other to take care of one another. We are a values driven organization. Our four values are collaboration, selfless service, respect, and appreciation or love.
Can you tell me more about Sufism Reoriented and how it was part of the creation of White Pony Express?
Sure. Dr. Carol Weyland Conner was the spiritual director of Sufism Reoriented, and she’s the founder of White Pony Express. She started the organization and then about a year later, it was incorporated into a 501(c)3 community-based organization. As thefounder, she carried certain values from her faith into the work of White Pony Express. WPE’s guiding principle, unity, is an example. She spoke about our oneness and instilled our values of collaboration, appreciation, respect, and selfless service. It is amazing that with her vision, a few close friends, and about $800, this organization was built and today we have 1,200 volunteers and feed hundreds of thousands of people!
What do you like most about being CEO at White Pony Express and what is your long-term vision?
I deeply believe in the model – in being a connector between those who have more than they need and those who don’t have enough. I love that we’re able to provide a vehicle for the community to lean in.
In terms of a long-term vision, we want to continue to be responsive to the needs of the community, so the community is really going to dictate our long-term vision.
Hunger remains pervasive in our county and there are very deep pockets of need. There are food deserts, and a lot of our neighbors aren’t getting the care, support, and certainly not the nutrition that they need. There’s also a lot of surplus that we haven’t tapped into yet, so I don’t see us slowing down. And certainly, I am all in until there is no more hunger in Contra Costa County. I think we all feel that way –
Whether it’s WPE or other service organizations, we’re going to be hard at work until this mission is achieved.
What advice do you have for those seeking to develop and advance their careers in the nonprofit field?
Volunteer with nonprofits that share your passion. These are great places for learning and direct experience. If you’re interested in joining a particular organization, step up your game, volunteer a lot, talk to the team and get to know them. That’s a pretty practical way.
I think the beauty of being part of a nonprofit is that the work tends to be motivated by a desire to see our communities get stronger and to take care of each other. So if that desire is strong, it’s a wonderful career choice. Skill building will come with learning.
A big part of it is the hands-on experience and so many nonprofits have opportunities for volunteerism and service. It’s a process but having the want to make a difference and having the drive… when the time is right, there will be opportunities.
Anything else you wish to share?
I think for me it’s not so much about the personal, so it isn’t about my journey, really. And it isn’t about my history. But it is very much about the love we bring when we work together. Although it’s interesting in a way to learn about individuals, it’s the collective work that’s happening that tells the real story.