Flores, pictured at left, lives a life dedicated to service. Here, she’s pictured with volunteers at Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People’s annual Fulfill A Wish Holiday Boutique.
When searching for inspiring quotes about service and servant leadership, oftentimes you discover the words of people like Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Dalai Lama. But when searching for inspiration on service and servant leadership in action, often the people in our everyday lives come to mind. Erica Jane Flores, director of development and communication at the nonprofit organization Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People, is one FFA alumnus who has taken the phrase “Living to Serve” to heart.
“When I think about FFA – as a student, a professional and an FFA alumnus – service is at the core,” Flores says. “[FFA is] why I’ve always been willing to say ‘yes’ to opportunities, especially when those opportunities are centered on contributing what I have to give. It opens doors to a world that I didn’t know existed. FFA gave me the confidence and ability to serve from other parts of the country and around the world and full circle back to my home.”
Flores grew up in Santa Ynez, Calif., and joined FFA as a freshman in high school. After participating in leadership development events like parliamentary procedure and job interview, she served in various state officer positions, including as the California state secretary. Her involvement in FFA almost led her to agricultural education, but life had other opportunities in store.
“I got really involved with student affairs in college and that is where I started my career,” Flores says. “I was asked to partner with the Cross-Cultural Leadership Center [through California State University in Chico] to blend multicultural and leadership development for the campus and community. Not long after, I began working for the National FFA Organization, leading diversity and inclusion efforts. I led the New Farmers of America celebration and the Native American celebration at national convention.”
Though her career has taken her from the White House to multinational corporations, Flores’s heart for service steered her to a career in the nonprofit sector. Today, she works to distribute more than 300 grocery bags – reaching around 500 individuals – every week. She also coordinates housing and homeless prevention projects, as well as rescues food from waste on farms, bakeries and restaurants and puts it in the hands of those most in need – a unique career path that she attributes to the service mentality instilled by her time in FFA.
Her advice to members and alumni is simple yet impactful: “Give. My advice to all FFA members is to continue to give,” Flores advises. “Whatever it is you have to give, even when you don’t feel like you have anything, continue to give. In my heart, I believe that I have nothing more valuable than to give and to serve.”
Giving of your time, talent or treasure means that everyone is able to be philanthropic in their own way. If you are interested in giving back through nonprofit work, start looking at the local level to see if there are opportunities to serve. If your time is limited, seek out ways to help with monetary or supply donations. Or, if you prefer to gift your skills, see if an internship at a charity might be right for you.
