When you come across someone with the TLC attitude, you notice. When it is someone working right beside you, you are grateful daily for it.
When Kevin Lungay, TLC’s Assistant Director of Operations, told me a month ago he was leaving for another position at a non-profit TLC has collaborated with, Youth Frontiers, there were many emotions that ran through me. Sadness to lose a wonderful colleague. Happiness for Kevin’s next step. Fear of “Oh, oh, we have a lot to get done before summer and I really have no clue how to do any of Kevin’s job.” But mostly gratitude, for how Kevin served TLC for six years in different capacities.
But the story doesn’t end with his resignation. You probably don’t know all that goes into operations at TLC. Neither do I. All I know is, it’s a lot. And I couldn’t do it. The Good Ship TLC would sink.
Registrations, marketing, scheduling, social media, retail ordering, managing a pro shop, planning events, organizing retreat camps, making sure 1600 people a year (on a non-COVID year) are where they need to be when they need to be there, scheduling staff. On and on.
His new organization wanted him asap. But this is what Kevin did. Something unusual. He asked to be able to stay at TLC another month to help us prepare for his departure and the eventual new hire’s arrival. And he asked his new employer if he could also help us for a day per week for March and April if we needed it.
They agreed to this.
In this day and age, who does this anymore? Well, the answer is Kevin.
In this day and age, who agrees to this and endorses this anymore? The answer is Youth Frontiers (YF).
I received a call from Joe Cavanaugh, YF’s Founder and CEO (and a TLC family camper), after Kevin accepted the job. He wanted to know if we were going to be okay and if there was anything YF could do to help our transition in what he knew was a critical time leading up to summer. I told him that Kevin’s YF supervisor had already said yes to his requests. Joe was glad to hear this.
“Anything else?” Joe asked. “As a non-profit, I know how this can cause disruption to an organization.” I said, “Well, if Kevin would like to and is willing to be with us for training camp week in June, and you’re willing to spare him, none of our four office staff will have ever done their jobs before, and it may not be pretty without him.” Joe said, “If Kevin would like to do this, he has our whole-hearted approval.”
And, so, a transition for both organizations is made better by someone – Kevin – who values TLC’s mission so much as to see the challenges his leaving initially presents, and steps in above and beyond the call of duty.
Who does this anymore? You know the answer. Kevin.
And what crazy organization encourages this? Kevin’s new employer, Youth Frontiers.
Sometimes, when I get cynical about people’s motives, about the way the world works, about how everyone is only in it for themselves, I am reminded how many people – as Steve Wilkinson’s book title says – “let love serve”. And when they do, it transcends any game, any camp, any job, any circumstance.
It is an ace down the T that can make even the returnee applaud.