Crystal Vitagliano
Core Event Planning Team Lead - Civic Engagement Coordinator
civic@givebackcincinnati.org
Background:
I am originally from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and came to Cincinnati to attend Xavier University after high school. Upon graduating from XU in '03 with a degree in English Literature, I started working for Monster's Making It Count programs. For the past 6 years with Monster, I've been managing motivational speakers and the presentations that they deliver in high schools and colleges across the country. In my free time, I like to work on projects for The Junior League of Cincinnati and for GBC.
What GBC means to me:
There is a quote by Collier Graham that reads, "The influence of a beautiful, helpful character is contagious, and may revolutionize a whole town." This quote rings true for my involvement with Give Back, because not only is it moving to get out there and help others - but it is incredible to see fellow Give Back members helping others together. I find myself wanting to be more involved and more connected each time I participate in a Give Back event, which always leaves me coming back for more!
What I do for GBC:
As the lead for the Civic Engagement Committee, it is my responsibility to tie in the social issues and topics of the city into the monthly volunteer events. If a volunteer spends time helping to fix, repair, build, etc a part of a community - then the Civic Engagement's responsibility is to explore why that community needed help in the first place and to bring more awareness to the community so that more people know it's need for help. All the committees and programs within Give Back are very important, so in 2010 I see the Civic Engagement Committee becoming more involved to help tie these committees and programs closer together to help complete the bigger picture.
Fun Fact:
I love T-shirts and I mostly love making T-shirts for any/every occasion. In college we made iron-on T-shirts for anything we could think of: basketball games (Go X!), Halloween costumes, St Patrick's day, everything. In my adult life - the love is still as strong whether I am buying joke t-shirts off of $6 tees.com in order to hand out as prizes at parties or making shirts for sporting events - T-shirt making will just never grow old to me!
