Joel Leonard: Big Supporter of the Give Work A Chance Movement departs us on Easter Weekend
By Joel Leonard
Renee Vaughn lost her health battles on Easter Weekend, fitting as she was truly an angel among us as she used her contagious positive energy to brighten the Qmunity listeners of WQMG 97.1 radio program for decades.
Back in the early 2000’s, I first encountered Renee after I received reports of being broadcasted on the radio about my views of the continual news coverage of company closings and the lack of area jobs. I was first interviewed by News 2, Fox 8 on TV about the fact that everyone is ignoring the dozens of unfilled jobs in the classified sections for skilled trades. The area news was causing depression because every night the factory closing news would make it feel like there were no options and our future was bleak. We were going through a post NAFTA transition but still many jobs were available just not discussed on the news.
Vaughn saw those TV interviews and rebroadcast the audio on the radio. After that I tracked her down and spoke with her, and was invited on the Qmunity Focus show at 5 am on Saturday and Sunday mornings to share my views. Then for years I would get up early and go speak to the Qmunity about many in demand jobs in maintenance and engineering fields. Since this was broadcast before church started, we learned that several area churches would change their sermons to include our messages about job opportunities to their congregations.
To help further build exposure of these options, I penned the Maintenance Crisis Song and debuted on 97.1, WQMG 25 years ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJJ_zFvAS1M
Vaughn helped me promote 6 area job fairs over the years including the Davidson Local GIVE WORK A CHANCE Job Fair, where Vaughn served as our EMCEE and lifted up area spirits by showcasing area jobs. https://www.davidsonlocal.com/news/meet-our-job-fair-emcee-renee-vaughn-of-971-qmg
We had dozens of job hunters hear Vaughn and the radio and pull off the highway to attend the job fairs. If more radio stations around the country emulated the support Vaughn provided us, more would discover and fill important jobs.
Vaughn called me her brother from a different mother and despite dealing with terminal illness for years, she made sure to lift others up and advance the Qmunity. My hope that more will emulate her spirit and lift up others as Vaughn did.
WORDS OF WISDOM:I usually say this at the end of my airshift: "Doubt other people if you must, but never, ever doubt yourself, because there's always someone guiding you every step of the way"!
More need to GIVE WORK A CHANCE like Vaughn!
