By Jeff Lipton
Grayson-Riegel, owner of a company called Elevated Training, which specializes in corporate training, consulting, coaching and motivational speaking, had to use all of her expertise during a visit to Jackson, Miss. on Friday, Sept. 23 and Saturday, Sept. 24. She used her motivational speaking skills during a gathering of about 100 people at Temple Beth Israel in Jackson. The Jewish community of Jackson alone took in well over 100 evacuees who survived Hurricane Katrina's wrath.
Grayson-Riegel is just one of many Five Towners who have traveled to the ravaged area in the hurricane's aftermath to provide assistance or to bring hope to the victims. Other area residents have donated money and supplies to the victims.
Before she started her own company, Grayson-Riegel, 33, was director of education and training for the United Jewish Communities (UJC), which is the umbrella organization for such groups as the UJA-Federation. In addition to owning her own company, which she operates out of her home office on Longacre Avenue in Woodmere, she has also accepted the role as a member of the UJC Speaker's Bureau, and part of her job is to "inspire and motivate and get people excited."
Way before the hurricane touched down in New Orleans, she was scheduled to speak to the Jackson community about donating money to the Jackson Jewish Welfare Fund. But her speaking engagement role quickly changed from asking them for help to praising them for assisting Katrina victims.
"So instead of talking to these people about raising money, all of a sudden I was talking to them about everyone in the [Jackson] community coming together, taking in Hurricane Katrina evacuees, opening up their schools and homes," Grayson-Riegel said.
"And these evacuees didn't know when or where they would return," she added. "I came to praise them, to thank them and to inspire them to keep going."
Grayson-Riegel, who has a master's degree in social work from Columbia University, said it may be very difficult for those who need help to keep asking for help, as the hurricane victims have done. "But it's nice to know that the help is there," she said.
Grayson-Riegel called it a "very successful mission. I was really gratified to be there, and those I spoke to were very uplifted. The whole experience was beyond my expectations. It was very emotional."
With a background in improvisational comedy, she tried to infuse some humor during her speeches, "so people had an opportunity to laugh. I know that humor can go a long way, and it gave them permission to laugh."
In addition, she made her speeches interactive "so that children in the audience would not fall asleep."
"While I was in Jackson, I got a very warm response, as people came up to greet me and hug me," Grayson-Riegel said. "The rabbi of the temple even asked if I would come back.
"It was the most overwhelming experience," she added. "People continue to feel motivated and continue to do what they could do to help."
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