"In today’s society, it’s often too easy to become cynical. We have been talking in our class about why our society expects non-profit organizations to make do with a fraction of the money available to for-profit companies (see this TED Talk by Dan Pallotta), and I was starting to get dismayed by the seemingly overwhelming barriers that non-profit organizations have to face. Then, Mary Beth Schultz, the Executive Director of The Caring Place in Porter County, came in to speak with our class.
Talking with Mary Beth was refreshing because it reminded me that there are actual people with amazing missions in charge of non-profit organizations. She told us why she started working with The Caring Place and reminded us of the saying, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life” (Confucius). When Mary Beth answered our questions about how her organization worked, she didn’t minimize the problems they had. Yes, their current building is old and falling apart. Yes, they had to jump through a lot of hoops in order to break ground for a new building. Yes, they constantly have to fundraise and maintain donor relationships in order to get funding for the building and services they provide. But all of those difficulties only highlighted the huge need for The Caring Place to exist in the first place.
Mary Beth told us that she has a mindset of keeping her mission first. That stuck with me because I tend to get overwhelmed by all of the little details that add up. I was amazed by how much effort goes into every single one of The Caring Place’s initiatives -- each one needs funding, volunteers, and lots of time devoted to it, but the outcome is worth it if you keep the mission at the forefront of the effort. It was a great reminder that working with non-profit organizations means working with people who care deeply and are passionate about what they do.
All of the obstacles to succeeding exist in the world of non-profit work, but the mission of helping people, serving a community, and bettering the world allows us to make a difference that matters. I am so grateful that organizations like The Caring Place have devoted people like Mary Beth at their heads, and I am excited to be able to help one or more non-profit organizations act on their mission with the aid of our class donation at the end of the semester."
Kyra T - Mundelein, IL - Senior English Major (Spanish Minor) -
