Jill Imboden of the Bethlehem House impressed me to no end. She was humbly passionate about the nonprofit for which she works. It was refreshing to see someone so impacted by what they work toward everyday. The knowledge, professionalism, and strategic conveyance of her nonprofit, were perfectly paired with her passion. By the end of our time with her, I was ready to give her all of my money.
I loved the stress she put on The House's goal to give a "hand up," not a "hand out." I think this is one of the main I have enjoyed learning about my own nonprofit of choice. They don't offer a hand out. They give you some training to go with it. They teach you how to set up your business. They give you an opportunity to successfully provide for yourself. Just as the Bethlehem House does for those they help.
I was especially excited to hear her talk about their plans to open a cafe downtown. It's such a great opportunity to supply really great life lessons and skills to those in need.
Bethlehem House, kudos to you.
I'm glad to hear this! I think it's refreshing to listen to people like Jill, someone who spends her life working to make a difference.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. There are very few places and things that woo me over to want to actually donate and help make a change. I guess it is because I tend to see a lot of things as a hand out instead of helping better the whole overall situation. I guess I am trying to say that I would have given her all of my money too!
ReplyDeleteI love that we were all willing to hand over our wallets to her right then and there! Imboden said that she has never been very good at asking for money or donations. But, I beg to differ. She inspired all of us to donate and, more importantly, to care about Bethlehem House. Maybe we need to rethink how one should go about soliciting donations; maybe one should put the mission statement first and let the nonprofit's good work do the talking.
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