The CEO’s Blog
Can a Volunteer Workforce Fill in the Funding Gaps?
As 2013 begins, significant cuts to many social safety net and educational programs funded by federal, state, and local governmental agencies could wreak havoc on certain segments of the nonprofit sector. More importantly, the individuals in our communities most in need of support in order to obtain jobs or better paying jobs, to feed and clothe their children, to achieve or maintain good health and mobility, and to otherwise lead lives of dignity and self-sufficiency, will be negatively impacted.
Can volunteers sharing their professional skills or personal hobbies or extra time, fill in the gaps where government funds fall short?
Consider Dr. Susan Fredericks, a dentist in private practice in Woodland Hills, whose office is closed on Fridays. She spends a couple of those Friday afternoons each month volunteering in the MEND Dental Clinic in Pacoima, treating uninsured, low-income patients. Fredericks wept recently as she told the story of a woman sitting in her MEND dental chair who was missing every other front tooth. Over several visits, the dentist provided basic care, but also replaced the missing teeth. When the work was completed, the woman looked at her new smile in the mirror and, with tears streaming down her face, said, “Now I can look for a job!”
Or, there is Abraham Yazdi, a retired surgeon who has parlayed his computer hobby into an opportunity to give low-income adults job skills. A couple of afternoons each week, Dr. Abraham (as he is affectionately called), heads to the MEND Computer Lab where he teaches classes of mostly immigrant students the basics in how to use a mouse, keyboarding, word processing, and so on. As students advance, he helps them prepare resumes, and search for job openings on websites.
Then there is Victor Chen, a twenty-something computer consultant who spends several evenings each month on his home laptop preparing grant proposals to foundations and businesses on behalf of MEND, using the savvy writing skills he honed while he was an English major at UC Berkeley.
Will Dr. Fredericks and her professional colleagues be able to meet all of the dental needs of the 1.9 million adults in Los Angeles County who will still be uninsured, even after healthcare reform is implemented? Not likely.
And, in the face of the closure of most of LA Unified’s Adult Education Programs that benefit unemployed or underemployed job seekers, will Dr. Yazdi and his fellow volunteer computer instructors meet the enormous need? Probably not.
Can volunteers like Victor Chen replace professional employees who work to sustain the vital work that nonprofits carry out in the community? Hardly.
But in an era of growing disparity between the haves and the have-nots, we need to consider the consequences of government funds and services that are cut, and the burden that this places on the private, nonprofit sector. Charities are seeing drastic increases in the applicants for their services, but so far, there is not a comparable increase in private charitable financial giving needed to support these programs.
As citizens, many of us understand that the past level of government funding of social services may not be sustainable in the long-term. But we also need to consider and understand that part of our responsibility to foster a society that encourages self-reliance and equality is to step up by sharing our time and skills with those in our community who need a helping hand.
In recent years, one-day volunteer events such as the National Day of Service and Big Sunday encourage many people to provide help to their favorite causes. While this is a great start, the seriousness of the current economic situation demands more of us. There are so many ways to be involved in making a significant difference for our neighbors in need for just a few hours per month or week, whether by sharing one’s professional skills or hobbies or simply offering time on behalf of a favorite cause or charity.
It may not be that volunteers can fill in all of the gaps of human need in the absence of enough government or private financial support. But it’s a start.
Imagine what it would be like in 2013 if 300,000 new volunteers—about 1% of the population of the City of Los Angeles—gave three hours per month to local charities. That would be the equivalent in hours of more than 5,200 full-time workers, unleashed to strengthen our communities in a multitude of life-changing ways. And we would all be better for it.
Nonprofit of the Year: A Salute to MEND Volunteers
On July 31, CaliforniaVolunteers announced that MEND was chosen as the 2012 California Nonprofit of the Year as part of the Governor’s Awards for Volunteering and Service. What an exciting honor!
After accepting the award, I shared with the audience the two important aspects of my job: first, ensuring that MEND provides high quality services to our low-income recipients, and second, that we offer as many opportunities as possible for people in the community to make a difference in the lives of the poor. Meeting these goals would not be possible without the work of amazing individuals who embrace our volunteer-powered workforce, who are committed to MEND’s holistic approach to working with people in poverty, and who regularly provide “pathways to self-reliance”.
One of these volunteers is Dr. Susan Blumenfield, a retired hospital administrator, who not only chairs our Governing Board, but who also teaches English as a Second Language classes every week. Her students are the working poor and young mothers who want to communicate with their children’s teachers and physicians.
I think of Dr. Jorge Alvarez who was recently the San Fernando Valley Dental Society President. He chooses to spend one day each month alleviating the pain and taking care of the dental problems of patients who come to the MEND Dental Clinic because they cannot afford to pay for care and have no insurance.
Then there’s Awadi Khan Variba whose parents came from Ghana and who grew up taking trips to assist those in poverty there. Awadi has a passion for serving those in need as he pursues a master’s in social work. While an intern at MEND last year, Awadi conducted client needs assessments and visited families in their homes to help connect them to vital services that they need.
These incredible volunteers represent the thousands who give of their time and talent each year at MEND. Because of their work, we are moving people out of poverty and fulfilling our mission to “meet each need with dignity”. The Governor’s Award is a wonderful salute to MEND volunteers
Thoughts on Leadership: Vision
Mission • Vision • Strategic Direction • Quality • Innovation • Teambuilding • Communication • Leadership Development
MEND’s Vision: “All members of our community living in poverty attain self-reliance and contribute to society as caring human beings.”
Having vision is to imagine what life could be in a perfect world order. But vision can also have very practical impacts on day-to-day leadership and management, if we recognize its value in moving us forward. Continue reading…
Thoughts on Leadership: Mission
Mission • Vision • Strategic Direction • Quality • Innovation • Teambuilding • Communication • Leadership Development
“With dignity and respect, powered by volunteers, MEND’s mission is to break the bonds of poverty by providing basic human needs and a pathway to self-reliance.”
Lee Walcot, long-time executive director of The Ahmanson Foundation, once said on a visit to the MEND Center that he really liked the fact that we have our mission statement posted throughout our facilities. He noted that he had rarely seen this done—and he was someone who likely had visited hundreds of nonprofits. Continue reading…
Thoughts on Leadership: Introduction
Mission • Vision • Strategic Direction • Quality • Innovation • Teambuilding • Communication • Leadership Development
As a student of leadership for many years, I’ve given a lot of thought to how important leadership principles frame the work that we do at MEND: mission, vision, strategic direction, quality, innovation, teambuilding, communication, and leadership development. In the coming months, I plan to unpack some of these themes, and in so doing, hopefully allow for some common understanding of what “makes things tick” in our agency. I also invite you as you read to respond with your own ideas, questions, and concerns. Continue reading…
