To determine what
nonprofits are eligible for the $5,000 gift from the Learning By Giving
Foundation, all 17 students are tasked to create a profile on a non-profit.
Professor Buinicki developed a list of non-profit organizations that met the
criteria from the foundation as well as had a mission that align with our
classes mission statement:
The students of Valparaiso
University's course titled 'Traditions of Giving and Serving in American Life,’
seek to affirm human rights by supporting and extending civil rights and civil
liberties, with
an emphasis on justice, respect, and community engagement.
It was important to me to pick an organization
that I had never heard of before and not tied to their cause in order for my
profile to be unbiased. I chose The Caring Place.
I conducted an onsite visit and interview with an
employee from The Caring Place. Upon arrival, I drove down the long, gray,
gravel road. A beautiful ranch with large windows and a large red barn behind
it awaited me at the end of the road, and this is where I met Marybeth. As it
turns out, the organization recently purchased five acres of land and are
starting a capital campaign to build a new compound. Marybeth told me they are
trying to expand to house more clients and provide more services. Frankly, the
interview was pretty uneventful, but I learned a lot about their management
practices and Marybeth, a grandmotherly women, could always produce a story to
tell.
What really reeled me in with The Caring Place was the
end of the visit. I asked what The Caring Place’s hedgehog concept would be
(what is their resource engine, what are they the best at, and what are they
passionate about). A smile appeared at the corners of Marybeth’s mouth as if
she was trying to hold back to the extent of her joy and then she started
gushing with passion for the organization. Lastly she showed me a video on one
of their favorite yet underfunded programs, The Amanda Forum. When the video
concluded, Marybeth was sniffling back tears. She turned to me apologetically
and said, “I must have seen that video 50 times, and I still cry everytime I
see it”.
Wow…Is there a cause that
can do that to me? Overtake me with emotion even when you know the outcome of
the video or have seen it many times before?
Philanthropy is a powerful
thing that can fill your heart with joy, and tear that same heart apart. I am
not sure if The Caring Place will win $5,000, you’ll have to stay tuned for
that, but I do know I will be searching for a cause that can move me like that.
(CHECK OUT THE VIDEO HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51uMk5i_NW4)
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