November 30, 2010
I got involved with Deborah's Place 9 years ago as a volunteer serving dinner with friends at one of their 3 Chicago locations. Deborah's Place stood out among the many Chicago nonprofits - they had a viable and unique solution to the tired old problem of homelessness. Women at Deborah's Place were still struggling, but Deborah's Place had a strong sense of what it takes to break the cycle of homelessness. I saw the benefits and became increasingly vested. I volunteered in different areas, committed to serve on a committee, became part of the Partners in Hope donor community, joined the board and ultimately served as board president.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Measuring results over time. At first, the metrics were simple success rates but Deborah's Place has gone on to reliably measure indicators such as stability, sustainable income, access to health care and employment outcomes. Of course, meeting one of the many Deborah's Place success stories has more impact than any of these statistics but both are key to the organization's future.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
As a Marketing & Communications professional, I always wish Deborah's Place had more resources to "get the word out". It's an incredible organization but could so some much more with broader familiarity.
MY ROLE:
Board Member & Volunteer, Board Service.
