My Nonprofit Reviews

I have been a volunteer in the Professional Development Center of A Wider for Circle since its inception early last year. A Wider Circle is an organization that is unafraid to take risks to achieve its mission of eliminating poverty. Moving from just providing home furnishings to also offering professional clothing and professional development assistance to now providing comprehensive wrap-around services to 100 families for five years is an enormous challenge. But it is this combination of clear-eyes, open mind, and courageous heart that is at the center of this organization that galvanizes the community members and organizations to donate tons of time and resources to support this organization. A Wider Circle's success benefits the community, its clients, the staff, leadership, and volunteers. It is an honor to be a Wider Circle volunteer.

Bernadette's House is the passion project of Carol Nash who's heart and determination are bigger than any challenge or obstacle. Every day she provides a safe harbor and a warm hug for at-risk girls coming home from school to empty houses. She pours her time, talent, heart, soul, and spirit into making Bernadette's House a great place for African American preteen and teen girls to learn life skills, receive academic tutoring, mentoring, nutrition and physical education, and the love and support they need to grow up healthier mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. An unstoppable force of nature, Carol has created an island of hope for girls facing enormous personal challenges and she is doing so with heart and courage that is in itself a life-changing lesson for her girls.

JCA provides the only workforce development program specifically for 50+ aged job seekers in Montgomery County, Career Gateway. I participated in the program in January 2016 and it got me off the couch and out of the doldrums. In addition to becoming friends with my cohort and the JCA staff, the program propelled me to my current profession as a workforce development trainer teaching other 50+ job seekers to use LinkedIn for their career reinvention. JCA's Career Gateway program gave me the confidence and the tools I needed to get back in the game. I will forever be grateful for their encouragement and for the guidance and resources I needed to not just find a job but to begin a new career as an entrepreneur.