Blog #5

On my last day in Cleveland with Mrs. Thome, we started by reviewing an activity she had given me to try out and learn from. She tasked me with taking the description of the organizations that she had grant requests from, comparing them to the foundation’s mission, looking at how much they requested, and then allocating funds. I could also see last year’s grants given to those organizations. I then compared my list to hers. One thing I did not realize from the activity is that Emily told me they were lowering their typical grant amounts so they could sustain them over longer periods of time. So, in mine, I had some higher grants to organizations I thought really aligned with their mission and left a few out or didn’t allocate as much to some of the lower grants, whereas she had a more spread-out list that she explained to me and taught me the reasons for. This task was such an interesting and unique experience. Then she taught me how organizations must be transparent with their taxes and how you can go to a website and see how they are using their donations and how well they are paying their taxes/are trustworthy. During this, we checked out the Boston YMCAs profile that my other mentor, David Shapiro, runs, and I am happy to report they are passing with flying colors! After this exercise, we set out into the Slavic Village community, and she showed me some of the places they contribute to firsthand. First, we went to the Rid-All Green Partnership. This place is a farm in Cleveland right by Slavic Village. At the farm, they compost (turning food waste into rich soil), offer environmental programs for the community to get involved in, train people on how to farm, and have their own community kitchen. It is an environmental sanctuary in the middle of a busy and industrialized area. Emily and I toured around and ate at the community kitchen. They farm fish there, and the fish tacos were delicious. Then, we visited the bank, and I learned about Third Federal’s rich history in Slavic Village. Emily told me a story about how, during the great depression, the whole town chipped in to help start the bank. Next to the bank is a housing complex that the bank created to help benefit the area. After visiting the bank, we visited Shauna Sanders at University Settlement. We visited during shopping day, where residents who needed it could come in and pick out donated clothes. Ms. Sanders told me how University Settlement serves about ½ of Slavic Village, providing food, clothing, and classes. It was such a great experience to learn about and see the organization. Then, we visited Pastor Lewis at Fountain of Grace Outreach Ministries. Before talking to Pastor Lewis, we heard from people at Fountain of Grace about how the organization has changed their lives, helping them recover from addiction, financial instability, and sickness. Pastor Lewis taught us about the importance of faith-based organizations in the community and the impact they have. Lastly, we checked out a few places in the area that are doing great work, like a clothing store that provides low-income individuals with the chance to shop for clothes, but they don’t have to pay anything. I had such a valuable experience with Mrs. Thome and am so grateful to her. Off to Boston!

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