President’s Blog – Nonprofit Awareness Month
In November, the Nonprofit World Celebrates itself – Nonprofit Awareness Month. I have struggled to write this Blog and still am. I have spent the majority of my life working in the nonprofit realm and see daily the amazing work that occurs in our community because of the generosity of individuals and businesses and because of the individuals who have dedicated their lives to improving the quality of life through social services, health care, the arts or the environment – nonprofits in our community work in all of these fields and do improve the quality of life.
I have often advocated that the nonprofits in our community strike one day during the month of November so that the community sees how much the nonprofit world provides to individuals, families, businesses, schools. Our services touch almost everyone in Southwest Alabama whether or not people realize it. Of course, a strike would only hurt those directly impacted by the services we provide, so I haven’t pushed too hard for this.
What would Mobile look like if the nonprofit community did strike. Children could not attend quality day care, so parents could not work; people in residential programs would be on the streets or with family; patients could not receive health care or medications. Services would not occur in schools such as tutoring or other programs provided by nonprofits. Families with children with disabilities would not receive care.
As we celebrate Nonprofit Awareness Month, I ask that you please reflect on how nonprofits have touched your life and what life in Mobile would look like without nonprofits.