My project coming into the DCERP program looks drastically different from the work I’m doing now at NSO, but a large part of that is because Abby and I completed all of our original tasks much faster than all of us had anticipated. We began by working with Homeless Recovery Services, researching the best way that HRS could implement a food program to feed their consumers and funding sources that they could pull from to cover the costs.
Now, Abby and I have been helping our supervisor, Katrina, plan NSO’s annual month-long bike fundraiser called Handlebars for the Homeless. The planning has kept us incredibly busy these past few weeks because we have been designing a social media strategy to best disseminate the event information to people around the country.
Being able to work on Handlebars for the Homeless has greatly increased my understanding of the wide variety of work that NSO does and how they help their consumers beyond the daily health services that are provided. It has been incredibly interesting to learn how the organization reaches out to the community and utilizes their large network to make a positive impact on the lives of vulnerable populations in Detroit.
Throughout all of the work we have done, I feel that I have a better understanding of the many facets of nonprofit work. From finding funding, to reaching out to donors and other nonprofit organizations to establish partnerships, to engaging with followers on social media, I can see how much work goes into having a successful event, project, and organization as a whole. Even though I am certainly not an expert yet, I’ve gained invaluable experience through this program that I am excited to use in the future.
Hey!
I’m really glad that you feel like you have a better understanding of nonprofits and the many different sectors. It really is such hard work that so many people undermine. Your experience with Handlebars for the Homeless seems like a great cause to be apart of.
I’ve also learned a ton about non-profit work at Great Lakes Now. It’s a little different because we’re a media organization, but I’ve learned a bunch about how public funding, private funding, grants, and individual donations come together to make the station work. When I was a kid, I found the acknowledgement of various foundations and funds and “viewers like you, thank you!” on my PBS cartoons to be an annoyance (I just wanted to see the show!) but now I understand how it works and why it’s important.
Hey! Handlebars for the Homeless sounds amazing–also, it’s a catchy name lol. When are you planning for the event to make place and what ways have you thought to promote it online? I know the event is going to be a blast, keep up the good work.