I made it! One year down as a Beacon of Life board member. Throughout this experience, I have attended Beacon fundraising events, made a personal financial commitment, met my Board Appeal goal last year (thanks to all of my wonderful family and friend supporters!!!), and even began volunteering on Saturdays at the Beacon Boutique to put my old retail skills to use.

What I have experienced with the Beacon is that it takes a lot of work to run a non-profit. This includes everything from maintaining a safe house for our clients (hello leaky pipes, small fires, and dumpster disasters) to ensuring our clients are meeting their employment and life skill goals, to keeping the house and boutique fully staffed. All of this, as you can imagine, costs a lot of money. As a non-profit, we rely upon donations from entities, private donations, and fundraising events. As a board member, I have pledged to raise $1,000 through the board appeal process to continue contributing to the success of the Beacon. For those unfamiliar with the Beacon, the Beacon typically houses women who are recently released from incarceration and who are seeking support to integrate back into society. The Beacon offers its clients shelter, food, employment-related services, financial-related services, mental  health resources, substance abuse resources, and a place to call home for up to two years until the client is fully equipped with the tools to become a productive  member of society. The Beacon accomplishes this by holding its clients accountable and responsible for making substantive life changes. Without this guidance, Iowa women would be at risk of returning to prison, abusing substances, and retreating to abusive relationships and environments.  

I would be deeply appreciative if you considered helping me reach my goal. If you'd like more information on the Beacon or other opportunities to volunteer, please contact me directly. Together, we can raise awareness for this worthy cause.