08.12.09
TAM Blog!
Welcome everyone,
This is the first official blog of the new Toledo Area Ministries blog/discussion forum. So, first of all, let’s talk about the basics..
Who are we?
Toledo Area Ministries is a faith-based, non-profit organization which works with the impoverished, and lower-income residents of the Toledo area. We operate 11 different ministries all working to accomplish various things, including: Feed Your Neighbor which feeds over 70,000 people each year through its food pantries and outreach programs; Second Chance which works with women and children who have been involved in prostitution and sex trafficking, helping them start over through support groups and other means; House My People which provides limited financial assistance in the form of a once in a lifetime grant to help families avoid foreclosure or eviction; and Food Stamp Outreach which assesses and helps people receive government aid in the fastest and most efficient way possible. For an entire listing and information about all of our different ministries, refer back to our webpage. Our mission is to assist congregations and church leadership in meeting human need, creating community, and working for justice. That said, we are open to the help of any willing volunteer passionate about helping to end poverty.
Who Am I?
Since this is an interactive blog written by one person, it seems only fair I should introduce myself. My name is Andrea and I am currently working with TAM as their AmeriCorps* VISTA member. I am a recent college graduate, and this is my first experience in the non-profit world. I am very excited to be here, and I look forward to hearing from you all, and learning from your thoughts. While this blog is for TAM it is written from my personal perspective, so please again remember that this a discussion-formatted blog, and needs to be regarded that way.
Now, with all the introductions out of the way, here’s how it’s going to run. Each week there will be a question open for discussion, usually accompanied by a post as well, talking about the various activities of TAM, and/or the experiences of its members. This is a 10 month trial run to see what kind of response we elicit and if it fits the need we are trying to meet. Please feel free to comment in an appropriate manner (see below for ground rules) and encourage others to join!
To start us off, I would like to talk about some exciting new things that are happening here at TAM. We are currently gearing up for the annual Gala Gathering on November 14th. This is TAM’s first year as the sponsor, and we are anticipating a huge turnout. Right now, we have over 20 different ministries/organizations involved, and all the proceeds go straight back to the various ministries in support of their work. The night involves a silent and live auction, dinner, and some very entertaining folks from Channel 11 news! The theme this year is “Show Your Colors” inviting you to represent your favorite sports team, your alma mater, or even your favorite local non-profit! If you would like more information on this event, feel free to contact me at amigliozzi@tamohio.org or give us a call at TAM, 419-242-7401. The best part about this event is that it gives a lot of local non-profits the chance to work together, in support of a common cause.
I’ve heard it said that ‘if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go big, go together.’ A major shortcoming from what I’ve seen so far is that most non-profit organizations lack the time and resources to work together, something which could eventually help us all grow tremendously. Communication can be a big problem. Yet, we have such similarities in our work. So, this leads me to our weekly question: What can we (non-profit organizations) do to work better together as a community, as opposed to smaller entities? How can we establish a better communication system? It would seem in our current high-tech world that this shouldn’t be difficult, but it is. So, give us some suggestions or comments! I believe the better we can work together, the better we can serve.
Ground Rules: If this is to be an interactive blog then everyone must obey certain rules to participate in the discussions. TAM reserves the right to delete or revoke privileges if any comments are inappropriate. We also reserve the right to screen all comments before they are posted. With that said..
1. Express your thoughts in a respectful, thoughtful manner. No opinion can or will be regarded as fact. This is an open dialogue and needs to remain as such.
2. Limit your own responses about the comments of others. Remember that the learning process involves listening to opinions that you might not always agree with, but it is important to listen anyway. Try not to reply in a defensive/offensive manner, rather try to contribute positively to the conversation.
3. Remember that this is an open forum, and therefore welcomes people of all religious, economic and cultural backgrounds. We do not discriminate, nor will discrimination of any kind be tolerated.
Okay, with that in mind, let me know what you think…