It’s that time of year again: we’re all receiving a deluge of fundraising appeals in our mailboxes, and here at GHCC we’re sending out our fair share as well. As the holidays grow nearer and life becomes more hectic, sometimes it’s important to reflect on why it means so much for us to give.
Recently, Greater Homewood Voices caught up with someone who knows exactly what it means to support a cause she believes in: loyal GHCC donor (and staff parent!) Connie Smith. Almost a year ago her son Tyson, GHCC’s Director of Administration, shared his journey from Utah to Greater Homewood. Recently, Connie and her husband David made a journey of their own to attend GHCC’s Annual Celebration & Volunteer Recognition event on November 9. Here, she shares some reflections on the event, giving to GHCC, and finally meeting Tyson’s GHCC family.
GHCC’s Annual Celebration & Volunteer Recognition November 9, 2010 L to R: Connie Smith, Tyson Smith, Neal Gary, David Smith |
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Why do you think it’s important to support non-profit causes you believe in?
I am thrilled about Tyson’s chance to be involved in the great work at GHCC. None of us had any idea what lay ahead for Tyson when he left Utah in February 2007 and headed back east to Baltimore—all we knew was that he was planning to pursue professional acting. Now I realize there was a reason he went to Baltimore and I believe it has to do with his being hired by GHCC. Of course, being from Utah, none of us were very familiar with much about Baltimore or any of the large eastern cities. Tyson told me early on that he felt Baltimore faced more extreme challenges than many other cities did. He was quite surprised by many of the things he learned after his arrival. He is now able to work in a place where he can really make a difference and improve many lives, and that makes me very happy and grateful. I believe he is right where he is supposed to be at this time.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Annual Celebration—I thought it went perfectly. It was wonderful to be able to put a lot of GHCC names to faces after hearing so much about them. My husband and I were so impressed with the mayor’s keynote address and her vision for Baltimore. It was also a lot of fun for us to see Neal’s boss in that context (he works in the mayor’s office). The new Vacants to Value program she spoke about was very inspiring. I also really loved learning about all the awards that were presented.
Of course, Tyson is my main source of connection to GHCC. He tries to keep me in the loop with the big things, but being on the mailing list for the past several months for Greater Homewood Voices and the GHCC Digest has been so eye-opening for me. I have learned so much and have really enjoyed reading the personal and very inspiring stories from so many individuals. On our recent trip to Baltimore Tyson drove us around a bit and showed us some Greater Homewood neighborhoods. We were able to see the 33rd Street mural and the Senator Theatre, which we brought home on a lovely hand-signed poster from [Baltimore cartoonist] Tom Chalkley.
If you are looking for a way to make a difference and know that your money will go a long way and be very well spent, GHCC is a great organization to consider!