“At People Making a Difference we encourage teens to volunteer, make a difference, and make connections.”
Teenlife Boston (TLB): How does People Making a Difference (PMD) stand out from other non-profit organizations in Greater Boston?
Lori: At People Making a Difference we offer a wide variety of hands-on volunteer opportunities that help grassroots charities that don’t have the staff to coordinate their own volunteer programs. PMD requires that people sign up themselves to volunteer responsibly and reliably by observing advertised deadlines and following simple procedures. We don’t require membership dues, pre-orientation meetings, or long-term commitments, just your time on your own time.
TLB: Do you have any memorable volunteer stories that you want to share with us?
Lori: Absolutely. Since 2002, Girl Scout Troop 2511 in Stow has baked dozens of pies from scratch for PMD volunteers to serve to frail, formerly homeless elders for dessert on the Sunday before every Thanksgiving. They make everything themselves, and in 2007 some troop members began joining PMD volunteers in preparing the pre-Thanksgiving meal and serving the pies. The scouts were very excited to meet the elders for whom they had been baking pies for five years, as well as tour the permanent housing where the elders reside.
TLB: What do you hope teens will take away from their People Making a Difference volunteer experience?
Lori: The activities of volunteers, while interesting and visibly making a difference, are only the beginning. One’s volunteer experience is magnified by learning about the context in which one is working and by making connections with charity staff and clients so that one can help in additional ways.
TLB: What are some of things that a teen can do if they want to get involved with your organization?
Lori: Teens can read about our upcoming events at http://www.pmd.org/events.phtml. If you see a community service activity of interest, then it is easy to sign up no more than one month in advance and participate with PMD by following the simple procedure described under HOW in each event description. And, recruit a friend to join you, though they must sign up online as well.
TLB: Our September newsletter is focused on Teen Entrepreneurs. As the Executive Director and Founder of PMD, what advice would you give to a teen who is interested in starting their own non-profit organization either now or in the future?
Lori: Make sure that you do your homework to learn what is already being done, how it’s being done, and the funders before you invest effort (and money) to start your own, independent charity. If you discover that you are addressing a distinct, unmet need, try to partner with an existing charity acting as your fiscal sponsor in order to minimize the burdensome IRS applications, fees, and annual filings for tax-exempt status that will not further your programs except to enable donors to deduct contributions eventually. Finally, start small and work smart. Develop a strategic business plan and run a pilot before you scale up.
TLB: When you are not devoting your time to People Making a Difference, what do you like to do?
Lori: I volunteer as a PetPal pet therapy volunteer with my older dog and herd sheep with my younger dog. I also volunteer and work on volunteer and educational projects for my alma mater, MIT.
Registered TeenLife Boston members can learn more about People Making a Difference by visiting their online profile. If you are not a member, JOIN NOW.
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