During the latter half of my 20s, our country had to yet to realize that the Great Recession had begun. Ignorance was bliss at the time. Personally, I made plans to go back to college and finish my degree after an eight-year hiatus. Fate had even more plans for me as I ended up with large medical bills after a stint in the hospital. I was afraid that finishing my education wasn't in my future until a charity stepped in, helped me with my medical expenses, and allowed me to continue with my plans. The reason that I'm sharing this story is because it's a great illustration of how nonprofit organizations come to the rescue during times of transition and uncertainty. It's also an example of one of the amazing things that nonprofits and charities do.
Food banks, shelters, and family service centers demonstrate all that is incredible about humanity. They provide food, lodging, safety, and what is essentially sanctuary. They strive to mend the problems of today while simultaneously providing their constituents with tools for the future. For example, Guadalupe's Family Resource Center not only acts as a food bank, but they are providing lessons for youth in areas such as financial planning and art.
There are educational and cultural institutions that preserve what is incredible about humanity. Facilities throughout San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties preserve everything from prehistoric beads to historical buildings. Objects that once belonged to everyone from the average Joe to Capt. G. Allan Hancock and Phoebe Apperson Hearst are preserved in perpetuity in local museums, historical societies, and archives.
Nonprofits even help what may be the lowest dregs of society. Humane societies dot the Central Coast and help save our furry (and sometimes feathered) friends that find themselves without a home. Organizations like the Feline Network and Catalyst for Cats practice TNR (trap-neuter-return) in an effort to limit the unwanted feline population numbers in the most humane way possible while helping to conserve the environment and create a healthy living space.
Community foundations may be the most impactful nonprofits. They support the work that smaller, local nonprofits do to help the community. Foundations create tools to facilitate the growth of local philanthropy and strengthen the nonprofit sector. They even offer classes in areas such as nonprofit management, how to read financials, how to write competitive grant proposals, and more. All of this means that you can ensure that the nonprofit that you support is effectively managed.
The nonprofit sector is more important now than ever. They are in a position to bring the Central Coast together and create vibrant communities. Charitable institutions are uniquely positioned to listen to the needs of the community and appropriately respond. They can help those with the greatest needs, provide historical context, foster empathy, and educate so that we all see the world around us in new and inspiring ways.
During this holiday season, please consider donating to your favorite nonprofit. If you ever need help, they've got your back. I can personally attest to this as I would probably lack the ability to work in the nonprofit sector and contribute to the vibrancy of our communities if it wasn't for the past unexpected help that I received from a charity.
Doug Jenzen is executive director of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center. Send comments to [email protected].
