As a fundraiser, one of the questions I'm frequently asked to ponder is "how do you know your programs are working?" Whether stated explicitly or not, it's clearly a question on the minds of most people contemplating making a financial commitment to an organization like East End Cooperative Ministry.
We have lots of numbers that we use to answer that question -- statistics about meals served, individuals graduated from programs, and other metrics -- but my favorite way to share the impact of EECM is with stories.
And there's no better place to look for stories than at the annual Bridge & PennFree Housing Alumni Celebration. The 12th annual gathering took place on Friday night. Each year, the graduates and current program participants from EECM's two transitional housing programs get together to share food and fellowship and to celebrate how far they've come in their lives.
This year, we had about 40 alumni present, ranging from recent graduates who completed the program this year to long-time veterans. An informal poll identified our most senior alumni as an 18-year graduate, participating in the PennFree program in 1992.
The reunion is all about sharing and connecting. Alumni swap stories about what their families are doing and grouse good-naturedly about their work schedules. Though, as one alum put it -- "But I have a job...and grateful for it!"
Every man and woman present at the Alumni Celebration had overcome huge hurdles to be there. Each one battled past addiction, and all pulled themselves out of dependency and homelessness to achieve lives of independence and stability. A recurring theme throughout the night was one of gratitude to EECM for the role the Bridge and PennFree programs (and their amazing staff) played in the lives of our graduates. For most of our alumni, the time they spent in our programs was the turning point in their journeys. The period where they set their feet firmly on the path to a better life.
To read one Bridge Housing graduate's story (featured in our Fall 2008 newsletter), click here. I was thrilled to see Aaron at the reunion on Friday night and to learn that he is still doing great!
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