By Lillian Jones
When reflecting on my time at Mary’s Pence, the first word that comes to mind is unity. The team members and programs at Mary’s Pence exemplify the unity in their work. The grants program and ESPERA bring together and provide support for those needing funding and accompaniment, which significantly impacts the larger community.
During my internship this spring, I have seen the steps Mary’s Pence takes to provide support in terms of grants and social and communal connections. For example, the grants program is one of the cornerstone pieces of the organization’s mission. Each grantee not only gains an allotted amount of money from Mary’s Pence but also the opportunity to grow and connect with other organizations through the grantee partnership.
Whether it be working on a data project or learning more about a letter of inquiry (LOI) and grant writing, it is evident that I have learned so much in the past few months with Mary’s Pence. Not only have I gotten the opportunity to be hands-on in my learning, but I have been trusted and given the ability to impact the everyday operations of Mary’s Pence.
The International Women’s Day Event stands out among the rest as one of the most fun and community-driven events. I helped run the raffle, set up, take down, and “man the tables”; this allowed me to see how Twin City members view Mary’s Pence. Each community member was so excited to give back and support Mary’s Pence, especially in the message of catholic social justice.
While the team at the helm of Mary’s Pence may be small, the network and support they provide to one another and their grantees make for one of the most gracious, thoughtful, and organized teams I have worked with. The team members work to make the office and the broader hands of the organization an inviting and safe environment. Each day when I enter the office, I am met with a group of problem-solvers already hard at work, trying to make the world a little bit better, not just those they directly serve through funding.
A powerful piece of my experience has been seeing a cycle of the grants program, and the connections that follow after the cycle has completed. On the national level, challenges of quick change of support and funding have created hardships for many current and former grantees. Even with these challenging times, grantees still feel they can call to receive relevant updates or to update Mary’s Pence on the position of their grassroots organization.
Going forward, I am so excited to see what the fall semester will bring. While I have gotten to know the grants program, there is still so much to learn about the women and team members who are part of the ESPERA program in Central America. So much of both the community and economic development pieces stem from ESPERA. They are women who want to grow their women-led initiatives to bolster their community.
There is no doubt in my mind that I will learn and grow in completely new ways at Mary’s Pence, no matter what different tasks the fall has in store for me.