One benefit of taking the PR program at Mohawk is that guest speakers frequent our classroom. Jane George, executive director of Wellwood, came to talk to our Organizational Applications class on Tuesday, October 19. Jane had a sense of humour, a great personality and was full of spunk. She shared stories of how Wellwood came to be and took us on an emotional journey of how she became executive director of the organization.
Wellwood was founded by Dr. Greg O`Connell and his wife, Maureen O`Connor. While Jane`s own mother, Gwen, was suffering from cancer, she wanted a support group to help her deal with her struggles - she became a member of the group that helped bring Wellwood to life. It is a non-profit community organization that helps patients and their families that suffer from cancer. It accepts people from all walks of life who have any kind of cancer; it never turns anyone away. The Wellwood community centre offers peer support groups, art classes, yoga, beadwork, quilting, and children`s activities - just to name a few - plus all of the activities are run by volunteers. When the group was looking to expand outside of the Henderson Hospital, local philanthropist Charles Juravinski showed up at Jane`s door with a hefty donation. Juravinski`s generosity helped Wellwood not only build their new community centre but also to sustain it for years to come.
The organization also holds an annual 1K, 5K, 10K walk and run to raise funds for the centre and Colorectal Cancer awareness. Jane offered up these tips on fundraising for organizations:
- Research: Ask yourself what you are selling and why? Who will donate?
- Beware of special events; some do this really well but others will just end up with too many left over cookbooks, chocolate, and risky raffle tickets,
- Less is more,
- Stay true to your organization's values,
- Throw yourself out there and,
- Know that you will be rejected.
At the beginning of her presentation, Jane George asked our class, "What makes a hero?" She showed us pictures of celebrities like Paris Hilton and Cobe Bryant. By the end of her presentation, I think it's safe to say our class realized who the real heroes were. So what makes a hero? Is it Jane George's endless work and her run to the finish line to raise awareness for cancer? Or how about the countless volunteers that put their heart into Wellwood and other non-profit organizations? Or is it people like Charles Juravinski and his wife, Margaret, who joyfully donate millions of dollars towards healthcare programs in Hamilton? Jane's story left a lasting impression and made us realize how important volunteering and fundraising can be to an organization.
For more information on Wellwood please visit http://www.wellwood.on.ca.
Wellwood was founded by Dr. Greg O`Connell and his wife, Maureen O`Connor. While Jane`s own mother, Gwen, was suffering from cancer, she wanted a support group to help her deal with her struggles - she became a member of the group that helped bring Wellwood to life. It is a non-profit community organization that helps patients and their families that suffer from cancer. It accepts people from all walks of life who have any kind of cancer; it never turns anyone away. The Wellwood community centre offers peer support groups, art classes, yoga, beadwork, quilting, and children`s activities - just to name a few - plus all of the activities are run by volunteers. When the group was looking to expand outside of the Henderson Hospital, local philanthropist Charles Juravinski showed up at Jane`s door with a hefty donation. Juravinski`s generosity helped Wellwood not only build their new community centre but also to sustain it for years to come.
The organization also holds an annual 1K, 5K, 10K walk and run to raise funds for the centre and Colorectal Cancer awareness. Jane offered up these tips on fundraising for organizations:
- Research: Ask yourself what you are selling and why? Who will donate?
- Beware of special events; some do this really well but others will just end up with too many left over cookbooks, chocolate, and risky raffle tickets,
- Less is more,
- Stay true to your organization's values,
- Throw yourself out there and,
- Know that you will be rejected.
At the beginning of her presentation, Jane George asked our class, "What makes a hero?" She showed us pictures of celebrities like Paris Hilton and Cobe Bryant. By the end of her presentation, I think it's safe to say our class realized who the real heroes were. So what makes a hero? Is it Jane George's endless work and her run to the finish line to raise awareness for cancer? Or how about the countless volunteers that put their heart into Wellwood and other non-profit organizations? Or is it people like Charles Juravinski and his wife, Margaret, who joyfully donate millions of dollars towards healthcare programs in Hamilton? Jane's story left a lasting impression and made us realize how important volunteering and fundraising can be to an organization.
For more information on Wellwood please visit http://www.wellwood.on.ca.
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Jane George and our Organizational Applications instructor, Robert Plant. |
Jane George's presentation was very inspiring and extremely eye-opening. On the topic of "What makes a hero", it is very true when she talked about the Hollywood world and the celebrities that live it. Celebrities are seen as role models and to some people, as "heroes" because the media constantly and continuously portrays them as that. We fall idle to the stories and news feed surrounding the celebrity life, often forgetting about who the world's true heroes are. Those individuals who are fighting for their lives every day and overcoming tremendous obstacles are our heroes. Those individuals who take the time to volunteer and help others in need are our heroes. I agree that the presentation left us with a positive message and lasting impression on the importance of volunteering and fund raising for the benefit of our public relations future goals.
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