A few months ago, I used a sick day for mental wellness and self-care, just as spontaneously as any truly needed other sick day would have arisen. For me, this is a signal that I work in a place that’s in it for the long-haul. A place that’s aware of burnout. We genuinely care about each other, so we can better care for children. It sure doesn’t hurt that half my co-workers are social workers, but this posture comes from our founders and leaders, too. When I meet up with friends and we talk about our jobs, mine often feels… different… for lots of reasons. Love146 does things a little differently. Recently, Forbes wrote about one of those differences: how our President and Co-founder Rob Morris sits at a desk in a hallway in the middle of our office.
WORKING AT LOVE 146
That our president’s desk is in a hallway is a leadership statement. His posture sets a tone of openness, collaboration, and helps break down the walls of hierarchy. It captures a slice of what makes Love146 special. One member of our team wrote more here about his own experience working at Love146. Want to work with Love146? There are a few positions here, and several more coming if you’re an MSW in the Connecticut area (or would like to relocate here)!
DONOR SPOTLIGHT: “I DONATED AS I WAS A VICTIM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT”
Recently a monthly donor shared why they give: “I donated as I was a victim of sexual assault and incest and I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what I have. I want others to be empowered to speak up and to be healed of the trauma this crime against innocent people causes. I want children to no longer feel guilt and shame of this atrocity, and to know they did the best that they could with the tools that they have. I want there to be a transformation in those who have been impacted by these heinous crimes so that they can grow physically and emotionally stronger.” Everyone engages differently and for different reasons. Why do you support Love146? Email my co-worker Josh (josh@love146.org) and let us know. We’d love to hear from you.
CELEBRATING THE BIRTHDAY OF A YOUNG PERSON IN OUR SURVIVOR CARE
A Love146 UK teammate, Hannah, reflected today, “Some things are so important it’s impossible to tell the truth about them. Like Moon, a young person in our care in the UK… Some details about her have to be changed. Her name, where she lives, even the time of year when certain events happened. Anything that might make her identifiable to her trafficker gets changed. But Moon is real… Here is a video that has been carefully reviewed and cropped for anonymity – of her celebrating her birthday with her Love146 family. “
ONE-OF-A-KIND TEES IN OUR STORE
Our classic Love146 tee is back by popular demand; this version has one of our favorite Martin Luther King quotes on the back: “Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.” All these tees are upcycled and one-of-a-kind, sustainable fashion at its best, with 20 percent of the proceeds supporting Love146. In our store, run by the company Imagine Goods, there are several shirt designs and other products supporting our work.
SPARK JOY FOR CHILDREN: BUY & SELL USED GOODS TO BENEFIT LOVE146 ON EBAY
Inspired… or uninspired by Marie Kondo? If there are some things on your hands that don’t “spark joy,” you can join others in selling them on eBay and designating your sales for Love146! Or maybe you’re a “maximalist” ready to swoop in for these goods? You can shop for items that benefit us here. Are you in the Houston area? Come in person to our Houston thrift store to make your donations or shop for discarded treasures.
WEBSITE FEEDBACK? YES PLEASE!
The nonprofit design specialists at 2 Dogs Media honored Love146 by including our website in a list of “The Best Nonprofit Web Sites of 2018.” “Strong imagery tells the story,” they said. The site is “Easy to navigate,” and the “creative use of both photography and simple design elements keep the look unique – but yet clean and fresh.” Whew! But we’re still wondering: do you have any feedback about our site? Let us know! Plans for an update are around the corner.
It’s the part of winter where it’s normal to start to feel that trudge. We hope you find the strength to choose hope — and not because things are always rosy or easy. Rob shared with Forbes, we “know too much and I’ve seen too much to be optimistic. Here, we choose to use the term ‘defiant hope.’ …Where optimism is often passive, defiant hope is the opposite — it’s aggressive, it requires action, and it defies common sense.” Thank you for your support, and for taking action to make a better world for children.
Good hope to you.
