From one corner of Greater Dayton to another, positive change is happening all around us. This is due, in part, to the tremendous generosity of our more than 4,100 donors, who last fiscal year granted more than $124 million locally, nationally and around the world to nonprofit organizations that are changing lives for the better. To highlight this impactful work, I am introducing a new series of columns featuring organizations that are inspiring change and the community changemakers who are behind these efforts.
Our first two changemakers are Gina McFarlane-El, CEO of Five Rivers Health Centers, and Deanna Murphy, executive director of Hannah’s Treasure Chest, both of whom lead nonprofits that serve our region’s most vulnerable citizens. They also are members of the first cohort of the Nonprofit Capacity-Building Partnership, a collaboration between the Mathile Family Foundation and The Dayton Foundation that is working to strengthen local Black-led or majority Black-serving organizations to better address inequities in Montgomery County.
Why did you decide to participate in the Nonprofit Capacity-Building Partnership?
Gina McFarlane-El, CEO, Five Rivers Health Centers
Gina: Five Rivers Health Centers is committed to expanding access to quality, comprehensive and respectful care for our patients and community. We decided to participate to give our organization the opportunity to learn and grow from the experiences of local nonprofit organizations. It’s been a beautiful journey for us.
Deanna Murphy, executive director, Hannah’s Treasure Chest
Deanna: Hannah’s Treasure Chest’s mission is to enrich the lives of children in need. We provide more than 7,000 children each year throughout Southwest Ohio with the essentials they need to grow and thrive.
I had no clue what I was signing up for, but I was honored to be invited to participate and share space and ideas with dynamic leaders and changemakers. I always am seeking ways to improve processes, expand services and develop our team. This cohort was the perfect place to sharpen these skills and so much more!
How has participating in the Partnership impacted your organization?
Gina: For me, the Partnership has been a beautiful onion that continues to peel back many wonderful layers. Being coached by Jay Meyer of JMeyer Strategies helped me rethink ways to reduce our vacancy rates for staff positions and retain more employees. Connecting with cohort member Shoes for the Shoeless opened the door for our organization to create Five Rivers Has Sole, which focuses on providing new shoes for adults experiencing homelessness. Developing a deeper relationship with Habitat for Humanity allowed us to donate land in West Dayton’s Edgemont neighborhood, where the first new home in more than 30 years will be built for a deserving family. For these reasons and more, we are eternally grateful to have been part of the cohort.
Deanna: We’re an organization built on collaboration. We rely on our partners, and they rely on us. It’s been a gift to learn alongside several of our longtime partners and other incredible leaders in this Partnership.
As a result, we have expanded our work with Daybreak to bridge the gap for families in need of shelter until they can access programming and housing. Our Board make-up has shifted to better represent the individuals we serve. The biggest benefit has been developing strong relationships and having a bevy of inimitable, compassionate, generous trailblazers to call for advice. It’s a blessing to me.
From one corner of Greater Dayton to another, positive change is happening all around us.
What do you see as the community’s greatest challenges? How does your organization work to meet those challenges?
Gina: The number one challenge our patients face is the lack of safe and affordable housing. Through the Miami Chapel Housing Committee, Five Rivers Health Centers is partnering with 20 local, regional and state organizations that are laser-focused on improving the housing stock, housing environment and overall quality of life for the residents of the Edgemont and Carillon neighborhoods. These residents long have suffered from historical redlining and depopulation. The Committee has made a long-term commitment to help make significant changes to eradicate the systematic problems in these neighborhoods.
Deanna: Families in our community face many challenges. They love their children dearly and will sacrifice nearly everything to ensure their children’s needs are met, even if that means going hungry themselves, skipping utility payments or surrendering secure shelter. HTC ensures a child’s essential needs are met so a family can direct their limited financial resources to critical necessities and progress from surviving to thriving. We partner with more than 75 local organizations, schools and agencies to reduce duplication of services and funding, and collaborate with an additional 20-plus agencies to share items we receive that fall outside our mission.
How is your organization and its supporters inspiring change in Greater Dayton?
Gina: Five Rivers Health Centers is centered on improving racial and social justice for our patients and employees. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, we are a one-stop agency for our patients, providing care ranging from medical and dental care to massage therapy services. Ninety-four percent of our patients live at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, and more than 61 percent are people of color. Having all of these integrated services in one location makes a world of difference for them. Through innovative programs, such as our Patient Access to Total Healthcare that The Dayton Foundation recently supported with a discretionary grant, we are ensuring the availability of financial resources for screenings to help detect potential life-threatening diseases and provide the highest quality of care for our most vulnerable community members.
Deanna: We lead with compassion and cherish the culture we’ve created at our organization. We embrace collaboration and measure success by the impact we create in our community, and we’re inspiring change in our community through our vibrant volunteer program, of which we’re exceptionally proud. We’re always happy for new friends to join us! We provide a quality volunteer experience for the young and young-at-heart, and the impact of this “secondary mission” is creating ripples in our community that will continue for years to come.
For more information on how you can support these changemakers, visit fiverivershealthcenters.org and/or hannahstreasure.org.
– Michael M. Parks, CFRE, President