Our board of directors is made up of 14 hardworking and active volunteers who dedicate their free time to supporting the mission of Rebuilding Together Baltimore. We are proud of our board member’s diverse experiences and backgrounds. Their contribution of professional knowledge and unique perspectives help us to raise awareness and funds for home repairs that benefit our neighbors in need.
As board members move on to their next ventures (a normal and healthy step in board service), we like to ask them about their experiences being on the board and what safe and healthy housing means to them. After four years of service, Chelsea Hayman is leaving our board of directors to pursue new opportunities. Read Chelsea’s final reflections below
How did you learn about Rebuilding Together Baltimore?
I learned about RTB through my experience working at Civic Works in 2015 which is a HUBS (Housing Upgrades to Benefit Seniors) site where we partnered with RTB. I was familiar with the work of the organization and I wanted to continue being a stakeholder in that work.
What inspired you to join the board?
After leaving Civic Works, I joined the board of directors in 2021. During my time on the board, I became more familiar with the hoops that smaller non profits have to jump through to build their branding and fund raising programs. This challenge requires having patience for grants to come through to pay for staff expenses and programs. I became familiar with the inner workings of fundraising in small nonprofits by being part of the Development Committee. Our role was to be strategic about fundraising. I am more mindful about the ways to bring new donors and engage the community in different ways. Being on the board was a great learning experience for thinking through operational challenges that a small nonprofit faces.
How was your ride along experience?
I joined Derek, our Development Manager on a ride to a homeowner that was served by our organization, Ms. A. That experience changed my perspective of our work. When I met the homeowner and her daughter, It became apparent that the dedication that our staff put into every interaction with a homeowner is meaningful. Having the homeowner share her life story with us and how RTB was able to be a part of that was meaningful for me. Ms. A’s life story puts into context what RTB is helping hundreds of homeowners with every year. It was incredible to see how that on the ground impact and specific interventions from our team helped her meet her aging in place goals. Hearing a story in the boardroom is different from meeting a homeowner in their home. It is incredible and rewarding to see how our decision makes an impact on people's lives.
What can be done to engage more people in this work
I think that marketing, building awareness, and expressing the needs that exist for non profit is important moving forward. In addition to that, there is a tremendous benefit to encourage people to support our work based on generational wealth creation. Having more opportunities to get people engaged in events or more ride alongs would be great. Organizing more public facing events and inviting homeowners helped by the organization would also help to increase awareness and opportunities for fundraising.
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