Why I Support Sheffield Place by Scott Mathews, Board Member
Why do I support Sheffield
Place as a volunteer and board member? Simple answer…my family and I believe in
the concept of “Do to Get”, which
means one must perform the work to get the reward. For me, that is the most appealing aspect of
Sheffield Place. It is a haven for
homeless women and children. It is a welcoming, safe, steady, supportive
environment with a wonderful and talented professional staff and dedicated
volunteers trained to welcome homeless mothers and their children, assess their
critical needs and then provide programs to counsel, educate, support, and
develop such women to ultimately develop them to become productive members of
society…equipped with new skills allowing them to navigate the real world, earn
a living through stable work, make wise and informed decisions, and most
importantly care for their families.
Here is what Sheffield Place
is not. It is not a handout. It is not a free ride. It is not a “gift”. It does not promote a mindset evident in some
social and charitable programs, well-intentioned but misguided, that throw
money at an issue, providing short term relief perhaps but not addressing the core
issues. The Sheffield Place path is not an easy path. There are rules, chores, responsibilities and
other commitments. If a mother is willing
to invest in herself, Sheffield Place provides the tools to help her get to a
better place, but she must commit to the program. She must “do to get”. That is what I love about Sheffield
Place. Andrew Carnegie once said, “There is no use whatsoever trying to help
people who do not help themselves. You
cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he is willing to climb himself”. This to me is the essence of Sheffield Place.
To see this model in action energizes
me and gives me hope for the future. I
would urge anyone interested to attend the periodic ceremony where Sheffield
Place recognizes the select group of women who have completed the residential
program and stabilized their lives. These women typically speak for a few
minutes about their life condition when they arrived at Sheffield Place, how
the program helped them, and how their current situation has improved due to guidance
from Sheffield Place. The mothers all
agree that the process is hard work. But
these short presentations always include key phrases such as gratitude, hope, fellowship,
employment, stability, emotional control, and benefits to children...all
positive and forward-looking comments.
It is the most powerful event I have ever attended and it humbles me and
makes me proud at the same time. A
Canadian farmer named Nelson Henderson once said, “The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do
not expect to sit”. This is a
fitting analogy to the mission and efforts of Sheffield Place and I am honored
to be a small part of this process.
Scott Mathews
Sheffield Place Board Member
