March 2024: Introducing Lead For One
We are thrilled that our new leadership training program, Lead For One, is underway!
This year's cohort includes leaders from Do For One and leaders from associated organizations in Indiana and Arkansas. Lead For One participant, Chin said this about her experience so far,
“I think it’s important to have language to frame what we are doing. I really appreciate that at Do For One, there is deep thought behind everything being done. There is a reason behind everything. That makes me appreciate and feel excited about this work more than before.”
Lead For One Cohort 2024
See below for an excerpt from Session 1: Laying the Foundation from our co-presenter, Maegan Ishmael:
Maegan (pictured left below) is a recent graduate of City College, where she earned a double major in Psychology and Philosophy. She has been actively involved with Do For One, as a Partner, since 2020.
Despite any obstacles due to her numerous diagnoses that heavily influence her daily activities, Maegan's humility, compassion, and sharp intellect shine through at our Lead For One training.
Maegan (Partner, left) with her Advocate Cindy
As documented in the book “When Helping Hurts,” people experiencing poverty typically talk about their situation in far more psychological and social terms. Dealing with shame, fear, powerlessness, hopelessness, depression, social isolation, and feeling voiceless.
Maegan comments on how this experience is often true for people with disabilities,
“We are too often on the receiving end of things because the underlying assumption is that we have nothing to offer. Like, for example, a disabled person going into a prayer meeting. They can go in and pray for others! They don’t always have to be the person who is prayed over.
The whole person has to be addressed. It’s not just about fixing a person by throwing materialistic things at them all the time. We often miss the social and emotional needs, the needs that are intangible.”
Listen to Maegan and Cindy's Do For One relationship story on our podcast here.
Belonging Together is our podcast about disability and relationship-building. It's an orientation to Do For One's work, guided by stories.
This month’s prayer request:
PRAY for the participants of Lead For One as they take faithful steps towards becoming leaders. Also pray for our associate organizations who are learning how to implement these relationship-building principles in their initiatives and context.
