Listen: We've reached Day 9 of 50 in our Meet The Need campaign, and we hear from an organization that's a bit different. In this campaign, we consider both basic needs (the very fundamentals -- food, shelter, clothing) and human needs (what a person needs to be able to provide for themselves their own basic needs). The interplay and connectedness of these two kinds of needs has many dimensions, and is the fuel of our conversation.
Today, we hear from Elaine Maly and the Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee. Some organizations directly serve folks in need, and then there are those groups that work to support and fund these organization. In this case, we're considering a unique and vital foundation located in Milwaukee. Much in the way we consider basic and human needs in tandem, we consider the work being done by the Women's Fund to sustain those organizations serving our community.
-In this first piece, we hear the beginning of my interview with Elaine -- I asked her what they do, and she answered by telling a classic story with her own twist:
-Understanding what kinds of groups they support -- organizations that have a strong commitment to social change for women and girls -- I asked Elaine for some examples as well as an explanation of the criteria they use to select causes:
-When you're in a position like Elaine, where you're constantly evaluating the depth and breadth of problems in our community, sometimes the challenges may seem defeating. So, I asked her to share a part of the community that makes her feel hopeful and she told me about a new energy she's seen in our youth:
-In our interview, perhaps she works on need from a different angle than most other organizations I've spoken with, I asked Elaine some pretty tough questions. To finish, she takes on a question whose answer is simple, but not without some major nuance and complexity -- "Why do people give?" and "How can they go beyond that?"
This year, we ask you to adopt one or two organizations that connect with you. Want to get involved with the Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee? Donate, volunteer, or check out their work yourself. And you can start with their website .