A woman smiling with the words " why matters is well to you donna."

BirthMatters says Farewell to Khabonina

When I first graduated from college, I had high aspirations but little to no direction. All I knew was that my end goal for my career would be creating my own nonprofit. Signing up for the AmeriCorps VISTA program was the perfect first step on my life-long journey towards service work.  

This past year has been a wild experience. When I started my VISTA position, I was primarily focused on volunteer management and outreach engagement. However, with recent events involving COVID-19, my role has switched from in-person work to virtual outreach and designs. I feel like these challenges have only improved my ability to switch gears, in an everchanging world. I am proud of how well BirthMatters has adapted and adjusted to the needs of our participants during this pandemic. I can say without a doubt, that this team is passionate and dedicated.

At BirthMatters I have learned so much about what it means to be an manage a nonprofit. The Executive Director, Molly Chappell-McPhail, works tirelessly to provide for the community and staff. She has been a great example of what it looks like to create an organization, from scratch, based on a community need and deep passion. I admire her drive and determination and hope that one day I can bring to life an organization of my own.

The staff at BirthMatters have made me feel so welcomed and cared for, and I will miss my time with them. However, I look forward to the next step on my journey.