I have several friends and family members who work for non-profit organizations and it does in fact seem that a large portion of their mission is reflected in terms of community education. The Gathering Place is somewhat different than most non-profits in the sense that it primarily exists to provide services to a disadvantaged population within the community. Obviously they are concerned primarily with homelessness, and the effects that it has on women and children specifically. However, I don't believe that they are a traditional non-profit in the way that they are actively involved in promoting education outside of the homeless community. Their main mission is to educate people about the danger and hopelessness that accompanies the lack of stable housing for their families. As far as I know, The Gathering Place doesn't put on seminars or make pamphlets to hand out door to door, nor do they take steps to educate the community at large, instead their mission seems to be one of education within the boundaries of the population they serve.
They are a resource for people who are struggling to meet basic needs such as food, clothing or shelter and within that parameter they do a lot to educate their clients. While they don't do any sort of campaigning or external educational work, they do strive to educate the women, children and the GLBT community who come to them for help. In an effort to create self-sufficient and independent women they offer many resources to encourage this in the women who come through their door. First of all, they educate on the importance of a nutritious diet and proper nutrition. They do this by providing a healthy breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack with the option of fresh vegetables, fruit, milk as well as a well balanced main course. Next they educate the population on the resources that are available to them such as state and federal aid programs, applying for social security benefits, housing programs as well as local food banks etc. One of the most important educational aspects available to clients of The Gathering Place is the option to get tutoring and help in obtaining their GED. This is one of the most important steps for individuals who are living without a stable income or who are living in poverty. The most empowering thing those people can do is to get their GED so they can find employment and begin to learn to provide for themselves and their children. So as far as education goes, I think it is appropriate that The Gathering Place uses their resources to provide in-house education rather than spending money on things that do not directly affect the lives of their clients.
Considering what I know about gendered education and communication I believe that The Gathering Place could be doing more in terms of educating the community outside of their immediate sphere of influence. While I think it is a great idea in theory, I believe that in practice it is somewhat counterproductive to their stated mission. To take money out of the in-house education programs and resources that they have and divert it into an external education campaign would be unrealistic and incongruent with their purpose. I think it is more logical that they keep all the funding that they have for the education of the population they serve. By providing safety and hope to the families who come to them for help, they are laying the groundwork for those same people to go out into the community and extend that hope to others. It is a trickle down educational effect that they depend on, and I think it works well for them.
