What was the most humorous, or unique, situation you have encountered during your career?
Non-profit work is all about mission and inspiring all sorts of people to "get on the bus" to put their talents and resources to use in making life better for people who are disadvantaged. The best moments are always when business executives come out to the community to volunteer and they are not wearing their suits, but their blue jeans and they are painting a house or putting in a new garage door for a senior citizen or planting a community garden. Michelle DiBennidetto, a fellow WEDLI member, for example, comes out every year, rain or shine, to CDC's annual NeighborWorks Week event to benefit the community by doing volunteer work.
How did you get your start in your field?
While working on my master's degree from the University of Chicago I took an internship with Suffolk (now Long Island) Housing Services and conducted a field test in housing discrimination. When I returned to Long Island my first job was executive director of Housing Help, Inc., a local community based organization whose mission is to provide housing opportunities to local residents.
Marianne Garvin is the president and chief operating officer for the Community Development Corporation of Long Island, Centereach, N.Y. Tags: