Pittsburgh, PA USA
I love how Union Project is an organization that brings together historic preservation, art, social enterprise and coffee under one roof! I was inspired when I walked into the Urban Fusion Cafe and heard great music and conversation. I also loved walking around and reading the bulletin boards and picking up literature about local non-profits, arts organizations, forums, etc. The building itself was spacious and the stained glass art work was beautiful, even more so when I found out that they have a Glass Action program where they restore glass art on-site. Based on my first impression, Union Project fulfills its vision for being a catalyst for neighborhood redevelopment and historic preservation.
The Great!
- I've seen the results of this organization in... Social enterprise creating economic opportunities for low income residents of Highland Park Wonderful glass art and ceramics
- The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were... Artistic, progressive and friendly
- If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could... Historically restore other buildings in the area and convert them into alternative projects.
Ways to make it better!
- If I ran this organization, I would... Add some kind of outdoor venue - maybe a closed in green house and/or patio, garden, etc. I would add in the whole green and sustainability element to make the project even better.
- In my opinion, the biggest challenges facing this organization are... Getting the word out there! Getting people to come to their events and Cafe
Pittsburgh, PA USA
As a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs, I am constantly growing through my daily experience with the organization and its program. Coro excels in providing an open forum for Fellows to express themselves mentally and emotionally. Coro staff are generally helpful and mindful of the different effects the program has on participants. In addition, Coro provides valuable professional development tools that both help and challenge Fellows to excell personally and as a group. I believe the laboratory environment instills a sense of excitement and curiosity among group members and staff, enabling us to learn and work off one another. In my opinion, Coro struggles with encouraging healthy working environments and healthy lifestyles. Work quality and quantity override personal well being, often forcing participants to choose between health and work. In addition, anti-disclosure practices complicate processes resulting to additional unnecessary stress. Due to the nature of the program, value tools such as time management and efficiency seem to be of little, or no priority - causing additional conflict amongst group members.
The Great!
- I've seen the results of this organization in... Excellent product deliverables Group unity Inspiring interviews
- What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is... Meeting 15 amazing young leaders Interviewing dynamic Pittsburgh stakeholders Learning about public policy concerns in Southwestern PA
- The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were... Friendly Professional Dedicated
- If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could... Reach interested leaders in all sectors Provide stipends to all participants
Ways to make it better!
- My experience would have been better if... We were given reasonable time frames for completing tasks We could focus and complete one task at a time Fellows were held accountable for their actions and policies were successfully implemented
- If I ran this organization, I would... Include an aspect of the program that encourages personal health and well being Provide non-monetary incentives for hard work and diligence to encourage camaraderie and self-confidence
- In my opinion, the biggest challenges facing this organization are... Positive recruitment practices Participant retention