This is the fifth year that local nonprofits were celebrated through the Nonprofit Partnership in Erie. The top organizations and volunteers were recognized for their hard work and dedication during a week long celebration.
Adam Bratton, the Executive Director of the Nonprofit Partnership said, “We are there to build the capacity of our local non-profit sectors, which is a vibrant non-profit sector, making up 25% of our workforce and we serve our 450 members in a variety of ways.”
Tuesday’s event celebrated the work nonprofits provide to sustain the Erie community. Candence Battles, the Chair of Our West Bayfront explained, “We also work on parks and open spaces like Bayview Park. We did extensive work our first few years and now our focus is on Gridley Park and the Martin Luther King’s Center Park which is being redone by the city.”
This entire week celebrates nonprofits large and small, everyone from the Experience Children’s Museum to Our West Bayfront. This week also celebrates the sacrifices volunteers make to help serve community members, like Nathaniel Wasserman. He is a mentor with the North Star Program, which is a partnership between Bethesda Lutheran Services and Family Services of NWPA to mentor young children. As Wasserman explained, “I’ve had to step out of my comfort zone a lot. It has been challenging for both of us and we have certainly learned from each other as far as what we need from each other, it’s definitely not a one way street.”
He was stunned to learn he was selected for his role as a mentor for the past year and a half, “Very overwhelming. I really didn’t think anyone had nominated me or anything, so this is very much a surprise and it’s an honor, it’s a great program and I’m very honored to be a part of it.”
With Erie Gives Day quickly approaching, this week is a good reminder to support area nonprofits. As Bratton explained, “Our sector is reliant on charitable contributions, we are very lucky and fortunate to have Erie Gives but we need more than just Erie Gives.”
Erie Gives Day is less than 50 days away, coming up on August 13.