For my second project, I will be working with the organization Place of Hope which is located in South Florida. Because of the distance, I decided to do my interview over the phone. I interviewed my family friend, Denise Day, because she was the one who introduced me to Place of Hope. Denise also holds a high ranking in the campus by Boca Raton, also referred to as The Leighan and David Rinker Campus. We spoke on Monday, February 19th, 2018 at around 2:00pm.
The first question I asked was “How did you get involved in Place of Hope?” Denise then told me about how one of her daughter’s friend’s parents spoke to her about a fundraiser they were having at a country club she belonged to. She went to the fundraiser just with the intentions of helping the cause and maybe meeting a couple of people. She said the minute she got there and heard stories about Place of Hope, she was hooked and wanted to do everything she could to help out. I then continued by asking “What are some of the things you do to help out?” She answered by stating that in the beginning of her journey through Place of Hope, she only donated because that is the only thing she knew she could do. I then followed up by asking how her contributions have changed from the beginning compared to now. She continued by saying that lately she has actually been able to interact with the children and families there, learning more about each of them on a personal level. She said that she also helps coordinate and plan more events for fundraising such as parties, galas, and celebrations for the families. What she does relates a lot to my volunteer work for Place of Hope because I have helped set up some of the celebrations as well met a couple of the families and cooked dinner with them. I then asked her “What do you think the purpose of Place of Hope is?” She answered me by telling me a story about a certain girl in the system. Denise told me how this specific girl came to Place of Hope after being in a very abusive household and was very closed off and shy because she was scared that everyone would be like her past household. Eventually, as the girls time in Place of Hope continues, she began to warm up and talk more. Denise said that now this girl got into college and her first job this past year. I followed up by asking how this relates to the cause and Denise said that the main goal of Place of Hope is to help troubled children become confident, successful adults who can contribute to society and know how to take care of themselves. I then asked if Place of Hope has changed her view on life. She responded by saying that Place of Hope has changed her life drastically. She said, “I learned that I really can’t take anything for granted. None of my material items and especially not my family. I’ve learned how valuable family is and how we need to cherish it while we have it.” This interview helped shine light on how Place of Hope is more than just a charity but people of different backgrounds working together to create families.