3 Things I Have Learned in My Past 18 Months with Clio

Thoughts from Marie Spence, Clio's Executive Director

How to Unravel the Assumptions Made by the Social Work/Nonprofit Spher

As a young organization, it can be tempting to follow the methods of established organizations in how they provide services, raise funds, and develop programing. However, it’s important to us that we remain critical of “common practices” and engage with our community members who will ask us the tough questions. I learn so much from our interns, volunteers, and participants through their perspectives and ways of problem-solving in our world. I love learning about resources that are already within our  community and thinking about new ways we can do things that better reflect the wants and needs of our participant population and community values. 

The Issues Facing Many Older Adults Are Highly Intersectional

As I have pursued my social work education, I’ve always been passionate about working with children and families. However, I noticed that despite being key members of both families and our society, older adults are often excluded from conversations related to families, social justice, and social services. Working with Clio has given me the opportunity to learn a lot more about the systemic barriers older adults face and how these barriers represent the a larger history of oppression and discrimination. The nonprofit sector is a part of these systems and perpetuates this oppression. My vision for Clio is that we can identify and dismantle these oppressive practices both within our organization and within the larger systems our community interacts with.

Social Isolation Is And Has Been An Issue For Many Older Adults - COVID only exacerbated it

For many of our program participants, social isolation was a reality they were facing long before COVID 19 began. Not only does this mean a lack of access to vital resources, but it also means a lack of visibility in the larger social discourse. Our vision for Clio is to be more than an organization, but to develop a community where we create space for our older adult participants to share their stories and advocate for their needs within our larger communities. Together we can create pathways for those older adults who may not have access to in-person communities or technology to access the resources and connection that they deserve. Clio will continue to develop on the values of community, connection, and curiosity as we seek to facilitate programming and engagement that combats social isolation and uplifts the voices of our community members.