The Fountain of Youth Program Changes Mindsets, Makes Lasting Impacts
It was a full house in studio this morning as Caprice Jones, Executive Director of the Fountain of Youth Program in Dubuque, brought in several members of his non-profit's staff.
The last time we saw Jones, he was with Jill Connors, the Economic Development Director for the City of Dubuque. The two discussed small business grants that were geared to help new, fledgling businesses in lieu of the pandemic.
Today, however, the focus was on the incredible work of Jones' non-profit, The Fountain of Youth Program. Jones was joined by Marketing/Development Manager Emily Gruszczynski; Operations Manager Sarah Coble; Program Assistant Grant Grudzina; and intern Abby Argall, all of whom were eager to talk about the program's reach and impact.
Caprice Jones discussed the mission of the program, which revolves around changing mindsets that contribute to generational poverty:
It's a grassroots organization that started back in 2016. Our mission has taken on some deep roots[....]We not only want to educate individuals that have been trapped in generational poverty all their life, but we also want to educate people who've never been in generational poverty.
You can learn more in our interview below!
Grant Grudzina, who recently celebrated one year with the organization, is the Program Assistant. In so many words, he's in charge of the various layers of the Fountain of Youth.
There is a lot going on with the Fountain of Youth, as you'll hear Grant discuss:
Real Talk is our group discussion. We get together on Tuesday nights with the community, and we also carry this program into the jail, where we meet with women's groups and men's group and talk about subjects that create self-reflection and what it means to be part of the community...
You can hear more about Grudzina's work in our interview:
Sarah Coble is in charge of hiring and keeping the organization...organized! The good news is, if you're looking for employment opportunities within the Fountain of Youth Program, they are available:
Right now, we have a program associate opening[....]which is really building relationships and helping people attain their goals depending on where they're at.
You can learn more about those opportunities and where to find them in our interview below!
Then there's Abby Argall, a recent intern at the Fountain of Youth Program via Clarke University. She discussed her role, which is predicated on collaboration with the other members.
I mainly attend the partners and change meetings with Grant and Caprice[....]I'm also assigned daily tasks [by the staff], and I attend Real Talks in the community and in the jail.
You can learn more in our interview below!
Lastly, we had Emily Gruszczynski, the Marketing and Development Manager tasked with helping the organization achieve the fundraising goals they've set. The Fountain of Youth Program is always taking donations on their website, but they've been fortunate to receive hefty donations from generous sponsors, including a recent $10,000 donation.
Gruszczynski not only touched on that large donation, but also the non-profit's largest fundraiser of the year, which is coming up on September 15th.
I work very closely with a committee who helps me make [fundraising] decisions. Every day, I ask for a lot of feedback[....]our biggest fundraiser every year is "Transforming the Future," that's our annual fundraiser in September.
You can learn more in our interview below!
You can find more information on all the Fountain of Youth Program does on their website, Facebook, and Instagram!