Installment #2 in the Shining A Light Series
I'm proud to feature Matricia Patterson, she's the Telephonic Services Coordinator for 2-1-1 @ IMPACT a free hotline that's operates year-round for 24 hours, 7 days-a-week.
People dial "211" to find emergency food, shelter, financial help, healthcare – as well as places accepting donations that help those of us who are struggling in this weird economy. Anyway, Matricia and I interface quite a bit through my role as a fundraiser for IMPACT -- the organization that operates 2-1-1. I know her as one of those put-together, intelligent, positive -- but never overbearing -- women that I'd like to be when I grow up. Anyway, that's how I know Matricia.
But if you're one of her thirty or so nieces, nephews (yes, 30 -- she's the youngest of 7 kids) or extended family, you may know her as the person who taught you to drive. Or she's the person who brings you to work on those "Take Your Daughter to Work" days. Maybe you know her as the aunt who taught you the family recipes. Or maybe you were one of the 10 kids she took skating. Maybe she's the aunt who took you in and was your parent when your own parents were trying to sort their lives out.
Maybe you called IMPACT or 2-1-1 over the past 11 years and were one of the 2,500 people that Matricia helped. You might have been like the lady who called because this past summer's floods caused mold in her mom’s basement and she didn't know what to do. She called 2-1-1 and spoke with Matricia. Matricia connected her with the Milwaukee County Emergency Management Division, and the mom’s basement problems got solved.
If you're involved with the Cathedral Center, you know Matricia as a Board member. If you've been to County Board proceedings, you may have seen Matricia there too. You could also know her from Cardinal Stritch, because somewhere in between the long hours that come with a supervisory role, inspiring her extended family and community involvement, she found the time to squeeze in a Master's Degree in Business Management. (That's in addition to the Master's Degree in Social Work that she already has.) And did I mention that she's the President of the Wisconsin Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS)?
The few words posted here don't begin to scratch the surface of how brightly Matricia shines, but what is it that makes her shine so brightly? At her job, it’s knowing that she really is making a difference -- like the calls where she's helping people get access to lifesaving prescription meds that may seem out of reach. Her commitment to her profession drives her to be active in organizations that deepen her understanding of community issues. But above everything else, Matricia gives her parents all the credit (See moms and dads, our kids WILL appreciate everything we do one day!). She says her parents "made me who I am." They instilled a "strong work ethic" and exposed her to community leaders, spirituality and the positive brown images that are so critical for everyone to see....
...Which is why I'm so happy that I could introduce you to Matricia Patterson in the first place.
Matricia's among one of the many people who are there to help at the other end of the 2-1-1 hotline. If you want to see how a Matricia and the 2-1-1 staff are doing so much for so many people, click here to see the YouTube informational video.