“𝐀𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞; 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡.” – 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫

CEO had the privilege of visiting the Main Street Community Center this morning with Executive Director Jessica Johnson — and what an incredible reminder of the power of community.

MSCC has been serving the greater Edwardsville area since 1974. The Center is committed to enriching the lives of adults 50+ by keeping them healthy, active, and engaged through meaningful programming and connection.

Jessica walked our students through the inner workings of a nonprofit organization — from financial structure and board governance to grant writing and fundraising. 𝑺𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏-𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅.

A few key takeaways from the morning:
🤝 Community collaboration is everything
📈 Connections = growth
💡 Strong boards, sound financials, and strategic fundraising are essential to long-term impact
❤️ Your team members are the heartbeat of an organization

Most programs at the Center operate with the help of dedicated volunteers who support fundraising efforts, public relations, participant recruitment, advocacy, and direct service. The impact is truly a community-wide effort.

We are especially grateful for Jessica, not only for welcoming us today, but also for serving as a mentor to our CEO students. Her leadership and heart for this community are inspiring.

Jessica, thank you for showing our students that entrepreneurship and leadership aren’t just about profit — they’re about purpose.