Volunteer Spotlight: Elizabeth McGuire, Change Management Specialist
Bridgepoint Education Change Management Specialist Elizabeth McGuire personifies the idea of giving until it hurts. She devotes hours of her free time to the creation of blankets that will be donated to ill newborns. It is a precise and lengthy process of measuring, cutting, pinning and sewing fabric that often leaves Elizabeth with an aching back. But for Elizabeth, the pain is a small price to pay for a cause she believes in.
"The most fun part of creating the blankets is thinking of how much each blanket will mean to the person who will end up with it," Elizabeth explained.
Indeed, each of the blankets will be given to the families of critically ill infants and preemies in local hospitals. It is a token of support for families in need and it is a cause that has special meaning for Elizabeth.
"I have a child who was a critically ill infant, a nephew who was a preemie, and I have known several other people who had preemies and not all of them survived," Elizabeth said. "It means a lot when you are going through those tough times and you realize that another person you don't even know cared enough to spend their time to make the item you receive. It is something that you normally hang on to for years and never forget."
Elizabeth's painstaking work in creating the baby blankets is part of her service to Newborns in Need, a national non-profit organization devoted to the care of sick and needy babies. In 2009, Elizabeth began the process of establishing a San Diego chapter of Newborns in Need, which received official endorsement the following year. Elizabeth recruited volunteers to serve as the chapter's Board of Directors and has expanded the chapter's charitable efforts to include the donation of other items that will help families care for their at-risk children.
Many members of Elizabeth's Bridgepoint Education team have volunteered to help the fledgling Newborns in Need chapter. It is emblematic of what Elizabeth sees as the company's emphasis on volunteerism and social responsibility.
"I love Bridgepoint Education's overall corporate culture of having a positive attitude, working together to achieve our mission and goals," Elizabeth said. "This company really goes out of its way to help others and encourages their employees to do the same."
The San Diego chapter of Newborns in Need gives their donations to several local hospitals and organizations, including Sharp Mary Birch Hospital, Kaiser Permanente and the Garden of Innocence. To find out more, visit http://www.newbornsinneed.org/sandiegoctyca/.