Donor Spotlight: Susan Harrison
A chance meeting with a Mosaic employee led Susan Harrison to want to learn more about the organization and, shortly thereafter, make a multi-year Partner in Possibilities pledge.
Harrison met Mosaic Community Relations Officer Lauren Peyton at a community gathering.
“We each talked about what we do, and she started talking about Mosaic,” Harrison said. “As she talked about it, I just became very interested.”
Peyton invited Harrison to attend a Discover the Possibilities event, a one-hour virtual tour of Mosaic’s services. That cemented Harrison’s desire to help.
The Discover the Possibilities event shares stories of people Mosaic supports. Sometimes a person shares his or her own story, other times it is shared by family or staff members.
Harrison is a motivational speaker, but she was the one who was moved at the Discover the Possibilities event, she said. It was “very emotional” to hear the stories of people’s lives and how they were impacted by Mosaic.
“It was so inspiring!” she said. “I was really impressed that they try to help individuals live what they think is a good life, what their view of it is. So often we put on other people what we think they should find important. Mosaic doesn’t do that. It is so unique.”
Choosing to give and be a part of Mosaic also makes her feel good, Harrison said.
“It is in my DNA,” she said. “I’ll be honest, it’s completely selfish. It feels amazing to be a part of something, even in a small, little way, to make people feel good and be happier and more positive about their lives.
“I just really believe in what Mosaic is doing. I have a friend who has cerebral palsy … and he has had a difficult time finding a place where he feels comfortable. … I know how wonderful he is and how often he has been overlooked, and I don’t want anyone in a similar situation to be overlooked.”
Harrison has a doctorate in educational ministry and says her work as a motivational speaker and her gifts of time and money to Mosaic are among the ways she lives her faith.
“I am a follower of Christ,” she said. “I want to represent him.”
Once people learn and understand Mosaic’s mission, she said, they will want to be involved.
“I think that when people meet such positive, fun people and hear such wonderful stories and see how their lives have changed, they will not be able to not give!”
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