Meg Cummins
By Austin Rivers ’17
Meg Cummins, a senior Sociology-Criminology major, spent her final semester in college interning at the Gathering Place, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding the mentally ill.
This organization is a is a community support program that promotes recovery for those coping with mental illness from the Athens and Nelsonville areas. It was created after the closing of the local asylum located at The Ridges and has served the local community for more than 40 years.
Interest in Nonprofits
When talking to her adviser about potential internships, Cummins expressed a strong interest in nonprofit organizations and was directed to Roberta Roberson, the coordinator for Sociology & Criminology Internships, who helped her to secure a position at the Gathering Place.
Cummins always had a passion for working with nonprofit organizations and enjoys the humanitarian aspect of her position.
Responsibility and Interaction
Her time at the Gathering Place has rewarded her with a number of valuable professional and personal experiences.
Her daily work is filled with a variety of different activities leading to work days that are “extremely different” day to day.
Her main responsibilities include helping serve daily meals and maintaining the facility. On the more clerical side, she is also tasked with computerizing the organization’s data from its original handwritten format into online data sheets.
Cummins says she most enjoys the interpersonal interactions with the organization’s members, but she also has become versed in the business aspects of running a nonprofit organization, including building a donor base, applying for grants, and managing the facilities.
Despite her preference for the interpersonal aspects of her position, she is grateful to be able to gain a holistic understanding of how a nonprofit organization operates and functions.
Fulfillment and Value
The warm atmosphere of the organization gives Cummins a sense of belonging and fulfillment.
“I love it. It’s like a second home there,” she declared when asked of her overall experience at the Gathering Place.
Working there has given her an understanding of the importance of nonprofits to a local community:
“I think it’s important to have programs like this because people think of mental illness as…it’s criminalized…. It’s important to have these peer-based communities to give them support.”
Confirmation of a Career Choice
As a long-time advocate for nonprofits, Cummins wants to turn her passion into a career after she graduates this spring. After graduation she hopes to move to Columbus and build her experience through the countless nonprofit organizations in the city.
She credits her love of nonprofits to her belief in working with sincerity to benefit others.
“I want to work somewhere people really believe in what they’re doing.”
Students in the Sociology program who want to be a part of the integral work done by local non-profits in Athens should contact Roberta Roberson or visit the Athens Foundation website for list of in-town nonprofits.
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