Interested in starting your own journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Maureen Maloof, Founder, and CEO of Uniforms For Hope, located in Mission Viejo, CA, USA.
What's your organization, and who are your members?
My business is a nonprofit, Uniforms For Hope. We have the vision to empower children worldwide by providing mandatory school uniforms so that the children can attend school. Our customers are the children we provide uniforms for.
Tell us about yourself
Having worked in the Corporate world for years, I did well, but I never felt fulfilled. I wanted to make a difference. I love to travel and have been to over 40 countries, visiting schools and orphanages around the world. I decided to combine my love for travel and children when a teacher in a poor area school in Peru pulled me aside to tell me there were many children not attending school because they couldn't afford a uniform. I came back to the U.S. and thought, How can I help? How can I make a difference? I took matters into my own hands and founded Uniforms For Hope to provide school uniforms to children all over the world.
What's your biggest accomplishment as an organization?
Our first donation of uniforms will always stay in my heart as a wonderful accomplishment. We helped girls in a remote Masai Village in Kenya. They would have been married off at age 11 or 12 to older men with multiple wives if they weren't in school. We were able to get their uniforms and go to school and have hope for a bright future. I'm passionate about getting children out of their poverty through education.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being an organization?
I started Uniforms For Hope right before the pandemic, and I was able to stay focused and continue to grow the organization. I needed to continue even though things got difficult. I persevered through the hard times, and things did get better.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow an organization today?
- Be patient. It takes time to build an organization. Remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint. You're in it for the long haul.
- Be persistent even when things are tough. There will always be highs and lows, and you need to stay positive and persevere.
- Be passionate about what you do and enjoy the process.
Where can people find you and your group?
Website: https://www.uniformsforhope.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UniformsForHope/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uniformsforhope/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maureen-m-359242a3/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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