A special reunion between student and teacher occurred at the Impact 100 Member Connect event last spring. Retired teacher Celia Crutcher became reacquainted with her former student Charla Hale when Charla recognized Celia from their days at Fairfield High School. Charla, a guest for the evening, shared with Impact 100 member Celia how the service class she took with Celia a dozen years ago changed Charla’s life.
The transformational class “was ‘Community Service and Volunteerism’ during my junior year,” Charla recalls. “It was the first time I was exposed to community service as a way of life you consistently do.”
In her more than three decades as a teacher, Celia often didn’t know what impact her teachings had on students. She says of her encounter with Charla, “It makes my heart get big. I’m really pleased that all that time and effort pays off.”
Celia, who taught the service class for several years, describes the offering as “my opportunity to help students understand why there are so many people who are poor, unable to get jobs and can’t make it in the world. There are so many things that hold people back and make them unable to move ahead.”
As part of her class, she accompanied students numerous times to OTR and often brought dinners the students cooked themselves in the Home Economics room at school. They sat down and got to know the people they were serving. Celia also helped coordinate hands-on learning options at Fairfield Schools, a food pantry near the school, and other organizations.
“Mrs. Crutcher was challenging and compassionate. She forced us to think intentionally about what we were doing and why we were doing it,” Charla says.
Charla chose to do her service experience in Fairfield’s special needs classroom. “I went on field trips with them, and I saw how they engaged in the world, and the inequities they faced. That was an aha moment that definitely contributed to my career choice.”
Charla has thrived in a variety of public service positions in her career. At the YWCA in Hamilton, she says, “I fell in love with maternal health.” She is now the president and CEO of Healthy Moms & Babes in Cincinnati.
Echoing lessons learned from Celia years ago, Charla says, “Until you consistently serve alongside people in the community, build relationships and see the fullness of who they are, you don’t always see the hardships they face.”
Charla is grateful to Celia for introducing her in her high school years to the possibilities of a service career.
Celia retired from teaching in 2012. About seven years ago, Kathy Thornton, former President of Impact 100, introduced her to the organization. Celia found it a dynamic place to channel her energies toward improving life in our community.
“I very quickly decided I wanted to come together with other members to discuss different nonprofits. It has been very meaningful to me to meet people, talk with them and listen to them,” she says. “I have really enjoyed when the GRTs [Grant Review Teams] go on site visits to places where they are doing the work. It also allowed our group to get to know each other.”
Celia continues to attend Impact 100 meetings as her schedule allows. Charla and Celia met up again at Impact 100’s Meet the Finalists event in June, where they continued to enjoy their reconnection.
In November this year, Charla joined Impact 100, saying, “My membership with Impact 100 will be an awesome opportunity, and I am incredibly thankful to Nancy Kleespies for inviting me to my first event and to Mrs. Crutcher for yet again teaching me another way to serve.”