“I joined the board because I realized my voice could be a voice for vulnerable people, those that we serve,” shares MSC Board Member Teleda Holmes.
Teleda has served on MSC’s Board of Directors since 2010. Her first experience with MSC was as a client. In 1998, Teleda earned her GED through MSC, and then entered MSC’s THRIVE employment program. In the THRIVE program, Teleda enrolled in a Pharmacy Technician internship. While she elected not to move forward in that field, during her internship she met someone who introduced her to home healthcare, a career she pursued for several years. During this time, Teleda was also able to get energy and food assistance through MSC to help support her and her two daughters.
“At first I felt intimidated being on the board. Not because of the people, but more so myself because I didn’t understand then that my voice as a client really mattered. There were politicians, bankers, etcetera on board, what could I provide? I was worried about finding my place, but now I see that there is a need for my voice. What I have to bring to the board is valuable. I can shed light on some things others on the board may not understand or know, just from my personal experience. I also bring energy and excitement, and sometimes, tough love. I feel very welcome, and I feel very glad that we can openly express ourselves.”
Not only does Teleda volunteer as a board member, she also has volunteered in MSC’s food bank and at the Federal Way Day Center, where her volunteering led her down a new employment path. For the last three years, Teleda has been a lead shelter advocate at a local emergency shelter. Her daughters are now 18 and 20 years of age, and two foster daughters, ages one and two, recently joined her family. Even with her very busy life, Teleda stays committed to serving on the MSC Board.
“I feel like my work on the board isn’t done,the work isn’t done. I still believe in MSC’s mission and want to make change and impact our community. I want to see the day when MSC achieves financial independence from restricted funding that limits what they can do to help.”
“If you want to see change you need to be that change. If you care about the community, you need to get involved. We need help, no matter your skill set you can find place to help.”
As a community action agency and to make sure that MSC’s work is representative of the communities we serve, our board is a tripartite board. This means that one third of our board are clients or client representatives, one third elected officials or their representatives, and one third community members. All MSC board members are volunteers, giving their time and treasure to support MSC’s mission.
