Welcome Macy Margolin, MSSW, our new Operations Coordinator!
We recently spoke with Macy Margolin, one of our newest TXICFW team members, to learn a bit more about her! Macy is our Operations Coordinator and primarily focuses on fundraising and development for our research projects and on-the-ground programs. We are so excited to have her on our team!
Hi Macy! Tell us a little bit about what you were doing before joining the TXICFW team.
Before going to grad school, I worked in wilderness therapy. I worked closely with social workers, and it was my first experience in a mental health setting. I found it to be very fulfilling and interesting work, and it inspired me to get my MSSW. It was a very adventurous job because each “shift” was actually 8 days long. During a shift, I would co-lead a group of 4-7 young adults in a wilderness setting. Everyone carried their own personal tarp that they set up and slept under every night, we hiked off-trail using map and compass, and we started all of our fires to eat and keep us warm using primitive fire making tools such as flint and steel. That job was so challenging because on top of the mental health component, we had to endure some really inclement weather. I really admired the clients because I was out there for 8 days at a time, but they were out there for anywhere from 50-100 days straight.
What excites you or interests you most about the work you do?
I am really excited about grant writing because I see it as a such a collaborative process. When I am writing grants, I like to work directly with the people with the most on the ground knowledge of the program. I think that grant writing, and all of organizational development, should be firmly rooted. Plus, I really enjoy that I get to combine clinical knowledge with creativity.
What is something you hope to achieve in your career?
I am really interested in the intersection of social justice and organizational development. In our society, inequities are created, maintained, and perpetuated at the systems level. Non-profits are one such system that have a hand in these inequities, but they also have the power to dismantle and transform these systems. One of my goals is to study how these inequities manifest in any organization I work in. I am at the beginning of my career, so to me it would be a huge achievement to still be invested in dismantling systemic inequities in thirty years.
What are some of your personal hobbies?
I like a lot of different things in the arts and crafts genre. Currently, I am learning to sew and have been getting back into pottery. I also do some outside activities, like running and biking. Most of my biking involves leisurely neighborhood cruiser rides. Also, pre-pandemic I used to go see live music on a regular basis, which I hope to get back to!
To learn more about Macy, please visit her staff profile.