When Michelle Hayes moved to Chattanooga 17 years ago from Oregon, she immediately put her passion for non-profit work into action, first as a volunteer, soon as a coordinator, and today as executive director of the Mary Cameron Robinson Foundation For the Prevention of Eating Disorders.
Hayes started her non-profit work with an organization called Family Theater Workshop, and from there she says she became so inspired by non-profits, what their missions stood for, and how they helped people that it opened up a whole new door for her. She began volunteering at the Creative Discovery Museum for a number of years, and even filled in for a development director who was on medical leave. While there, Hayes was asked to help with the annual campaign and fundraiser, “AmuseUm.” She volunteered with that event for several years, did the auction for them, and took a short-term position as their membership coordinator.
Then Hayes moved on to a job at the St. Andrew’s Center as the interim director. She says the social justice work of St. Andrew’s was a big change from the fun place of play that the Creative Discovery Museum offered, but St. Andrew’s was also a fun place to put her passion to action. Hayes non-profit work before the MCR Foundation also includes her time at the Ooltewah Samaritan Center as a volunteer and development coordinator.
Hayes says, “Taking that position … really fulfilled my heart because I loved working with volunteers, being a volunteer and giving in that capacity was really rewarding for me. People come and volunteer because they really want to make a difference and they want to give something of themselves to an organization that helps people.”
The fundraising Hayes did there also inspired her because she says she felt like if she could raise funds for a cause, then to her that was the best honor she could ever do for an organization. Hayes worked with annual campaign, getting people to enjoy what the Samaritan Center offered the community and sharing how they brought communities together for a common cause. Excitement about these endeavors initiated her goal of wanting to do more, she says. Another thread that brought Hayes to the MCR Foundation started early on in her life with a friend who had an eating disorder.
“She struggled with a lot of things. She was into pageants and that sort of sparked a lot of her insecurities, and I realized after living with her during the time that it was a struggle for her,” Hayes says. “I was very passionate about giving her positive affirmations on her mirror everyday, helping her through it and I remember her talking to me at great length about how hard it was for her and the challenges she would face daily and with her family how difficult it was for them.” When Hayes saw the job description for the MCR Foundation executive director, she says she felt moved to make a difference. The passion of MCR Foundation founders Ashley Yates, a friend of Mary Cameron Robinson, and Jan Robinson, her mother, and their willingness to speak out on the taboo subject of eating disorders is something Hayes wanted to be a part of. She was touched by the Foundation’s personable approach to the issue at hand in offering support through resources and trying to get people pointed in the right direction.
“People don’t like to talk about [eating disorders] but it certainly is an issue. If we all know more about it, then maybe we can help our youth, our moms, grandmothers and even men [who] can sometimes have eating disorders,” Hayes says. In her official third week as executive director, Hayes already has several goals lined up for the MCR Foundation. She says the non-profit is in a great position right now for growth, and that one of the reasons an executive director was hired is because the programming of the foundation is doing very well.
New programming for the Foundation includes “Talk Abouts” on the tough issues within and around eating disorders; the Ladybug Program that reaches elementary students by sharing how all children are different; and the Body Positive program for middle and high school students. These programs serve the greater Chattanooga Tri-State area, and are expanding to include even more options next year. The Foundation’s initial goals are to raise money to strengthen these existing programs and to expand future programming, to increase awareness on the issues of eating disorders, and to assist those afflicted with the illness. The Foundation uses positive self-esteem and positive body image to prevent eating disorders and assist those with the illness.
The MCR Foundation just had a successful fundraising effort on their “Walk for Cammy’s Cause” event on September 24. More than 300 people attended the walk at Coolidge Park, sponsored by corporate partners, smaller businesses, and individual efforts. The next educational fundraising event for the Foundation is “Love Your Body,” held during the National Eating Disorder Awareness month of February.
“We are getting those positive messages out there,” Hayes says. “We have a lot of media issues and pressure from the media to be thin. What people don’t know is a lot of those images have been altered through electronic/computer processes so they are not real. Kids don’t know that, but they need to learn and parents need to be able to educate their children in these ways.” She says forming partnerships, especially with those institutions that already provide healthcare, and building overall awareness is the biggest assistance the MCR Foundation can receive right now.
“I think the awareness is something that will really help people open up to their own struggles with eating disorders and we are finding that to be true with some of the media we have had recently. Just talking about it and being more open to the subject helps people know that they are okay and can get help for the disorder,” Hayes says. “I think the message we want people to know is that there is help out there and it doesn’t have to be a taboo subject.”