7 minute read
Justin Zellinger and Mike impacting one student at a time
COVER STORY
JUSTIN ZELLINGER:
Impacting one student at a time
By Allison Mintz
MIKE’S mission is to educate and mentor underserved students to lead healthy lives personally, in their school community, and beyond.
Justin Zellinger assumed the role of Executive Director for the MIKE Program during Covid. He stepped in during a pivotal time when Covid was restructuring the way the organization was able to connect with students and mentors. As the original founder stepped down after 18 years, Justin assumed the role with passion, determination, and a drive to succeed.
Justin helping to mentor a student.
Justin said that he felt a sense of honor in assuming the role as Executive Director. For the past 18 years, this role was assumed by the founder and was a volunteer position. This was the first time the Executive Director role was going to be a paid position. “When I first saw the job posting, I was like, this is really cool, this makes sense, and would be really great. For a few reasons this was a culmination of my professional background and my personal interest in creating healthier communities and letting people know about preventable diseases” said Justin. Justin shared that working with MIKE has been the most fulfilling work he has done in his nonprofit career. You can see the excitement in his face, it is genuine! As Justin said, “Its exciting to wake up every day to see what we can do, how we can change lives of the students and the mentors. We are impacting so many people. We are preparing a stronger workforce.”
MIKE has been impacting underserved high school students in Oregon for 20 years. Through this program, high school students are paired with a near-peer mentor that will help provide resources, tools, guidance and education on important topics such as nutrition, exercise, mental health, access to healthcare, social justice, and disease prevention. MIKE is creating opportunities and possibilities for youth in vulnerable areas and undeserved communities. “We are creating a healthier generation of Oregonians through our work. With the high school students and volunteer
mentors, we are building a pipeline of well trained and empowered healthcare professionals” said Justin.
While Justin is passionate about all of the programs offered through MIKE, he was really motivated and excited to share the collaborative program with Sweet Home High School and the Western University of Health Sciences. This program gives medical students the opportunity to engage with this community and make a genuine impact by mentoring high school students. For this program, first and second year medical students serve as mentors in the high school once a week giving students the opportunity to learn beneficial skills such as healthy eating, coping strategies, and other health topics. As Justin indicated, “it’s great to see this and something we can replicate in bringing in medical students to go into their community. They start off idealistic with a set of goals and expectations, but have to customize based on the trends, concerns, or issues directly impacting the specific students and the community they are serving. We are preparing a stronger workforce of future physicians. This has expanded our role in the rural communities across the state, the students and schools all benefit from this customized program.”
Justin said that a huge need for keeping MIKE viable is funding. “Funding is a constant challenge, in that we want to meet our goals so we can continue to grow. MIKE does not have a marketing budget, so not a lot of people know about us. We are a small organization and if things don’t go well on the fundraising side then the lights don’t stay on.” Fortunately, with Justin at the helm of the organization, he has been able to secure multiple grants and develop partnerships that are continuing to grow this impressive program. Justin is optimistic that their annual fundraising event on March 10, 2022 will be a great success. This event is budgeted to raise $75,000, which is ¼ of the annual revenue for the MIKE program. While Covid has been a difficult year for funding, Justin said that, “we have been able to grow our staff while actually being able to grow our revenue.
Donations are a great way to support and make a difference. However, if you are looking for a more hands-on approach to supporting this organization, Justin indicated that their Advisory Board and Board of Directors is recruiting and looking to bring new people on board with creative ideas in healthcare, education, and other relevant areas. They are always looking for individuals who can assist in developing curriculum, volunteering as a guest speaker in the classroom, or being a volunteer mentor for a semester. The possibilities
~Justin Zellinger
~Justin Zellinger
are endless in how this program can be supported.
Justin graduated from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago with a degree in Sociology in 2010. He brought with him a strong background in fundraising, relationship development, and health equity resources. “Sociology comes into play in my nonprofit work. Out of college I sort of stumbled into a career in fundraising. I didn’t even know this was a thing.” One of Justin’s first jobs was managing the sports department at the JCC in Chicago. From there, it has grown into other nonprofit work in the public health and volunteer health organizations. Justin’s background has predominately focused on health equity and fundraising.
Justin moved to Oregon 10 years ago with his wife. They have two young children and are very proud of their Jewish heritage. According to Justin, “The things that are most important to me, who I am, is that I am a dad, a Jewish man, and someone who cares about my community. Both the community of Oregon, and the Jewish community.” With limited time, it is extremely important that I focus on my role as a dad, my spiritual and Jewish practice, and my role as a community member.”
Justin has dedicated his life to working with organizations that give back to the community. From working with organizations like the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, American Heart Associations, CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, and Albertina Kerr, Justin is committed to supporting organizations that are dedicated to empowering and supporting both individuals and families. Justin has been on the Board of Directors for the Jewish Family & Child Services (JFCS) in Portland, Oregon for the past 5 years. Through his work on the board, Justin has been able to not only learn more about working with nonprofits, but has been able to provide resources for the Jewish community he is so passionately connected to.
Justin was really open about his faith and his enthusiasm for supporting his Portland community as well as the Jewish community. “I’ve always been involved in the Jewish community both in a cultural way and with community building, especially in the last 10 years since moving to Portland with my family.” Like so many new parents, Justin found that when he had children, the opportunities to volunteer and be active in the community increased. At the time, Justin had one child and had a second child after moving to Portland. Justin found a support network and plenty of volunteer opportunities once he started his children at the Jewish preschool. What really has made an impact on Justin
was the support of the community. “The community has been really open and has been a great way to get involved. It was actually quite easy to get involved. We have been very involved, especially with volunteering at JFCS, belonging to a couple of different synagogues, practicing our Judaism with the community and within the community.” You can see the pride in Justin’s face as he shared his thoughts on the community and his connection with his faith.
As Justin indicated, there are so many amazing nonprofits out there supporting the community. Being involved with MIKE has been a life changing opportunity for him. Justin knows that the work he is doing today will help catapult the students’ future tomorrow. “We just have to take one day at a time, keep plugging away, and work hard and we will continue to see the growth of this program.” said Justin. As Justin shared, his faith, community, and determination are all driving factors in what he does everyday. He knows the importance of his work and the need in this community. While challenges exist, he knows that he and his team will continue to be there to make a difference for tomorrow’s youth.
