Community Involvement
Mary Carden is a compassionate volunteer who has contributed her time and resources to try to make a difference in her community. Mary became involved with Coordinated Assistance Ministries, CAM, when in 2007 she had just finished reading an article in the newspaper about the huge need for a family shelter in Kokomo, Indiana, and wanted to do something. She joined an exploration committee that sought an appropriate building to house families. In her efforts, she was able to raise $75,000 to buy a multi-family home that would turn into Family Hope Center. Mary did not stop there; she again donated money toward the down payment on the new facility for the men's day shelter location at 625 N. Union. She's served on the board for the past 5 years and in her time with them has helped many in need while working toward a goal to finance a women's shelter in the not-too-distant future. https://camhope.org/about_us
Outside of her work with CAM, Mary Carden is also very involved with the Jim Carden Kids Fishing Clinic, a family charity that has been in existence for 40 years. This organization teaches underprivileged children how to fish and, in the process, imparts life skills, allowing kids an opportunity to experience the outdoors. Mary began volunteering at the clinic in 2013 and currently sits on their board as secretary. Her commitment to the program moved her to suggest creating a 501c3 status for the organization, where increased donations are up more than 50%. She has made sure that the sustainability and growth of the clinic were able to help more children benefit from its life lessons and experiences by filing necessary paperwork and following through with it.
Moreover, Mary is very passionate about Gilead House. This institution helps those women who have faced challenges in addiction and trauma. Since 2001, Mary has volunteered her time and resources to help transition women from tough situations back into everyday society. Serving on the board from 2004-2012, Mary worked with founder Reba Harris in providing vital services to these women. Her ingenious ideas have gone as far as making a bike donation program possible for the employed yet homeless clients created changes for so many women who now have stable housing and employment through the Gilead House program. Mary's attitude of never giving up exhibits a deeply caring spirit and dedication toward making a difference in her community. https://gileadhousekokomo.org/
A number of not-for-profit organizations have obtained her priceless skills for two decades, which include Advantage Housing and New Leaf Mentoring. All her contributions varied in nature and were accompanied by interest in making a difference. Mary served for 5 years on the board of directors for Advantage Housing. She helped form the very first board of directors that helped set up many policies for this charitable organization. She helped with the inception of sweat equity, allowing those who cannot afford a downpayment on a home to work on one in order to simultaneously earn the right to ownership. Mary also has volunteered in the Advantage Warehouse and several fundraisers, along with personal donations, to enable people to become homeowners. The fact that she worked with Advantage Housing for five years testifies to the fact that her heart is about empowering people in need of housing assistance.
Aside from her work with Advantage Housing, Mary has served on the board at New Leaf Mentoring, which is focused on providing mentorship to at-risk youth whose parents are incarcerated or have been recently incarcerated. During her tenure on the board, Mary was an active fundraiser for the organization. She contributed to the charity personally and volunteered in the organization of fundraising events and mentoring programs. Her involvement with New Leaf Mentoring shows her interest in positively affecting the lives of vulnerable youth within the community. Mary's commitment to mentoring at-risk youth truly characterizes her compassionate nature and urge to help the less fortunate.
Aside from her community service, Mary was also awarded the Woman of Excellence Award by the Women's Business Council. The Women's Business Council is a professional organization recognizing what women do within their chosen industry and provides an outlet for women to support other women in their chosen endeavors.
The Woman of Excellence Award is awarded to women who have demonstrated exceptional characteristics in leadership, mentorship, and community volunteering. Of the five recipients, Mary was another who feels that this distinction hasn't been easy to get and has faced so much resistance in a male-dominated financial services field, so she wants to encourage all other professional women to hang in there and persevere. She believes that in terms of unspecified ways in which women can help women, recognizing other women for their achievements will lead to further growth in the area of women in business.