Lane & Waterman’s Innovation Interviews highlight the unique and innovative work our clients do in the community. This week, we focus on a local non-profit seeking to fill an unmet need for individuals and families.

Project 15:12 is a nonprofit organization that seeks to bridge the gap for individuals and families who may not qualify for other assistance but are experiencing a hardship like job loss or illness. They provide monetary assistance in those times of need as well as emotional and spiritual support.

We sat down with Project 15:12’s co-founder Monica Burchett to hear a bit more about their work.

What has been the most rewarding part of starting Project 15:12?

It is incredibly rewarding to call a person and let them know their application for help has been accepted. Recently, I called a single mom with breast cancer to let her know we could help her with her monthly bills for three months. The assistance we’re able to provide ensured she could keep working –not only are we helping in the short-term, but we’re often providing help that has long-term consequences.

How many per people are you able to help per month?

We typically help three to five individuals or families per month. The maximum monetary assistance we provide is $1,500.

How do you identify people to serve?

Word of mouth sends people our way, and we do have an application process. Sometimes we’ll hear someone needs help from their neighbor or coworker –it’s hard to admit you need help.

What’s next for Project 15:12?

Karly and I are always thinking about how we can best live our mission. Part of that means fundraising, and we have a fall fundraiser in the works. We also will continue our speaker series, as we had a wonderful turnout for Glennon Doyle Melton last month. We are thinking of new ways to serve too, whether that’s a community service project to benefit a greater amount of people or cooking meals together to bring to families that need them.