Marian Sokol is well-known in the San Antonio nonprofit community due to her many years of work for social service agencies. Joining Impact San Antonio was an obvious move for her, though she feels she should have done it sooner. We talked with her recently about her membership.
— When did you first hear about Impact SA? Who told you about us?
I became aware of Impact San Antonio about a decade ago, via news stories and networking with friends in the nonprofit community. At the time, I was living in San Antonio but working on the East Coast and doing a great deal of international travel related to research and prevention of Sudden Infant Death (SIDS). So I smiled and silently acknowledged again how remarkable San Antonio is as a community and how resourceful Texas women are!
— When and why did you join? You are a shared member, correct?
Last year was my first year as a member. And, yes, I am a shared member. Why did it take me so long to join? Quite honestly, although I decided to leave the national SIDS position and thought that I would retire in 2013, instead I assumed the role of Executive Director at Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas, which was poised and intent on expansion. That ultimately resulted in our creating two more South Texas Children’s Bereavement Centers under our auspices, one in the Rio Grande Valley and one near Sutherland Springs. Our center in San Antonio then became operational seven days a week and the organization grew from a staff of eight to 28. So I was focused within this organization.
— Have you volunteered for Impact SA in any capacity? I recently assisted with production of the new member video, but otherwise have not yet had the chance to become more involved.
— What do you like most about Impact San Antonio? Networking with smart, compassionate women who have a common goal of improving the community through quiet philanthropy to better understand and address the myriad of needs in our community.
— What impresses you most? The efficiency, effectiveness and total sum of what has been accomplished through the years to support so many worthy charities — all without Impact San Antonio having full-time paid staff.
— Tell us about your background in nonprofit work — what agencies have you been involved with over the years? My career started almost by accident when a group of volunteers working to strengthen families’ access to health care for children wrote a grant to create and fund a new nonprofit organization, Any Baby Can, as a “safety net center” for babies with health challenges or disabilities. I became Founding Executive Director and remained in that position for 21 years.
Soon after, I was asked to assume the role of president of the National SIDS Alliance, and although I envisioned this to be a short-term position, I stayed for nine years and loved working to help prevent SIDS and stillbirth on a national and international level.
My last transition was to Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas, eight years ago. I love the mission of helping children heal after the painful loss of a loved one. Although the pandemic has added complexity to our work counseling children and supporting families, I am so proud of our incredible team across the three sites, and grateful that we can be available to so many grieving children at no cost to families.
— Did your work with nonprofits influence you to join Impact San Antonio? Yes. I am humbled to see the collective impact of the work by so many excellent nonprofit agencies in the San Antonio area.
— Anything else you’d like to add?
When I think of Impact San Antonio, I am reminded of a quote by Helen Keller:
”Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”
To see Marian Sokol’s statement at Kickoff, click here.
