Carla Mulhern

I attribute my success to resilience, purpose, and a lifelong commitment to helping others. My career path has been anything but traditional, spanning customer service, 20 years as a paralegal, and 14 years in the nonprofit sector, but every step led me to where I am meant to be. My nonprofit journey began in 2012 with a fundraising campaign for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in memory of my childhood best friend Michelle Hopkins, who died of leukemia at age ten. That experience revealed my calling to support families facing the challenges Michelle’s family endured. Today, as Executive Director of the Izzy Foundation, I manage the Izzy Family Room at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, serving thousands of families annually with meals, hygiene products, and comfort. Every achievement reflects my belief that impact is measured in hope, connection, and care, and I am inspired to expand Izzy Family Rooms nationwide to provide families with safe havens during life’s most difficult moments.

Don't give up. Be creative. The nonprofit climate has changed even in the short time I've been here - 10, 12, 13 years. When I first started, it was a lot different. The media was different, people's pocketbooks were different. You have to be creative, you have to listen to people. One of the reasons I fit so well with the Izzy Foundation is because when I'm talking to a sponsor or potential donor, I can fully tell them 100% where their money is going. That's helped me - knowing that and being able to work with people, understanding that money is tight even for companies. Really work with them, have meetings with them, talk about what will help us but also what we can do to help them. Be patient and get yourself out there. Last year was one of the hardest years we've had here - it was a struggle that keeps you up at night. Jobs like this, especially for a nonprofit, I could do this 24 hours a day. I have to find time to take personal space for myself. Know why you're going into it, understand why you're going into it, be confident, don't give up, and make sure you find a passion for it. Why are you doing this? That will help you as you move forward. It's like a roller coaster ride - you get in, some days you go up, some days you go down, you just have to take the ride. It never gets boring.

The biggest challenge is managing our daily operations with limited resources. We're feeding about 50 families a day, and it's about $350 a day just for that meal. Over the course of a year, we serve anywhere from 6,000 to 7,000 families that are inpatient. Last year was one of the hardest years we've had here - it was a struggle. The climate has changed even in the short time I've been in the nonprofit field. When I first started, it was a lot different - the media was different, people's pocketbooks were different. Money is tight, even for companies, so money has changed. But the opportunity is in the growth potential. We would love to see Izzy spaces in different places - to have Izzy rooms across the nation. That's my goal before I retire. The awareness is what's going to keep us going. We would not be able to continue to keep those doors open at Hasbro if it weren't for the community. There aren't any Izzy rooms at any of the hospitals around the country - we just have it in Rhode Island. So spreading that awareness and having people understand what we do, maybe having someone say 'I would love to see that at my hospital' or 'we need that' - that visibility and awareness would be great.

The most important value to me is helping people and seeing them succeed. I've always been like that - I've always loved to see other people happy, sometimes at my own detriment. I love to see other people succeed and reach their goals. That's what I get the most out of in life. What I loved most about getting started in the nonprofit was literally working within the community and seeing people doing things bigger than themselves. The world can be a pretty scary place sometimes, but being able to see someone reach their goal, or someone wanting to do something for the foundation or help a child, and having them feel so rewarded and so proud of themselves makes me happy. Every job I've had, I've been able to work with people - whether it's helping them with their case, helping them get a two-piece dinner with mashed potatoes, that's always been embedded in me. It started with the corporate world and being able to help families, and now it continues in a different outlet. Being able to help families while they're inpatient, working with them afterwards, and seeing the children ring the bell when they're done with chemo - that's the most rewarding thing. Although Michelle and Izzy aren't here, we're able to keep their legacies going and help other families.