Prompt: Mission Statement and Vision

Mission Statement and Vision

From the Back Bay Mission Website:
“Back Bay Mission has a simple mission: to strengthen neighborhoods, seek justice, and
transform lives.

We strengthen neighborhoods through ministries like our education and empowerment programs
and our housing rehabilitation program. These vital ministries help the people were serve be a
part of, and build, their communities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. As volunteers take what they
learn at Back Bay Mission home with them, they have the opportunity to strengthen their own
neighborhoods.

We seek justice by helping the people we serve become more involved in their communities,
educating people about the realities of poverty, and advocating on behalf of marginalized people
in our community.

All of our programs transform lives. Whether we’re helping a homeowner keep their home,
mentoring a single mother as she plans her path out of poverty, or working with an intern who is
thinking about a career in social work, we’re making the lives of the people we serve better.”

Description (Describe some aspect of the community experience)

The Back Bay Mission organization seeks to strengthen neighborhoods, seek justice, and
transform lives through its service. Vital to strengthening neighborhoods is the construction of
housing on behalf of the organization. When one volunteers for the organization, they learn
about poverty and its impact and can advocate for justice. Through both of these aspects, the
Back Bay Mission transforms the lives of its volunteers and those who the volunteers serve.

Analysis (Analyze how course content relates to the community experience)

As our reading states, a mission statement guides the organization and those who
comprise it to focus on a goal or purpose to fulfill. It unites the organization and keeps them on
track. The Back Bay Mission has a very simple mission with three core goals. However, it
expands on these goals in its mission statement by focusing on how it will achieve said goals.
Particularly for an organization with as broad of a mission as Back Bay Mission, it is essential to
be specific and clear when outlining a vision.

Application (How the experience and course content can be applied to personal or
professional life)
The article we read is aimed at encouraging individuals to write mission statements for
their own organizations, and it certainly makes the case for its importance. However, I also think
it is important to read the mission statement of the companies we work for or organizations we
serve, particularly prior to serving. Mission statements create and maintain the culture of an
organization. By reading them prior to even stepping into an organization, we can understand the
culture and evaluate whether or not the environment is suitable for us or aligns with our values.