Like many young Clevelanders, I twiddled my thumbs after graduation and looked for jobs in exotic (and expensive) cities. But unlike most of my peers, I discovered that the universe had other plans. I received a phone call announcing that an internship had opened up at International Partners in Mission, a small international nonprofit based in Cleveland Heights.

“International Partners in Mission (IPM) works across borders of faith and culture on behalf of children, women and youth to create partnerships that build justice, peace and hope,” according to the organization’s Web site at www.ipm-connections.org.

IPM’s partnerships span the globe, but begin at home in the Heights, boasting a strong base of support in Northeast Ohio.

IPM was founded in 1974 by returning Lutheran missionaries who were disappointed with how mission work was being done at the time. They believed that mission work should be personal and reciprocal, allowing those who volunteer to learn and grow from the experience. As a result, IPM was born.

Today, IPM strives to further develop itself in both its local and global communities. It coordinates benefactor relationships between donors or project coordinators and small-scale, community-based programs. These partnerships provide the monetary aid necessary to initiate and execute various projects.

In 2003, IPM started the Immersion Experience Program, enabling donors to visit and learn from IPM’s partners. C

urrently, the Immersion Experience Program is growing rapidly in the Cleveland area and working with various institutions, ranging from Case Western Reserve University and Saint Ignatius High School to the Fatima Family Center and Hathaway Brown. By participating in IPM’s programs, these institutions help to build the global network while locally benefiting the Heights.

I am proud to be a member of the small, but determined staff at IPM. We are always striving to build an even stronger sustainable partnership with Cleveland Heights and the rest of the world. It is with hope, acceptance and friendship that this is possible.

IPM is always looking for new friendships and we are eternally grateful for those who already stand by our side. Having grown up in a multicultural family in Cleveland Heights, I feel very fortunate also to have been blessed with a community that is equally diverse and open-minded. I am proud to say that my community is home to such an encouraging organization, especially one that seeks to expand our more diverse and open-minded relationships.

Jessica Shick attended Ohio University and works for International Partners in Mission.