Kim Callari
My Purpose Is to:
Raise my daughter to be a kind, sympathetic and tolerant adult.
This week, I’m Talking GOOD with Kim Callari, Director of Development & Communications at The Baltimore Station, a residential therapeutic recovery program for homeless men, primarily veterans, recovering from chronic substance abuse. After years working for such for-profit giants as WorldCom, Kim launched a consulting company out of her home, focused on corporate meetings and events. In 2011, Kim decided it was time to get out of her house, and made the jump to the nonprofit sector at The Baltimore Station.
On Thursday, April 19, 2012 The Baltimore Station will be holding its major annual fundraiser, Homerun for Recovery, from 6:00 – 9:30 pm at The Cross Street Market in Federal Hill.
Organizational Links:
The 10 questions
IN JUST ONE SENTENCE, WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE?
To raise my daughter to be a kind, sympathetic and tolerant adult.
WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH BEFORE YOU “EXPIRE?”
I definitely want to travel to Bora Bora, Fiji or Bali.
IF YOU COULD MEET WITH ANYONE (ALIVE), WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHAT WOULD YOU ASK THEM?
Former President George W. Bush. I would ask him how he felt on the morning of September 11, 2001.
WHAT WOULD THE TITLE OF YOUR BOOK BE?
I Am Blessed. I truly am blessed with a terrific and supportive family, great friends throughout all the stages of my life and a pretty cool job!
WHO WOULD PLAY YOU, IN A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE?
Julia Roberts, not that I look anything like her, but because of the role she played in Eat, Pray, Love. She would be able to accurately portray my life and how I feel truly blessed all the way around. She is an amazing actress who tells a great story through her acting.
WHAT IS A BELIEF THAT IS CORE TO YOUR BEING?
I believe in the power of a strong family. Friends can come and go but family is forever. It is very important to me that my daughter understands how lucky she is to have the family that she does who is always there for her, through the good and the bad. I have been fortunate my whole life to have supportive parents and a very supportive extended family as well. No matter what happens in my life, I know I can turn to anyone in my family for advice, a laugh or just a talk.
WHO ARE YOUR HEROES?
My grandmother is my hero. She was the most kind, generous and positive person I ever met. She worked hard, raised a family and found time to give back to the community. Even though she’s gone, I feel her presence with me every day, guiding me through my life and the daily decisions that face me. I think I get my strong sense of family from her. Additionally, I admire the perseverance and courage of anyone who works with and supports children with cancer.
IF YOU WEREN’T DOING THIS, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING?
I would probably still be running my own event planning company from home (which definitely has its benefits!), which I did for 14 years prior to joining the nonprofit world.
TELL US SOMETHING SURPRISING ABOUT YOURSELF.
I LOVE scrapbooking — the traditional method, not digital. I started shortly after my daughter was born and have stuck with it for the past 14 years. I love documenting my family’s special moments. The scrapbooks that I have created will be memories that can be passed down for generations.
WHAT QUESTION DO YOU WISH I HAD ASKED?
“If I could change something about myself, what would that be?”
I always worry about what other people think about me or if they are mad at me for something. Ugh. It’s a trait that I have struggled with most of my adult life and it is really frustrating! Thankfully, I have a great support system who listen to me when I get paranoid and point out, tactfully of course, how silly my thoughts are. It’s something that I am constantly working on, personally and professionally, and I’m hoping that as I get older, this trait will slowly start to disappear!
