Working with M.O.M.
A mother-and-daughter volunteering experience sparks a prize-winning documentary to help a California nonprofit further its mission.
By Angela Bazydlo | Photo by Tammy Woodard M.A. '95
This October, Zoe Cohen ’07 received a Jefferson Award for Public Service in recognition of a documentary she produced while a Clark student for the nonprofit organization Meals of Marin (M.O.M.). Cohen and her mother, Jo Cohen, were recognized at a volunteer appreciation event where each was presented the Jefferson Award certificate and pin.
Given by the American Institute for Public Service, which was founded in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis with Senator Robert Taft, Jr. and Sam Beard, the Jefferson Award is a prestigious prize bestowed on elected officials, celebrities, sports personalities and ordinary citizens, for recognition of public and community service. The Cohens are among good company: individuals who have received Jefferson Awards in the past include Jimmy Carter, Lee Iacocca, Paul Newman, Lance Armstrong and Peyton Manning.
The Cohens were nominated for the award by Carola Detrick, executive director and founder of M.O.M., an organization based in San Rafael, Calif., that provides meals to homebound people with life-threatening illnesses. Detrick founded M.O.M. in March of 1993, after witnessing her mom’s struggle while battling breast cancer before passing away. Her agency now serves two meals a day to 165 clients with the help of approximately 150 volunteers.
From doorstep to documentary Cohen decided to create the documentary after she became familiar with the organization’s work and mission when her mom started volunteering for them two years ago. Cohen and her mother would volunteer together at M.O.M. whenever she was home from Clark on break.
“I went to a Quaker school, which placed a lot of emphasis on the importance of volunteer work,” Cohen says.
“It’s a very special thing that these people, many of whom are quite shy and possibly embarrassed by their illness, can receive food at their doorstep,” she says. “I hope that I was able to show the important impact M.O.M. has on the community and the people they help.”
Cohen filmed the 16-minute documentary in two days and spent time during the summer of 2006 working on it. Her project was funded through a Sara Bickman Music and Arts Summer Internship, awarded through Clark.
Detrick says the documentary is the “perfect way” to educate people about M.O.M. and its mission. She hopes it will inspire others to join M.O.M. or start up similar nonprofit agencies.
“The board was in tears,” she says, recalling how moved the seven members of M.O.M.’s board of directors were after viewing the documentary. “It tells the complete story of M.O.M. in a heartwarming way. It’s opening doors.” Detrick plans to use the documentary to attract possible funders and new volunteers and board members.
Cohen praises Detrick for allowing her to exercise her creativity when it came to organizing and editing the documentary. “She had a lot of trust that my project would benefit her organization,” says Cohen.
A promising future “I deeply appreciate Zoe’s work,” says Detrick. “‘Meals of Marin’ is a wonderful documentary, thoughtfully put together with a profound grasp of and great sensitivity for our mission. It has been such a pleasure to experience Zoe at work, and the result is amazing.”
Cohen has produced three other documentaries for various video production courses, but this is the first that she produced using outside funding. Her first documentary was about One Love Cafe, which is located on Main Street in Worcester. She made two others with Callie Osborne ’07—one explored how friends felt about wearing glasses and the other featured Downhill Battle, a Worcester nonprofit that promotes a fairer music industry.
“Meals of Marin” was shown at the Reality Bytes Student Documentary Film Festival at Northern Illinois University. The festival featured over 20 documentaries created by students from all over the United States.
“Zoe has a very bright future ahead of her,” notes visiting screen studies professor Kevin Anderson. “Her video projects are entertaining and thought provoking and challenge the conventions of the medium.”
To view “Meals of Marin,” visit www.clarku.edu/mom.
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