In this episode, Shawn Plummer talks about finding innovative ways to meet with people which has been exciting for them as an organization, and how Christ calls us to do things together as a community.

3 Insights From Shawn

1) Be Adaptable

Food For The Hungry is a large organization that has teams all over the world. So when the pandemic hit, it took a lot of planning and strategizing to make everything work. Shawn says he was working 10-12 hour days, to set his team up for success. Their teams in rural communities around the world, that would usually get to meet in person, had to switch to doing training over WhatsApp and phone calls. He stresses the importance of being adaptable, especially in crisis. 

2) Collaboration is Key

While working in an international organization, there are a lot of branches and responsibilities for people all over the world. Shawn says one of the keys to doing good work during this time is working as part of different alliances with different organizations, to help accomplish a common goal. Shawn says that collaboration is the future, and whichever organization is the strongest on the ground takes the lead, while others come alongside to provide help. 

3) Invest in Your Partner Base

A key to Food For The Hungry’s success during this time is the support of their partner and donor bases. Even before the pandemic, Food For The Hungry took a lot of time and care in creating a substantial donor base. This ultimately paid off because in this time of uncertainty, their partners and donors have been the major support for the organization to accomplish their mission. Want to hear the full conversation? Click here to listen in and learn more from Shawn Plummer.

About Shawn

Shawn has an 18-year track record in international relief and development including 10 years with a leading organization as Country Director in Mozambique and Eritrea, Regional Director for North Africa and the Middle East, and as Director of Technical Programs. Shawn has gained invaluable program and leadership experience by managing hundreds of staff and multi-million dollar programming activities to assist the most vulnerable globally. Shawn has been at Food for the Hungry Canada for nine years, where he has overseen partnership development, the artist advocate program, and Child Sponsorship. Shawn is deeply respected in the non-profit development community, both here in Canada and worldwide. Rooted in his compassion and love for the most vulnerable, Shawn’s broad network of global relationships continue to provide valuable support to his work. Shawn and his wife, Lindsay, have been married for 16 years and live in Chilliwack, BC. Their four children keep them busy, especially their twin boys who are avid hockey players.