by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
After nearly 30 years of being a part of the community by reporting the latest business news in Jacksonville, Karen Brune Mathis is still involved in the community, but in a different way.
“I am still involved just from a different focus — through a different lens,” said Mathis, whose last day as a columnist at the Florida Times-Union was Nov. 2.
Mathis is the executive director of Dreams Come True, a non-profit organization dedicated to fulfilling the dreams of children who have been diagnosed with life threatening illnesses.
“I spent almost three decades of journalism in Jacksonville and I loved every minute of it,” she said. “The opportunity arose (to join Dreams Come True), and it led me to think: what else can I do?”
Mathis gave it a lot of thought — nearly a month to be exact — before she decided to leave what she knew so well to try something she knew virtually nothing about.
“I loved being a reporter, an editor and a columnist,” she said at her new office on Southpoint Parkway. “It (journalism) is in my blood. It’s an exciting industry and there is always something new — something new to learn.”
Mathis is excited about her new position, but she said she is still learning. Mathis is happy she has a great staff, supporters and board of directors to help get acquainted with the new job.
On her first day, Monday Nov. 5, Mathis said she thought about her looming deadline that was every Monday for her Tuesday column.
“It was noon and I thought ‘I have to get in there (the Times-Union) and write my column,” she said. “That was the only time it was still in my make-up.”
After two weeks at Dreams Come True, Mathis does have one thing planned that she, the staff and board of directors will begin working on come 2008.
“We are going to be putting together a strategic plan,” she said. “That is one of our number one goals.”
Dreams Come True opened in 1984 and since then the organization has fulfilled 2,150 dreams — about 200 a year.
“This organization has been so successful and it has been run so well,” said Mathis. “I want to make sure we are ready to take it to the next level.
In the journalism field it is hard to have a ‘strategic plan’ because a reporter never knows what will happen from day to day.
“It is nice to be able to forecast going into our 30th year. You know why you are doing what you do and it is so simple.”
Dreams Come True fulfills dreams of children ages 2-and-a-half through 18 who are diagnosed with illnesses such as cancer and leukemia. The children must live in the seven counties considered part of the First Coast or Southeast Georgia. Mathis said the child’s doctor refers them to Dreams Come True.
“Our staff talks to the child about their dreams,” she said. “Some dreams are fulfilled more quickly than others or the child may have to wait to gain some more strength. It all depends on each individual situation.”
The most requested dream is a trip to Disney World. There are also plenty of unique dreams including one last week in which a child was going to Tampa to meet Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden.
One aspect of the non-profit community that Mathis didn’t realize was the generosity from businesses and individuals in the community.
“The generosity is incredible,” she said. “I didn’t know that. I am really seeing how generous and how much work the community does.”
She has already had a handful of opportunities to get out in the community to meet business owners. The first couple of weeks has also been an opportunity for Mathis to learn from her staff.
“We met with the store manager at TJ Maxx in Regency,” she said. “He wanted to know what the stores can do to help Dreams Come True.
“The whole time I was taking notes and learning from them (her staff).”
Mathis still tries to keep up with the daily news, she said. She spends time each day reading the Times-Union, The Daily Record and The Business Journal. She is also going to put a small TV in her office — something that she was used to having to keep track of the daily news both locally and nationally.
“This is a different way of looking at life,” said Mathis. “But it is fun to come into work and focus on one mission.”
Upcoming Dreams Come True events include:
• Community Nutcracker, Inc.’s “The Nutcracker Ballet” — Dec. 7 & 8
• Christ Church Nutcracker Ballet — Dec. 8
• Dreams Come True Young Professional’s Holiday Party for Dreamers — Dec. 12