When I joined OECM in 2014, we had close to twenty-five staff, a lot of heart, and just enough basic resources to keep things running.
Before OECM, I worked in the private sector for a large global company with best-in-class technology, people, processes — and even mailrooms.
So, in my early days at OECM, I asked a colleague where I should put my outgoing mail. I expected to be directed to a tray, a cart, or perhaps some mysterious internal mail process. Instead, she gave a little giggle, as if I had asked the strangest question of the day, and said, “Uhh… in the mailbox on the street…”
That was one of my first introductions to OECM.
Looking back, that little moment says a lot about OECM’s early years. We often become so used to layers, systems, and procedures that we forget how simple and practical work can be. In OECM’s early years, there were no unnecessary layers. If something needed to be done, someone did it — even if that meant walking outside to drop mail into a street mailbox.
We did not always have the fanciest tools or the biggest teams, but we had people who cared about the work and about each other. At the time, OECM was still finding its financial footing and relied on government funding to continue its work. Resources were limited, and everyone had to wear many hats. But there was something special about that stage of the journey. There was a family culture where people helped because help was needed, not because it was written in a job description. We rolled up our sleeves, figured things out, laughed along the way, and kept moving forward.
Over the years, OECM grew. We became stronger, more stable, and more confident in our purpose. In 2015, the organization became sustainable without the need for government funding, and since then, it has continued to flourish. Today, OECM is able to reinvest funds back into our customer sectors and support their needs. That is something worth celebrating.
In many organizations, success is measured by how much can be distributed as dividends. At OECM, success is measured by how much can be reinvested into our customers.
Twenty years is more than a milestone. It is the story of an organization that started with limited resources but unlimited commitment, carried forward by people with good hearts. In the early days, the pay was below market and the benefits were basic, but people joined for a reason. We believed in the purpose, worked toward a common goal, and shared values that helped shape the organization into what it is today.
As OECM celebrates its 20th anniversary, I feel grateful to have witnessed part of its journey — from humble beginnings and street mailboxes to shared success and meaningful impact.
Happy 20th anniversary, OECM. Here’s to the people, the purpose, and the many chapters still to come.
