Contributors, Not Recipients | Catherine Stephenson, IROSA Cares | The Sign-In Table Ep. 2
October 9, 2026
After more than 35 years as an educator, Catherine Stephenson started something of her own — and named it for her parents, Ira and Rose.
On Episode 2 of The Sign-In Table, the Founder and CEO of IROSA Cares joins host Matt Angerer to talk about what happens when young people stop being treated as recipients and start being treated as contributors.
IROSA Cares is a Stamford, Connecticut nonprofit founded in December 2023 that empowers underserved youth and their families to lead through volunteerism, education and service.
In this video
- Ira, Rose, and the aunt who was a school principal: the family that shaped her
- What 35 years in education showed her that she couldn't leave alone
- The IROSA Cares Impact Club for students in grades 5 through 8 at Stamford PAL
- A 9/11 Day of Service where young people packed 10,000 meals and 100 care packages for veterans and first responders
- The annual MLK Day of Service, and how you build a tradition kids come back to
- Why she held a Volunteer Appreciation Dinner for her youth volunteers
- Fighting food insecurity with CT Foodshare and Filling in the Blanks
- Building a board, and the infrastructure funding that small nonprofits rarely get
- What a year-round corporate partner could unlock in 2027
- Passing on a legacy of service, from her mother to her own sons
Resources from this video
In this episode:
Support IROSA Cares Follow: Instagram @irosa_cares · Facebook @irosacaresinc
Meet IROSA Cares on VolunteerBadge:
About The Sign-In Table Stories from the nonprofit leaders keeping their communities safe, served and strong. New episodes every other Friday at noon ET.
Hosted by Matt Angerer, Co-Founder & General Manager of VolunteerBadge.
