Dr. Carol Patin remembers thinking only of her busyness when she was invited to attend a meeting of the nonprofit organization Quota International seven years ago. There was the daily work at her obstetrics and gynecology practice to consider, plus her volunteer work as a board member with the Paula G. Manship YMCA. Patin went anyway. And much to her delight, she found that Quota International was an organization of professional women helping the less fortunate. In other words, the organization was one more way for Patin to do God’s work.  

“Some people call it love, helping your better man,” Patin says. “I believe He just wants us to be right with each other, and I believe the talents He gives each one of us are the talents He wants us to use to help one another.”

Formed nearly 100 years ago, Quota International’s initial purpose was to help disadvantaged women and children, but the organization now includes supporting the deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech-impaired across the world. Patin, 56, serves on Quota’s Board of Directors and as the organization’s international vice president, a role where her responsibilities range from mentoring regional directors to serving as a champion for membership and increasing the number of service projects performed in one year.

Created in 1935, Quota International of Baton Rouge has been busy helping the less fortunate as well. One program, called “Buckets of Love,” originated in Baton Rouge and has now become Quota International’s signature service project, Patin says. The service project involves filling buckets with cleaning supplies and donating them to those leaving local homeless shelters for their own homes. The Baton Rouge organization also held a pajama party at a local women’s shelter and provided free nightwear and snacks for the children. In addition, the organization donated baby supplies and onesies for disadvantaged women at local hospitals and at a daycare specializing in disabled children.

One of the local volunteer efforts that stands out in Patin’s mind was when the organization helped supply a women’s shelter with clothes and shoes. Patin says there was only one blouse and one pair of shoes left out of the many items available because the women could not afford to be choosy.

“When you have nothing, none of those things matter,” Patin says. “That was a very eye-opening and very humbling experience for me personally.”

To raise money for these projects, Quota International of Baton Rouge holds an annual fundraiser called “Eyes on the Ties.” The fundraiser collects money by auctioning off ties signed by celebrities and has grown to include other specialty items like trips and vehicles. Due to this summer’s flooding, the 2017 fundraiser has been pushed back from next March to September.

For more information on Quota International, visit quotabr.org. Click here to read about the rest of the Women with a Cause for 2016, and if you know someone who would make a great Woman with a Cause in 2017, let us know by emailing [email protected].

Quick Glance

How long have you been involved?

I went to a meeting in 2009 and instantly felt at home. I felt amongst like-minded, purpose-driven women who believed in helping the community. I realized that’s who I was. I joined instantly.

What do you love about the volunteer efforts that you do?

I love the satisfaction on people’s faces when you do whatever it is you do for them.

What do you hope to achieve?

I hope to get more people involved with giving.