By Hope House Colorado’s Director of Development, Lisa Schlarbaum
Have you ever wondered who supports the moms at Hope House? Who are the people that make sure we have the resources and funding to help our moms and their little ones every year? After nearly 13 years of fundraising here at Hope House, I am continually amazed at the giving stories from our donors, or “Champions,” as we like to call them.
Every year at our annual gala, the moms that attend are blown away by our Champions raising their paddles to make donations at the request of our long-time auctioneer and supporter, Gary Corbett. One year, one of our teen moms, Kylie, even said from the podium that she wants to be sitting in the audience raising her paddle one day! These generous donors provide inspiration to our teen moms. I am not sure these same moms realize that they are the conduit that inspires these Champions to give. After hearing the obstacles teen moms are overcoming and how they are never giving up on themselves, our Champions are inspired to give generously.
I often get asked to come speak and accept checks on behalf of Hope House. Several years ago, we had a group of high school students host a Duckie Derby for us. They sold little rubber ducks, numbered them all and released them into a little stream. One of the leaders from this fundraiser turned into a long time Hope House connection who has garnered Hope House support at her current company after college. How cool is that?
After speaking at a senior center a few years ago, the residents donated Easter eggs for our littles to hunt for at our annual Easter egg hunt. I only wish I could of seen this activity in person. Can you imagine the memories they shared?
One Monday morning, we found a $20 bill clothespinned to the plant in the front door flowerpot with a note that said, “I hope this helps.” It reminded me of the parable in the Bible about the widow’s mite. She gave everything. A $20 bill is enough to put food on the table, add gas to the tank or provide a little boost to get to payday.
We have worked with families grieving the loss of a loved one. We’ve been able to be the hands and feet of Jesus in these moments. Some families have hosted events to benefit Hope House, gathered supplies or made ‘in memory’ donations. How humbling that we can be part of this and play a small part in their healing,
One of my favorite stories has to do with a woman named Doris who listened to one of our recordings of a mom speaking at our annual gala. She gave a six-figure gift that allowed us to finish off the capital campaign and have brand new furniture and fixtures in the new Resource Center. She said after watching the video, “this could have been me.”
What do all these amazing Champions have in common? They are blessing the moms at Hope House with their gifts no matter the size. They are inspiring our moms and staff to keep moving forward, knocking down walls, overcoming every obstacle in their path. What will all of this look like in the future? I believe we will see more of these moms winning and creating change for the ones coming up behind them. What a beautiful picture that will be.
