Q: Tell us about your familyA: My husband Sam and I have been married for 10 years. We have a dog named Maggie, who was an only child until just over a year ago. We adopted our now 3-year-old son Josiah in April of this year and are currently fostering an 11-month-old boy. Both boys were placed with us through The Settlement Home Foster and Adoption Program. We are an active family and love being outdoors. Our core values are honesty, kindness, and charity.
Q: How did you hear about The Settlement Home and get connected with us?
A: I owned an online women’s retail store and was looking for a place to donate the remaining inventory after I decided to return to a conventional career. After doing some research, I decided to donate the inventory to The Home to support the Annual Garage & Estate Sale because I was impressed with The Home’s programs and wanted to help support the organization in that manner. Later that year, Sam and I were attending a CPS orientation to learn more about adoption through foster care when we met Jessica Murry (now Zellers), the Family Developer for The Settlement Home. At that point, we decided to get involved in the Foster and Adoption Program by becoming foster parents.
Q: What made you decide to support The Settlement Home financially after you completed your adoption?
A: The Settlement Home has programs that support children entering the foster care system, those transitioning out of foster care, and even beyond. They are dedicated to walking these children through the entire journey to maximize their success as adults. We wanted to help in any and every way we could to support such a wonderful mission. The Home not only has a mission we believe in, but they are executing programs that really make a difference. The Settlement Home is changing children’s lives. Who couldn’t get behind that? To know that our donations are helping The Home continue such great work warms our hearts and gives children hope.
Q: What is your employer match program?
A: My employer, Blackbaud, matches monthly donations our family gives to The Settlement Home. With the help of Blackbaud’s generosity, we can double the impact of our contribution.
Q: What was the process to get your employer match set up?
A: Blackbaud made this a quick and easy system. It took no time at all to set up. They make it easy to give and they match our contribution. It’s completely automated. Our donation is processed and Blackbaud matches that donation. Simple.
Q: Sometimes people think that if they can only give a small amount of money per month, it won’t do anything to help, so they don’t. What advice do you have for people in that situation?
A: Our family has always given whatever we could on a monthly basis. There have been times when we were not able to give as much and times when we could give more, but we made it part of the budget and set it up to automatically transfer every month. Even if the commitment is small, it adds up over time and becomes a part of what the organization can rely on. It is our way of continually supporting a cause we believe in so strongly.
It seems like there are so many different organizations asking for donations; at the checkout line, direct mail, seasonal. Picking an organization to support on a monthly basis, no matter how much you can give, is the best way to make the biggest difference. You know the programs you are supporting, you know how much you are giving because you have budgeted for it, and you can build a relationship with the organization and watch the impact your contribution is making.
It seems like there are so many different organizations asking for donations; at the checkout line, direct mail, seasonal. Picking an organization to support on a monthly basis, no matter how much you can give, is the best way to make the biggest difference. You know the programs you are supporting, you know how much you are giving because you have budgeted for it, and you can build a relationship with the organization and watch the impact your contribution is making.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like for people to know?
A: There are so many ways to give to The Settlement Home, and it is such a worthy cause. Give time. Give money. Provide respite for foster families. Work at The Garage & Estate Sale. Donate items for foster children. Even spreading the word about the organization can make a huge impact. The Settlement Home makes a real difference in the lives of children, and I cannot think of a more noble cause.
-Jessica
Want to join Jessica and Sam in their monthly giving? Check with your employer to determine if they offer a matching gifts program. Provide our Tax ID: 74-1200133 to them. Email development@settlementhome.org for any guidance, or to tell us of your enrollment in an employer match program. If your employer does not offer a matching program, don’t worry. You can still set up automatic payments to give monthly to The Settlement Home.
Set up an automatic monthly donation to The Home and be sure to check the box that says “I want to contribute this amount every month.”
The mission of The Settlement Home for Children relies upon donations from the community. For every $1.00 donated, $0.93 goes directly to programs and services for our children.
The mission of The Settlement Home for Children relies upon donations from the community. For every $1.00 donated, $0.93 goes directly to programs and services for our children.