Perspectives: Build on the Positive, Build on the Love
By Children Rising | July 28, 2017
Dear Children Rising Community,
I am excited to become a part of this wonderful community. I’m also humbled to be in a position to build upon what you’ve accomplished over 16 years of supporting the children in the East Bay.
Children Rising’s service in the East Bay is made possible through good relationships with donors, volunteers, and prayer warriors like you, and with those in positions of authority like school districts, administrators, and teachers. Most importantly, Children Rising’s effectiveness is anchored in the one-to-one relationships developed by our volunteer tutors and mentors with their students. As our founder Randy Roth once observed: “Programs don’t change kid’s lives, people do.”
Our relationship, the one between you and me, is just beginning. It’s a relationship that I hope will not only be deep and enduring, but will also enable us all to reach more children in increasingly meaningful and impactful ways. To get us started, I’d like to share a bit about myself.
I’m married to a beautiful woman, Sophia, who is a certified dementia care specialist. We have four wonderful children, two fantastic sons-in-law and five even more fantastic grandchildren (three of whom arrived within the last eight months!). My parents, in their early 70s, founded a faith-based school in Cincinnati. Like Children Rising, this school was and continues to be a story of faith within a community focused on supporting young people.
I know how important it is to grow up in an environment with a lot of community support, including intergenerational support. I believe in God’s grace in using an organization like Children Rising in the community from having personally witnessed it over many years. These personal convictions, combined with my deep passion for continuing to serve the community, have brought me to Children Rising.
To quote from Randy’s retirement message:
“With your sustained support, encouragement, and prayers, Children Rising can and will go deeper and wider in its outreach to at-promise children and youth.”
I’m grateful to be a part of your community and I look forward to meeting all of you in the near future.
For the children,
