DePaul Expressions Spring 2025

sponsored by Pinnacle Financial Partners

Volume XXIII • Number 1 • Spring 2025

IN THIS ISSUE: Love for Liam A Moving Bridge to Hope Story

Within our communities, there are too many individuals with disabilities, children in foster care, and families in crisis who face roadblocks and financial barriers to needed support—support that could drastically improve their situation and quality of life. Four years ago, DePaul took a stand to help individuals, children, and families overcome obstacles by establishing our Bridge to Hope Fund . Our generous donors took a stand with us and put life-changing services and support within reach of people in our community with nowhere else to turn. The stories of our Bridge to Hope recipients are moving and inspiring. You will read about Jimmy in this issue of Expressions and the change you made possible in his life by supporting this fund. We are incredibly grateful for your continued support of DePaul’s programs and the people we serve. We are passionate about the Bridge to Hope Fund and how it allows us to help when there is no other way. We humbly ask for your support for this fund. Together, we can continue to say “YES” to children, families, and individuals in our community who need our help.

Daria VanRavestein Director of Development

Bridge to Hope Fund

Recently, the Bridge to Hope Fund was able to assist DePaul foster parents in a critical situation. Dan and Ellen welcomed a 2-year-old boy, August, who has serious medical issues. In addition to buying clothing and supplies and outfitting their home to adapt and care for a child of his age, Dan and Ellen needed additional medical equipment and monitoring for August’s safety and their peace of mind. Medicaid would only allow a certain amount of funding, and their needs were above this threshold. Thanks to you and the Bridge to Hope Fund, DePaul purchased an oxygen monitor for August for his circulation issues and a sock heart monitor/oxygen tracking device

so Dan and Ellen have constant monitoring of August’s breathing. This equipment will alarm and notify Dan and Ellen if August’s levels are low or if he begins to struggle to breathe day and night. “August has so many needs and without these monitors and reassurance of his breathing, we don’t know how we could sleep at night,” said Ellen. This special fund bridges the gap for foster families and children like August that need more equipment and care than is covered. Foster families do so much with limited resources and the Bridge to Hope Fund removes financial barriers so they have access to the services and support they desperately need.

The Bridge to Hope fund is 100% supported by DePaul donors and donations from DePaul employees.

Please consider a gift today to the Bridge to Hope Fund and help us continue to say “yes” to those who need it.

❤ $30 can help a family afford an insurance copay they just don’t have. ❤ $60 will pay for a therapy session for an individual that does not have insurance. ❤ $90 will purchase safety equipment for an individual when Medicaid has denied coverage. ❤ $150 will help a young adult who has grown up in foster care register for community college classes.

depaulcr.org/donate

Love for Liam Story by Alison Wickline-Burns | Photos by Taylored Images

Danny and Jenny always imagined themselves as parents. But they could never have imagined the journey, full of ups and downs and highs and lows, that would bring them their son, Liam. “He is the missing piece of our family,” said Jenny. “We feel like everything happened so we could be led to him.” After years of fertility struggles and loss, Jenny and Danny decided it was time to reimagine their family plan and consider adoption. They learned about the foster-to-adopt process and soon after, found DePaul ’s foster care program and began training. “We chose to start slowly with respite care, which means we would care for a child short term when thei r fos ter parent needed a break,” said Jenny. “We wanted to be sure our hearts were ready.” So, they opened their hearts and home to 3-year-old Liam. Their weekend together turned into much more after it became clear he needed a new foster home.

“We fell in love with him immediately and after a week of going back and forth, we decided to become his foster parents,” said Jenny. “Two years later, the adoption was finalized. Four years after that, we could not be happier with our boy and our two dogs, Patch and Lucy.” Danny and Jenny have immense gratitude for DePaul ’s support through the foster care and adoption process. “DePaul has completed our little family and we will forever be grateful for that,” said Jenny. But the support for the family didn’t end when the adoption papers were signed. Danny, Jenny, and Liam became part of DePaul’s post-adoption program, where they have been provided services like equine therapy, opportunities to engage with other adop tive families, and advice for navigating the world as parents of a son with autism. “All three of us are learning this world together and it ’s challenging and rewarding all at the same time,” said Danny. “It is so comforting to have support and services within reach when you need them.”

“He is the missing piece of our family. We feel like everything happened so we could be led to him.”

— JENNY

4 | SPRING 2025

A Moving Bridge to Hope Story Story by Alison Wickline-Burns | Photos by Taylored Images

Removing barriers, bridging gaps, and building hope. That has been the goal of DePaul’s Bridge to Hope Fund since its inception. For four years, the fund has been there for individuals in need, for individuals like Jimmy and his mom, Peggy. “I just couldn’t believe that something like this was possible,” said Peggy. “I am so thankful for Savanna and the DePaul team and the Bridge to Hope Fund for making this happen. Words can’t even begin to describe how appreciative I am.” Peggy found DePaul’s Agency-Directed Services program after struggling to find the support she needed to care for Jimmy. “We needed a change, and DePaul was our answer,” said Peggy. As the family’s journey with DePaul began, the ADS team noticed a need. Jimmy has mobility issues and relies on an electric wheelchair to move around. Every time Jimmy and Peggy left the house—for weekly doctor’s appointments or for groceries or

for Jimmy’s favorite treat, coffee—Peggy was having to physically lift an almost 80-pound ramp to get Jimmy in and out of their van. It was exhausting and not sustainable for much longer. The ADS team made a request to the Bridge to Hope Fund, and the Bridge to Hope Fund met the need, providing funds for a motorized wheelchair ramp. “A weight has been lifted off me (literally) and taking Jimmy places has become much less difficult,” said Peggy. “It was a huge weight on my shoulders knowing how difficult it was to physically lift and lower the ramp for him but now it is as easy as the press of a button!” Because of the Bridge to Hope Fund and your generosity, Jimmy’s life has one less barrier in it, one less obstacle to overcome. And Peggy’s life has one less worry, one less point of stress. Now, the family can travel more freely, giving Jimmy the chance to light up more rooms with his smile, meet new friends, and show off his prized cowboy boot collection.

“I just couldn’t believe that something like this was possible.”

— PEGGY

7 | SPRING 2025

Your Impact at DePaul

The E. C. Wareheim Foundation supports Independent Living (IL) programs at DePaul Community Resources in a big way! Thank you to the E. C. Wareheim Foundation for a generous grant this year supporting all three of DePaul’s IL programs. The primary goal of our IL programs is to ensure that young people who age out of foster care can successfully transition to self-sufficiency. We assist youth in developing life skills, making permanent connections to caring and committed adults, meeting personal goals, and making well-informed choices for their future. The Foundation’s support helps DePaul offer a safe, motivating environment where young people can start their transition to adulthood. With this grant, we have outfitted all of our IL apartments with doorbell cameras for their safety and so much more.

A Look Back at DePaul’s Day of Hope DePaul’s annual anniversary celebration and giving day was a huge success! Through the generosity of staff members and the community along with matches made by our executive team and board of directors, we raised $4,072 for the organization! Those funds will make a difference in the lives of children, families, and individuals with disabilities. Thank you! DePaul’s Day of Hope celebrates our founding on March 7, 1977 in Roanoke as The Achievement Center Specialized Foster Care, Inc. In 1981, we adopted the name DePaul, named after St. Vincent DePaul—the “Great Apostle of Charity.” Today, DePaul has grown to become one of Virginia’s largest nonprofit foster care, adoption, and developmental disabilities services organizations.

The Al Stroobants Foundation and the Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia

We are grateful to both the Al Stroobants Foundation for their support of DePaul’s programs in Lynchburg and the Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia for their support of DePaul’s Agency-Directed Services program in Roanoke through the Thomas P. and Lewise S. Parsley Fund. Both grants provided DePaul much needed support for our programs that work to improve stability and quality of life for individuals and families facing extreme challenges. These grants also make treasured, purposeful experiences possible for individuals like Margaret, pictured here at DePaul’s OPTIONS center in Madison Heights. These experiences and opportunities help these individuals achieve their goals, enrich their daily lives, and improve their overall quality of life.

depaulcr.org/donate