LOCAL MOMS LEADING BY EXAMPLE

If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.

These are familiar words to many of us, and especially poignant as we reflect on how our individual actions play a role in shaping the future of our community. For many families, these words are inspiring and motivate parents to be role models who intentionally share a love of community with their kids.

For other families, the concept of “home” is out of reach. On any given night in our community, more than 1,000 people are homeless. This is such an important topic for families to discuss because it’s an easy one to avoid — especially when we’ve all been staying closer to home.

A few weeks ago, a mom and her young daughter stopped by the United Way office looking for information about the School Supply Drive. Nicole and her daughter Hannah shared how excited and grateful they were to have an apartment as their home, after living in a homeless shelter for nearly a year, and prior to that, living in a tent in Lindenwood during Fargo’s winter months.

Most kids in our community never experience the feeling of homelessness, but with the help of their parents, they do have an opportunity to experience understanding, empathy and the passion to give back. As a community, we have the opportunity to change the world for families like Nicole’s.

And it begins with setting the example for the next generation of caring, volunteering and giving. It means being thoughtful and innovative about how we help those in need. How could it have been different if we could rewind their story and help Nicole before she became homeless — before she had to make the difficult decision to live in a tent or open the door to a local homeless shelter? United Way of Cass-Clay’s goal is to work together as a community to prevent 90% of families and children from becoming homeless by 2023.

Solving our community’s challenges takes all of us working together now, while at the same time, intentionally inspiring the next generation to continue creating a better tomorrow. In this social media-focused world, it is easy for older kids to be motivated by likes and shares, and young kids to not understand why and how some kids don’t have the things their parents make sure they have every day.

Thankfully, parents in our community want to raise kids that are caring, empathetic and aware of the needs of others, but it’s challenging. The challenge can be overcome with intentionality, and leaning on the successes and inspiration from others. Parents, like the moms you’re about to meet, lead by example and show their kids how to live a life focused on community and caring about others. These women not only make our community today better, but inspire those around them.

Sarah Kennedy Swier and her son Liam, 8, and daughter Leni, 4

As mom to Liam and Leni, Sarah Kennedy Swier actively tries to see the world through her children’s eyes and encourages parents to put context around tough subjects like hunger, discrimination and homelessness. She says, “I have been known to pause a story or movie to ask my kids what they think is happening, how they feel, what is right or wrong — it took us an extra hour to get through the movie “Wonder” for this reason.” She encourages all people, not just parents, to ask those questions about tough community issues. As the Homeless Prevention and Diversion Director at Presentation Partners in Housing, preventing homelessness is dear to her heart, and she recognizes the need for United Way to rally the community around an innovative solution — one that anyone, no matter their age, can understand and support. “All people deserve a home. The cure for homelessness is housing for those experiencing it and prevention for those who are on the verge,” she says. Demonstrating empathy and helping kids explore ways to get involved in issues that they care about can begin at a young age. “There are few things greater than watching a child realize their ability to impact their own world. The golden rule is a worthy place to start,” she says. she says.

Lisa Borgen and her daughters CeCe, 24, and Jaidyn, 10

As a former Clay County attorney and district judge, the leadership of Lisa Borgen — now V.P. of Administration for American Crystal Sugar Company and current chair of the United Way Board of Trustees — has certainly made an imprint on our community. But none of her leadership roles are more important than the role of mom to her two daughters, CeCe and Jaidyn. “Teaching children empathy is something my parents taught me. It's natural for my husband Brad and I to teach our children these same values.” When it comes to starting this conversation with her daughters, she says, “The news is a perfect opening to talk about social justice, equality and the hope for our country and community to respect and be kind to everyone. Talking about kindness and doing something good for a friend, classmate or neighbor is a great way to model what it means to LIVE UNITED every day.”

Kimberly Busch and her son Mauer, 11

“Time, talents and treasures are gifts. When we give them, it should be to something meaningful,” says Kimberly Busch, whose son, Mauer, has watched his mom, a director at Rejuv Medical Aesthetic Clinic, serve as a United Way volunteer for more than a decade. “It’s important that our son sees the world as something that we give to, not take from. There is no greater lesson I want my son to know.” When a child sees someone who is homeless or in need of help, Kimberly encourages parents to ask their children about their experience. “I ask Mauer to think about what someone may be going through,” she says. Each year, Mauer gets an allowance for the United Way School Supply Drive, and their entire family shops for donations together. “I love this community. I want my son to share the feeling that we belong to something, and we rally together for our neighbors, our friends, our co-workers and our businesses. We are all intertwined in some way. When we help one person or a family, there is a ripple effect that spills out and boomerangs back.”

Tiffany Scheel and her daughter Miranda, 17

After volunteering in 2017, Tiffany Scheel knew the United Way School Supply Drive was a way to share her love of giving back with her teenage daughter, Miranda, and the two made an incredible commitment — to volunteer together throughout the month-long project to help meet the goal of helping 6,000 students. The motherdaughter duo worked shoulder to shoulder, counting and organizing backpacks, and experienced together the feeling of seeing the light in a child’s eyes when they are given a backpack to help them feel confident on their first day of school.

“Watching the community and volunteers pull together to make sure over 6,000 kids have what they need for the start of school is truly heartwarming,” says Tiffany, who made history by being the first mother-daughter team to volunteer as committee members, and watched her daughter serve as the first-ever Student Ambassador.

“As a parent, my goal is to make sure my kids know that they have been blessed and given so much in life, and their job is to share their blessings with others.” Tiffany shares that volunteering together as a family among people with shared values is key. “The people with United Way are some of most amazing people I have met. Everything they do is to help others.”

Joanna Slominski and her sons Grant, 11, and Mathody, 4

Joanna Slominski was raised in rural Minnesota where her family struggled, but made ends meet. “I want my children to understand that they are very lucky to have their basic needs met, and many others aren’t as fortunate,” she says. As a Market Executive for Mortenson and a United Way Board of Trustees volunteer, she plays a vital role on the United Way governance and building committees. She also is a mom to two sons, Grant and Mathody, and sees how our small day-to-day actions influence our future community. Recently, her son had an idea to create care packages with hand warmers, snacks and hand-written blessings to have on hand to give to those in need as they drove through downtown Fargo.

“It is important to support kids when they have ideas to give back,” she says, and added that encouraging children to invest their own money to give to others helps them become more invested in the lives of others. “As a mom, it isn’t lost on me that we only get 18 short years to influence our children to grow up to be good humans with empathy for others.”