In December 2018, the Des Moines Register named Sam & Tricia Gabriel one of their “People to Watch,” an annual list the newspaper creates, identifying people in the community who are leading and making a difference. Sam & Tricia’s story was featured on the front page of the Register on December 23rd. It was a delight to see Sam & Tricia recognized for their hard work and dedication to the Genesis Youth Foundation kids, but what happened next was a true miracle.
A week after the story ran, Sam went to check Genesis’ mailbox and was shocked to see it stuffed with mail. He went to his car and started opening letter after letter from people who had seen the Des Moines Register article. He sat alone in his car, moved to tears over the love pouring out from the letters. The letter writers were close to home and far away, some as far away as Storm Lake, IA!
But the letter writers didn’t just send their regards and best wishes; they sent contributions to support the Genesis Youth Foundation mission. Check after check was written to make sure that our Genesis kids have access to opportunities that will make their futures brighter.
“The financial support and the notes sent by donors were very motivating. I cried for a very long time in the post office parking lot when I saw that we had received donations in the mail. It was so amazing that the people who read the article believed in our mission,” said executive director Sam Gabriel.
All in, more than $12,000 was raised by nearly 80 donors. The impact this money will have will be amazing. These donations will open doors for our kids that we wouldn’t have been able to reach before. We are so grateful to our community for supporting our kids and their dreams. We look forward to a productive year and can’t wait to share with you all of their successes!
The power of the Des Moines Register story really illustrates how sharing our story can touch people’s lives. Would you give the Genesis Youth Foundation Facebook page a share? Or talk with your friends about the work we’re doing? We’d be so thankful to you for helping us spread the word about the work Genesis Youth Foundation is doing with the future of our great state – investing in our youth is something we can all believe in!
