EXPERINECE 36 | Stronger Together - Jerri Schmitz, Founder of The Matthews House in Fort Collins
Jerri Schmitz is a hero of mine, and an amazing example of putting faith in action to create lasting community change. Jerri founded The Matthews House in 2005, a non-profit organization that now ranks (per CSU research) as among the most impactful in the state and region. The Matthews House mission is to Empower youth and families by building trusting relationships and providing resources to disrupt the cycles of poverty and abuse - and they do it well. They have grown into a leading human services voice in the nation, and have more than 50 staffers doing good in the communities of Larimer County every week.
The Positive Futures Pathway holistic approach created and developed by Jerri and her team doesn't attempt to fix one challenge and send clients on their way. Instead, they help clients build a foundation for future success by addressing Housing, Well-being, Education, Employment, and Life Skills needs so they can imagine and build sustainable futures for themselves - regardless of the amount of abuse and neglect they've endured. God loves you, and so does Jerri and so does the team at The Matthews House.
Jerri retired from the Executive Director role in 2019, and is now writing grants, providing support to the leadership team, and traveling the American West with her husband Matt in a 5th Wheel camper. I was blessed to share some time on her last trip through town, for the podcast and a lovely 4 hour backyard dinner double date with out spouses. If you know Jerri - likely you already love her - but listen in and love her even more because the who TMH story is unfolded in this episode! If you don't know Jerri - you should.
The annual gala fundraiser for The Matthews House is known as Cultivate Hope, and it will be held live and virtually on September 18, 2021. We're always looking for more sponsor, donors, and attendees!
Episode Sponsor: InMotion, providing next-day delivery for local businesses. Contact InMotion at inmotionnoco@gmail.com
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