Joyce Preschool launched its home visiting program in spring 2011. Our Parent Outreach Coordinator, Amy Smith comes to us with a rich background in the social work field. Her capacity to work with families and sensitive issues has proven invaluable. The following story captures the intricacies of her work and the importance of the strong home-school connection.

Earlier this winter, through conducting home visits, Amy discovered we had a family with some very serious personal needs. The family includes the mother and her five children ranging in age from newborn to sixteen years old. The three-year-old daughter currently attends Joyce’s two day/week class. In previous years, when an older daughter attended Joyce, the family appeared to be stable, but the situation has changed since then. The mother shared with Amy how she is struggling with everything from housing to the challenges of driving her children to school. She is currently on unpaid maternity leave from her job and it is uncertain whether or not she will be able to return to her position at the end of her leave. With no income and a father that is in and out of the children’s lives, the mother has been facing many challenges.

Amy wanted to find ways we could help this family. The mother, who is fairly resourceful, had been able to find an organization to assist with securing housing. We brainstormed additional ideas and resources and as a result were able to connect the family to three food shelves and Toys for Tots. We also decided it was time to do outreach to our supporters, including past donors, current families, and the SVP partners’ network. We made an ask that included specific items for the children such as diapers, baby wipes, toiletries, furniture, winter clothing items, and gas cards.

The response from the community was astounding and assisting this family in fulfilling many basic needs has been amazing. The family was overwhelmed by the generosity of the Joyce community and is very grateful for the support we were able to give. In addition, it spurred us to start an on-going emergency fund to support additional Joyce families.

Why did you choose to join SVP?
I had attended a number of the local programs as an invitee of Terrie Rose (of Baby’s Space). I liked the concept, the group, the efforts being made by very sharp people, and what appeared to be a constructive process for philanthropic leaders. I wanted to play some small part in those beneficial activities going forward in my life.

Tell us more about yourself.
I am Co-CEO of Houlihan Lokey, an investment banking firm with offices around the world and a small office in Minneapolis, and I enjoy a whole range of sports including squash, tennis, swimming, SUPping, scuba, golf, and skiing on water whether or not it’s frozen.

My wife Mary is very active in a number of environmental and educational charitable endeavors. My daughter Sarah is 22 and a recent graduate of UCSB working in PR in Santa Barbara, my son Ryan is 19 and is working while taking courses at Normandale, and my son Ethan is 15 and goes to Edina High School.

If you could change one thing in the community and had unlimited resources at your disposal, how would the community be different?
There is an increasing danger of the development of a self-perpetuating underclass in our local and national communities, and breaking this devolutionary spiral would be a huge benefit to that putative underclass and society as a whole.

Colleen and Fritz Ebinger joined SVP in 2009. Colleen is president of a strategy, policy, and communications consulting firm that works with social-purpose organizations, including the Twin Cities chapter of the Social Enterprise Alliance, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Minnesota Department of Health, and Carmen Pampa Fund. She began her career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras and later directed the government practice of a national consulting firm.

Fritz owns and manages his namesake law practice that focuses on land use and agricultural law matters. Previously, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama, an employment counselor at CLUES, a migrant labor advocate with Iowa Legal Aid, and as a judicial clerk in Minnesota’s Third Judicial District.

Colleen is Lead Partner for Crisis Nursery and Fritz for Joyce Preschool. They have a two-year old son, Ben, and newborn daughter, Cora.