Giving Back

CityServe is a nationwide organization based out of St. Louis, MO. They partner with local churches across the country to make an impact on their communities and spread the gospel of Jesus. This is accomplished through disaster relief and programs to minister to those who need assistance. By having a central organization, they can streamline and standardize their processes, allowing the local churches to identify which areas and specific needs to target. CityServe supports individuals in their time of need, and they are a great example of servant leadership, as they’ve already delivered $1.2 billion in goods through their network.

It’s inspiring to see how mission minded this church is – the whole structure of their budget BEGINS with missions. By giving to others first, they ensure all the local and global initiatives they support get the full funding they need and can continue to operate without having to worry about any shortfalls. Once the missions’ coffers are filled, then the budget goes toward the church building, staff, etc. This is encouraging to see and an important reminder to put others before ourselves. The church is always generous and giving to those in need, especially in disaster events like hurricanes or flooding. Their support isn’t just financial; groups of volunteers travel to help affected areas, assemble flood buckets, and transport them where needed. It’s amazing to see how their focus is genuinely outward focused.

Over twenty years ago, our daughter Jessica was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pediatric Liver cancer. She was treated at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital for over two years. She was in and out of the hospital for chemotherapy treatments, surgeries, low blood counts, and seizures; the list goes on. During those two years, we received many benefits from Friends of Kids with Cancer here in St. Louis. They provided opportunities for our family to participate in fun activities like the magic house, the science center, celebrity events (my kids could not have cared less about celebrities), trips to see Barney (I hate that guy), the Grinch, Fredbird, Ronald McDonald, and other characters. They also provided crafting and art supplies for the treatment centers and for the kids in the rooms on Four North of Cardinal Glennon.

Going through cancer treatments for a family with a two-year-old child is overwhelming to say the least. But having a group like Friends of Kids with Cancer nearby was almost game changing. Almost.

Likewise, Camp Rainbow provided a great experience for Jessica and her brother to “forget about things” for a while.

Jessica did indeed pass away. Since then, I’ve served on the board of directors for several years, and we do our best to participate in periodic events during the year. They keep their funds local. They help families who are going through hell. If you need an organization to donate to, this is an easy one, as they truly provide a support system for kids and their families.

A few of my colleagues and I recently volunteered at the Loaves & Fishes Serenity Village location, and after seeing their impact in the community, I wanted to support them financially through the Larson Financial Foundation. We packed boxes of food into peoples’ cars as they drove through the church parking lot. Serenity Village supports individuals facing hunger by collecting food that would otherwise be thrown away by grocery stores and restaurants. This has a double impact: they estimate they save between six-eight tons of food per month, and they are helping the community. This distribution site runs every Friday, despite the weather, and even when holidays land on a Friday, they are still out there. They are a great example of servant leadership, and we will definitely volunteer there again.

All human lives have the same value, and every human being has the inalienable right to have health care. However, the playing field needs to be leveled for those who are born at a disadvantage. Partners in Health doesn’t just give resources to countries in need, but they train local community members on how to provide for themselves and help those in their culture.

The Impact Center helps support one of the most poverty-stricken zip codes in the state of Indiana. They do so by mentoring people who have been incarcerated, hosting ESL and parenting classes, assisting with job placements, and much more. They provide turkeys during Thanksgiving, and meals and gifts for families during Christmas. My family and I regularly volunteer with them, and whatever arises, The Impact Center steps up to meet those needs.

“Human Coalition is grateful for the support of Larson as we serve women facing unexpected pregnancies with life-affirming resources, compassion, and hope.”

“The Larson Foundation has provided many children with life-changing surgeries. They have also donated funds to provide a much-needed vehicle and they are sponsoring the daily needs of many children who have been rescued from crisis situations. These children are now living in one of our three homes, which provides them with love, care, and a safe place to call home until we either return them to their extended family or in the majority of cases find them their forever family.”