Be Unstoppable

The Virginia Tech graduates still possess a youthfulness that would make them right at home on campus, but their faithful financial commitment to UMFS demonstrates just how much they’ve grown since their days in Blacksburg.

For seven of the nearly 10 years they’ve been married, Jane, 30, and Brandon, 33, have been monthly donors.

“We look at our giving and our budgeting as a statement of our theology,” said Brandon, whose employer, CarMax, also is an unwavering supporter of UMFS. “What do we care to invest in? What do we think is important to God? What is important to us?”

As parents of three children, ages 2, 5 and 8, it’s clear that family is atop the Lintons’ priority list. Therefore, supporting UMFS and its vision of empowering children is an obvious choice, Brandon said.

“It’s exciting to say that we can commit money to something we feel strongly about.”

The Lintons first came to know UMFS in 2008 through volunteer opportunities with their church. Brandon would spend time shooting hoops with the boys at the UMFS cottages. Jane would bring baked goods to the girls.

“They didn’t care what I brought them, they cared that I came,” Jane said. “To me, that was the best thing; that the girls knew I cared enough to stop by.”

And caring is something Jane and her husband both learned the importance of at a young age. Her parents divorced when she was three, and Brandon never knew his father at all.

“But we still had other people that filled in those gaps for us,” Jane said. “And that’s why we’d like to be gap fillers for others.”

As Jane and Brandon’s family continued to grow, the amount of time they were able to devote to volunteering at UMFS decreased. It was at this juncture that they began focusing more on financial support.

Volunteering still is a priority, Jane said, and she and Brandon hope to find the time to do so again.

“Being a donor-volunteer would be the perfect balance,” Jane said.

Adopting or fostering a child also is part of the conversation. It’s something the Lintons say they aspire to.

In working toward that goal, Brandon wondered how he and Jane might prepare themselves to take on such a responsibility. And true to his calm and calculated demeanor, Brandon answered perfectly the question he had posed to himself.

“It will require a certain maturity,” he said.

The Estate of Lois A. Kirkwood provided a major boost to the Be a Champion Campaign with a $1,000,000 lead gift in 2017. Ms. Kirkwood was a native of the Northern Virginia area and an active member of her church, Mount Olive UMC, which is how she became connected to UMFS. She was a nurse in the U.S. Army and stationed in Okinawa, Japan. After retirement, Lois became involved in many charitable initiatives and volunteer work. Ms. Kirkwood passed away in November of 2016.

We are grateful for Lois’ many years of support at UMFS and for her incredible legacy gift that will allow UMFS to move forward with the most transformational campaign in its history to support high-risk children and families across Virginia. Ms. Kirkwood’s story is a testament to the power of planned giving and the impact donors can make with a legacy gift. If you’re interested in making a planned gift to the UMFS Be a Champion Campaign, please contact Katie Moore at 804-254-9674 or kmoore@umfs.org.

Meet Alex. Alex has been in foster care for three years. He recently participated in the Project LIFE Fall 2017 Statewide Conference and was recognized by his peers for many awards, including being selected as the December Youth Spotlight.

In addition to his achievements at the recent conference, he is most proud of growing up in a positive environment and developing characteristics of a respectful man, his academic achievement in maintaining honor roll, and getting along with his peers. He also enjoys being an older brother and setting an example for his siblings.

In Alex’s spare time, he enjoys dancing, singing, and hanging out with his friends and family. He also finds it to be beneficial to attend the youth conferences, which he says help him gain and learn from new experiences. At the conferences, Alex enjoys meeting new people and interacting with staff to strengthen his skills in preparation for independent living.

Alex has been involved with Project LIFE (Living Independently, Focusing on Empowerment) for one year. He attends various youth events and participates with Youth MOVE. One word that he feels best describes Project LIFE is “amazing!”

One piece of advice Alex has for other youth in foster care, is “find your voice, no matter what, you got to stand up and be heard. You can’t let other people think that you don’t have an opportunity to speak.”

Alex exemplifies charisma, charm, and leadership, and we are so proud of him. Continue to shine your light on others, Superstar Alex!