Five Things EP15: Friends of Wake County Guardian ad Litem Program with Carrie Haub
https://brandascentmedia.com/?page_id=1160

00:02
[Music]
00:06
the truth is adding value will never go
00:08
out of style
00:15
hello
00:17
this Brian Smith thanks for joining us
00:18
for another five things podcast today
00:20
we've got a great guest Kerry hop who's
00:23
self-employed but has a charitable
00:26
organization that that's how we met and
00:29
thanks for joining us Kerry having me
00:32
and basically tell us a little bit about
00:35
you know obviously this is how we met
00:37
getting involved with the charity this
00:39
year and the gala and some different
00:41
things you and I have mutual friends
00:43
Nate and Heather for sheet great people
00:45
so kind of got introduced to you and the
00:48
organization
00:49
started figuring out you know what a
00:51
great cause it is so we're excited to be
00:54
part of it I watched security and brain
00:56
sent media looking to do something as
00:57
well
00:58
but other than that tell us a little bit
01:00
about yourself and and I got to this
01:02
point yeah I have been a part of the
01:06
Friends of Wake County guardian ad litem
01:08
program for about the past six years I'd
01:10
say I was introduced by my dear friend
01:13
Babs Wagner who's actually the founder
01:15
of the organization which was founded
01:18
back in 1991 okay basically the
01:22
organization was founded to fill in the
01:25
gaps in the system
01:26
in the foster care system needs that
01:28
were not being met through county and
01:31
state funding so we do a little bit of
01:35
everything we try to figure out what
01:39
those needs are from the social workers
01:41
from the guardian ad litems who are
01:43
court-appointed advocates they volunteer
01:46
they're trained but they're volunteers
01:48
who basically represent a child and a in
01:52
an abuse or neglect case in court so we
01:56
work with them to determine the needs of
01:58
the children if there are needs that
02:00
have not been met then they come to us
02:02
and fill out a grant request and and
02:05
what we do as part of our organization
02:08
we fundraise raise money raise awareness
02:12
in the community so that we can make
02:15
sure that those needs are fulfilled
02:18
children don't go without sure so you've
02:20
obviously done with the organization a
02:21
while so very familiar with it
02:23
were you from originally originally I'm
02:25
from upstate New York okay yeah lived
02:28
kind of all over the East Coast moved to
02:30
California was out there for about 14
02:32
years
02:32
okay we're at California Central Coast
02:35
okay well LA first and then Central
02:37
Coast San Luis Obispo County and loved
02:39
it no reason why I ask I was born there
02:42
originally I don't know okay went to
02:43
high school in San Bernardino one of my
02:45
one of my three high schools I went to
02:47
but so New York to California yeah yeah
02:51
and then what brought you to North
02:53
Carolina my husband got relocated
02:55
changed jobs and all of our family was
02:58
on the East Coast so he had family in
02:59
Miami New York New Jersey and my family
03:03
as well throughout the DC area and
03:05
around so okay yeah well home some so
03:08
you end up in Raleigh North Carolina and
03:10
it's been how long that seven years okay
03:12
yeah he goes by quick though yeah I'm
03:14
just telling we stoppeth at you know I
03:16
was like I got a birthday this week and
03:18
with the birthday party and stuff but 45
03:20
and he was asking me cuz how do you stop
03:24
26 so you know it's that old when you
03:27
hear people talking about goes buzz you
03:29
make it does you know and the I think
03:31
the older you get the busier you get
03:33
yeah especially like you you got family
03:36
you got the career you got your friends
03:39
so it's it's a and the years go by quick
03:42
they do yeah my son and daughter were in
03:45
1st and 3rd grade when they when we
03:48
moved here and now I have a he's a
03:50
junior and my daughter's freshman in
03:52
high school so it's crazy it's blown by
03:55
yeah it's uh you know it's it's
03:57
unbelievable how quick they go from you
04:00
know you're changing that horrible
04:02
diaper
04:03
- you know the drive in the car yeah it
04:06
does go by quick so how did you
04:08
ultimately end up when you move here to
04:11
Raleigh and you end up getting involved
04:12
in the organization had that happen I
04:16
was actually working for a company in
04:18
Raleigh an events company and we were
04:20
looking to partner and do some work for
04:23
a children's organization and nonprofit
04:26
so it was kind of my job to reach out
04:28
and in the community kind of research
04:31
and find an organization that needed
04:33
support and that's how I got involved
04:38
with the friends when I met Babs Wagner
04:40
she was the president of the
04:42
organization at the time and we became
04:44
fast friends and that led me to kind of
04:48
continuing my volunteer efforts with
04:49
with the group okay yeah that's awesome
04:52
let me ask you this what's a you know
04:54
obviously you've got some experience in
04:56
the organization when it when it comes
04:58
to the children that that are helped
05:02
what's one of the biggest things that
05:04
sticks out to you when you look back
05:05
over your your time with the
05:06
organization what's the biggest like
05:08
feel-good thing you think about with
05:11
your experience um there are so many um
05:16
and I told you I was gonna hit you
05:18
randomly with a bunch of stuff I know I
05:20
know
05:20
um you know every time we get a request
05:25
we really as a board we look at the
05:28
request and we see first we ask you know
05:31
is this a need that can be fulfilled and
05:33
through another channel because we are
05:37
asking the community for donations we're
05:39
doing these fundraisers this the money
05:41
that they give we are responsible for
05:45
for making sure and what it's doing
05:47
exactly but when you get a request that
05:51
comes through from a child that you know
05:55
broke their eyeglasses on the on the
05:57
playground and and they don't money to
06:00
think there's no money to fix them
06:02
they're only allotted one per year
06:03
through insurance and they can't see
06:07
they can't see the chalkboard
06:09
you know while they're in school that's
06:12
something that's very fulfilling to us
06:14
you know that's a critical need and
06:17
immediate need that we can provide for
06:19
that child that otherwise it doesn't
06:23
have the resources to get you know it's
06:26
such a small thing it is but it's such
06:29
an enormous thing it really is no I got
06:31
I ended up getting readers a couple
06:33
years ago and I'm out of business with
06:35
thee without these things yeah I just
06:37
business comes to a halt you know I just
06:39
everything's blurry so I can't imagine
06:41
being a kid you're trying to learn and
06:42
the foster parents might not have the
06:45
money or there's just no resource there
06:46
to you know a lot of times these folks
06:48
are you know make the light bill or buy
06:51
new glasses you know so that's a big
06:53
deal it is and another one that pops out
06:56
is um we also work some people may not
07:00
be familiar with the term kinship care
07:02
but kinship care is basically when a
07:06
when there's an abuse or neglect case
07:08
and the child is brought into the foster
07:10
care system there they could be placed
07:13
into kinship care which is when a
07:15
relative a family member may take that
07:18
child or a group of siblings into their
07:21
home so that they don't enter the foster
07:23
care system and go to live you know with
07:25
someone that they don't know and
07:27
oftentimes very often it may be a
07:30
grandmother and aunt and they they may
07:34
be you know unemployed or under hardship
07:40
themselves and unable to provide the
07:44
necessary things for those children you
07:47
know the of grandmother we had a request
07:51
for a grandmother who took in three
07:53
siblings and you know she lived in a
07:56
one-bedroom apartment and you know
07:59
needed a crib she had the baby at the
08:02
time sleeping in a dresser drawer she
08:03
put blankets and and was sleeping in a
08:05
dresser drawer and she didn't want the
08:07
siblings would have been all removed and
08:09
taken into different homes and they
08:12
wanted to keep the children together and
08:15
what with a relative and that was the
08:17
only way
08:17
um they could do it and so we provided a
08:21
crib let's all time for the baby and
08:24
some bedding and clothes and shoes um so
08:27
they could get by and again it's such a
08:28
little thing but it's such a huge thing
08:30
because you have someone who is willing
08:32
to care for that child and take that
08:35
huge responsibility you know my kids are
08:38
all 21 plus and I don't even want to pet
08:40
right now because of the responsibility
08:42
but yeah you know when you find people
08:44
that are willing to take on that care
08:48
what a great organization to be able to
08:50
help those people ya know get by and you
08:52
know get by at a decent level at least
08:54
yeah you know so that's awesome and and
08:57
ultimately I personally believe that as
09:00
a business owner you the way I look at
09:04
and I'm not judging anybody else but the
09:05
way I look at it is I want to give back
09:07
to the community that we serve
09:08
you know if we're able to create a
09:11
successful business and jobs and this
09:14
and that and you know create profit I
09:16
believe some of that profit should go
09:18
back to the community that you're
09:19
gaining from okay and with so many
09:22
charities out there you know the thing
09:25
that is great with kids is you're you're
09:29
impacting the entire you know the next
09:32
40 generations
09:33
you're you're literally impacting
09:35
eternity depending upon what those kids
09:39
do so them being brought up in a decent
09:42
household and having those resources and
09:44
and the two Turing's so many other stuff
09:47
we're going to talk about that's what
09:50
you know giving can be selfish sometimes
09:52
because you know that man this this
09:55
money that you're donating to this cause
09:57
may be causing ripple positive ripple
10:00
effects for the next thousand years
10:02
you just never know yeah so with so many
10:06
charities to choose from you know I
10:08
always thought a kid's organization will
10:11
give towards kids such a positive thing
10:13
yeah so what do you think is the
10:18
toughest thing about what you do
10:19
obviously raising capital you know
10:22
you're asking companies and people to
10:24
just give money that they worked
10:26
for that would be the first thing that
10:29
comes to mind you know again sales on my
10:31
life you know we provide service for
10:33
capital but just saying like hey we need
10:36
cash to run this thing I think you hit
10:39
it on the head that that's definitely
10:40
one of the biggest challenges that we've
10:44
faced as an organization there are so
10:47
many great charitable organizations out
10:50
there doing great things and its really
10:53
building awareness and the community
10:55
that there is a need you know we're a
10:57
fairly wealthy county and I think people
11:01
are surprised by the number of foster
11:03
children that enter that enter foster
11:06
care in Wake County you know it's 700
11:11
children on average in Wake County just
11:16
in our County there's over 10,000 in the
11:18
state of North Carolina so there is such
11:23
a need and it's just it's just getting
11:24
that that message out there that the you
11:28
know these children that your children
11:29
are sitting next to in school you know
11:33
are struggling you know and you know
11:35
while we're a wealthy County you know
11:38
the public schools you know there could
11:40
be children that are in the foster care
11:42
system that are struggling that are
11:43
staying with someone they don't know
11:44
that have been removed from their
11:46
families removed from their siblings and
11:49
our are sitting next to your child and
11:51
need help right now and you know for all
11:55
the complaining about tax code and taxes
11:57
and all that sort of stuff one of the
11:59
one of the great things that I love
12:01
about I don't know if you want to say
12:03
that the u.s. or our tax code or
12:04
whatever what have you is that you know
12:07
they allow you to write this off in your
12:09
taxes mm-hmm
12:10
so you know what a great country that
12:13
that actually incentivizes you giving so
12:17
I think that's a really powerful thing
12:18
to be grateful for is it actually kind
12:21
of benefits you to give and serve others
12:25
so I think that's pretty awesome so just
12:29
a few events that we're gearing up
12:31
towards the the galas the 21st and we'll
12:35
circle back around on that in a second
12:37
where we
12:38
awesome you know keynote speaker yeah
12:40
I've got an awesome DJ volunteering his
12:43
time very graciously and you know just a
12:48
couple of events that that part of me
12:50
getting involved this year that I want
12:52
to certainly promote as September 14th
12:54
it's a it's a birthday party slash bring
12:57
your bottles party it's ideally you know
13:01
dress up in 60s 70s or 80s gear we're
13:04
gonna have fun yeah there's gonna be
13:06
some live music there's gonna be plenty
13:08
of music
13:09
bartenders full full bar the only thing
13:12
we're asking is that you bring you bring
13:15
a bottle or two of wine and that's
13:17
because one of my responsibilities with
13:19
the charity this year is we're coming up
13:21
with a minimum a hundred bottles of wine
13:23
for the wine pole and we're very popular
13:26
last year's now just came to along so
13:31
ultimately we're gonna have probably
13:34
about four really nice bottles of wine
13:36
that I'm still working on some some
13:37
people donating I think I got two of
13:39
them covered right now but the you know
13:42
ultimately a you know Camus or you know
13:49
silver oak or some really good bottles
13:51
of wine so it's fun you know for for
13:54
whatever we determine I think it's gonna
13:55
be 20 25 bucks a wine pulls something
13:57
like that as my guess but you have a
13:59
chance to win a hundred and fifty or
14:01
$250 bottle of wine that are most likely
14:05
going to be donated by a gracious
14:07
company but you know it's fun and the
14:10
goal is a hundred bottles minimum and
14:13
then the four bottles on top of that so
14:15
that'll you know let's say it's twenty
14:17
bucks a bottle for 25 bucks a pop that's
14:19
$2,500 straight into the organization
14:22
from you know these events so September
14:26
14th my birthday's the 15th my buddy
14:28
Shawn's the 13th so it was a perfect
14:31
opportunity to throw a party generate
14:34
some bottles of wine and then October
14:35
19th doing a big Halloween party same
14:38
same deal we're gonna have bartenders
14:40
and all that sort of stuff but you know
14:42
trying to raise these bottles I'd love
14:44
to get over 100 get 120 550
14:48
because one thing I've learned is wine
14:51
is a good thing and then gearing up to
14:55
the gala and I'll let you take that over
14:56
which is November 21st yeah starting at
15:00
6:00 p.m. so I'll I'll let you go into
15:02
that so this is our second light the way
15:04
gala we it's on November 21st from 6:00
15:09
to 10:00 p.m. it's at 1705 East venue by
15:13
Rocky Top catering company and we're
15:16
just super excited we did it last year
15:19
it was a huge success it was our first
15:21
year holding a gala and we raised over
15:24
$50,000 that evening yes and all of that
15:30
money goes towards these special needs
15:32
grants and the request that we get from
15:34
the social workers in the in the
15:35
guardian ad litem office we all are
15:38
volunteers for this organization there's
15:40
not a penny spent on us so we were
15:44
really excited to do so well last year
15:47
and to bring out the community and just
15:49
have a great time it was just a really
15:51
fun evening we're gonna be having the
15:54
biscuit bar is definitely coming back
15:55
that was hugely popular last year so
15:58
we're gonna be bringing the biscuit bar
16:00
bash what is a biscuit bar a biscuit bar
16:02
it's the southern biscuit bar and with
16:04
all the accompaniments the biscuits
16:07
should have along with it but I'm just
16:10
amazing homemade jams and spreads
16:12
pimento cheese there's Canadian bacon
16:17
just all kinds of sausages yeah it was a
16:21
huge have to Google here see what wine
16:25
goes with biscuits yes so we're gonna
16:31
have some great food there's all kinds
16:34
of wonderful hors d'oeuvres and we're
16:36
kind of narrowing down the menu and then
16:39
we have our keynote speaker our guest
16:42
speaker this year is Ashley Rhodes
16:44
Quarter she is a former foster child
16:46
herself she was in 14 different foster
16:50
homes before being adopted yeah so she
16:53
has an amazingly powerful story she's
16:56
written a few memoirs when New York
17:00
Times best-selling memoir three little
17:02
words kind of talking about her time in
17:05
the foster care system and and kind of
17:09
rising above it and where she is now and
17:12
so we're super excited to have her join
17:14
us this year
17:15
yeah and Paul FETs gonna DJ the event
17:18
which I'm excited about because he's a
17:20
great DJ fun guy as well but so I guess
17:25
two are five things topic basically this
17:27
is of course we'd love for you guys to
17:30
join us at the the gala of course
17:32
tickets will be available certainly
17:35
contact me directly or we'll have links
17:37
anywhere I post this video but
17:40
ultimately five things people need to
17:42
know about the the charity that they may
17:44
not know like five things yeah so some
17:48
of the programs that we have in place
17:50
like like we talked about filling in
17:51
those needs tutoring is is probably art
17:55
is by far our largest program that we
17:58
have there's a huge need for these kids
18:01
to kind of get back on track every time
18:04
they enter a new home they fall behind
18:07
on average one letter grade so after
18:09
four new placements they're failing so
18:13
it's critical that that we keep them on
18:16
on track in school because education we
18:19
all know is so powerful and it really it
18:21
really is critical to breaking the cycle
18:24
and you know to you know having them
18:28
move forward to a brighter future and
18:30
tutoring is really expensive it is it is
18:33
we've partnered with triangle Literacy
18:35
Council and we have a full-time student
18:38
tutor on staff too
18:40
to fulfill the needs and they go out to
18:44
the home and and work with them which is
18:47
great because a lot of it is
18:48
transportation which is awesome and I'm
18:51
sure that's you know more cost effective
18:52
making that you know commitment to that
18:54
organization
18:55
I'm sure then you know ultimately we get
18:58
more value that way as well so number
19:01
two number two we have our special-needs
19:04
grants as we kind of
19:05
kind of touched on a little bit with the
19:07
eyeglasses crib bedding shoes whatever
19:12
needs that might need to be filled that
19:15
are not under educational our
19:17
educational program would be covered
19:19
under our special needs grants may even
19:21
be a prom dress you know for a teen that
19:25
that wants to go to prom and otherwise
19:27
wouldn't be able to so there's a lot of
19:30
different types of requests that come in
19:31
through there then our other backpacks
19:35
for kids and computers for kids again
19:38
following kind of under education we do
19:41
a big backpack drive starting in June to
19:45
to work on the year-round kids that are
19:47
going back to school in July and then
19:49
continue that making sure that these
19:53
children have all the school supplies
19:55
that they need you know starting out
19:57
fresh their first day of school there's
20:00
nothing I know bad always told a story
20:04
about a child that said their first you
20:09
know they went to school and they were
20:11
so embarrassed because they every time
20:12
they you know got into the classroom I'd
20:16
have to borrow a sheet of paper from a
20:18
classmate or ask the teacher for a
20:20
pencil or a pen and how embarrassing
20:23
that was yeah and you know and she's and
20:27
said to them you know you gave me school
20:29
supplies and I went to school and I
20:31
actually wanted to learn you know so is
20:33
simple as something like that is it can
20:37
make it can be very powerful for a child
20:39
that is put in that situation it's
20:42
difficult enough to go into school and
20:44
into a new school often enough because
20:47
of all the placements in the new the new
20:49
home and that could mean a new school
20:51
new friends new teachers starting all
20:53
over again so so it means a lot yeah and
20:57
self-image is such a huge thing for a
20:59
kid
21:00
you know and there's enough bullying and
21:03
immaturity and all that kind of stuff
21:04
that goes on that you want to eliminate
21:07
those type of things if you can for sure
21:10
but that's that's definitely a great
21:12
thing to do
21:14
yeah number three number yeah our
21:17
orthodontic program which I'm super
21:19
excited about we've partnered with boven
21:21
Iser and Baker orthodontics out of Cary
21:25
there was a need for orthodontic
21:28
services children you know as you said
21:30
it's it's image is very powerful and you
21:34
know teens you know there's a lot of
21:37
peer pressure they want to look their
21:38
best and you know you have a child that
21:41
that is you know needs work and he's you
21:44
know and so they're donating their
21:48
services up to 25 this year so we're so
21:53
excited about that just you know giving
21:56
these kids this this wonderful smile
21:58
that they can be proud of so that's our
22:02
newest program well I think that's
22:03
awesome yeah and I can kind of speak to
22:05
this personally that you know growing up
22:07
with primarily single mom and I didn't I
22:10
didn't have braces as a kid growing up
22:12
and so fortunately my mouth
22:15
it's my teeth are not really exposed
22:17
just by the the structure of my the
22:19
unfortunate structure of my face but you
22:23
know I had to pay for my own braces as
22:24
an adult and I can tell you that I was
22:27
always growing up I was aware you know
22:29
that I didn't want to give a full blast
22:31
smile even though my teeth don't show
22:34
that much but some people don't aren't
22:36
as fortunate that they have it that's
22:38
you know your teeth very exposed
22:40
naturally and so that could be a real
22:42
thing to beat you up when you're growing
22:44
up for sure so I think that's a great
22:47
program and that's by a specific
22:48
organization isn't it doing that
22:50
yeah it's a Bhuvan Iser and Baker
22:52
orthodontics okay yeah out of carry well
22:55
that's all
22:56
yeah so that's a great thing and what do
22:59
we get terrible memory I think one five
23:01
five guardian angel tree okay that has
23:05
weave they started that back in 1991 and
23:09
that's continued to be such an important
23:11
part of the organization something that
23:13
a lot of community members businesses
23:15
corporations love to participate in and
23:18
it's around the holidays we put together
23:21
we find we get a list from the social
23:23
workers and the guardian ad litem
23:24
offices and we have a very specific list
23:28
for each child you know they have needs
23:31
they have wants all on those lists down
23:35
to their shoe sizes their favorite color
23:38
and then we have you know great
23:41
community partners and companies that go
23:43
out and they buy a child's wish list
23:47
it's also where the holidays and then we
23:49
all pack them up and they've we've had
23:54
to rent dump trucks to like put all the
23:55
gifts in and make sure that they they
23:58
get to the kids in time for the holidays
23:59
yeah it's a lot of fun so you know five
24:03
great things to know about a great
24:04
organization and one of the things I
24:07
love about it is so much of what's given
24:09
goes directly to the kids
24:11
yes and organizations made up of a bunch
24:14
of people that are volunteering their
24:15
time so you know maybe maybe if you're
24:19
in a situation you want to positively
24:21
impact the community but you don't have
24:23
lots of cash right now or you're a small
24:25
business and still trying to get the
24:27
profits and the the savings going for
24:29
the buffer because because things do
24:32
this in business so ultimately you may
24:36
not be able to donate money but maybe
24:38
you could donate some time you run
24:40
around help with these help do some shop
24:42
and help spend some successful companies
24:44
money that generously donate so a lot of
24:48
different ways you can contribute to the
24:49
organization and other than that this
24:52
was a really good you know podcast and I
24:54
appreciate you coming and sharing yeah
24:56
thank you so much well thank you Carrie
24:58
and thanks for joining us and look
25:00
forward to next time
25:02
[Applause]
25:02
[Music]
25:08
hello the suprise me that thank you for
25:10
watching please subscribe for more
25:12
valuable content
25:14
you