WOW—It’s been an amazing two years with Family Hope Foundation. It feels like just yesterday that Jane was handing me my offer letter, yet it also feels like I’ve been a part of this community for years. As this Foundation celebrates 15 years of service, I am immensely grateful that I get to celebrate alongside our team, our families, and you, *|FNAME|*. 

My favorite memory is one that I recall frequently. I hadn’t been employed a full year when I began my first solo project—it was daunting and exciting at the same time. I called upon an old friend to help me set up professional photography sessions in Grand Rapids for our families. 

I wanted to do this for two reasons—one, I wanted to get professional-quality images of our scholarship recipients for our website and social media. The second reason–to give families an opportunity to have a professional family photograph taken–ended up becoming much more important. 

As I was meeting with several families in person for the first time, I had the opportunity to get to know them on a personal level. While others were having their pictures taken, I was having a conversation with a new scholarship family. They kindly asked questions about me, how long I’d been with the organization, and what kind of work I did. 

When asking questions about them, they told me the wonderful story of their son, Jackson. Their story was inspiring on its own, but what she said afterward will stay with me for a long time. 

“Thank you for doing this. As a family that has a child with a disability, we’ve never had an easy opportunity to get family photos taken. This is amazing, and we appreciate it so much.”

I’m pretty sure the phrase “taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture” smacked me right in the face. (I’m sure it showed on my face too!) Although my second reason for doing this project was to give families an opportunity to take family photos, I was unaware of its significance. 

I wasn’t only offering family photo sessions, I was offering something many families who have children with disabilities may not get the opportunity to do. In that moment, I truly realized the impact Family Hope Foundation has. Not only do we help fund necessary therapies, we help families experience precious moments together. 

In every single project I do, in every family event I help coordinate, in every conversation I have with our community, I take this memory with me. It is the greatest reminder of Family Hope Foundation’s longstanding mission of 15 years. I get to be a part of an organization that grants new opportunities—how amazing is that? 

Thinking about how these family photos may be framed on living room walls fills my heart with joy and gratitude. You can see one of Jackson’s family photos front and center on the homepage of our website. Not only was it an amazing picture for me to use, placing it on our homepage was also a personal decision with a hidden meaning. 

In more ways than one, a picture truly is worth a thousand words. 

Warmly,
Madeline Puckett, Program Coordinator