JOURNEY The Garden Party Booklet | Page 18

A Donor’s Journey THE ROAD TO LITTLE LIGHT HOUSE When newlyweds Doug and Kym first toured the Little Light House, they were inspired to play a part in the journey of our students, but living in Houston limited their ability to volunteer. The couple found their place in the Little Light House community and joined the journey here in Tulsa by becoming monthly supporters. Doug grew up with Little Light House, Speech Language Pathologist Lauren Gebhard and a year or so after their wedding, Doug and his wife Kym made a trip to catch up with Lauren and her husband Eric. During their visit, Lauren led the pair on an impromptu tour of the city, including a visit to the Little Light House. “We had an idea of the school Lauren worked for,” says Doug, “But, we did not fully understand the mission, vision, and impact this school had for children with special needs and their families.” Lauren guided the couple room by room and explained the thought and purpose behind each aspect of the building from the color of the classrooms, to the lines on the floor connecting the hallways, to the technology used for various reasons including communication. At the time of their visit, the Little Light House was breaking ground on the Capital Campaign expansion project, and by the end of the tour, the students’ stories had broken ground in Kym’s heart. “She was overwhelmed to the point of tears by the end of the tour,” says Doug. On their way back home, the couple felt led to begin supporting the Little Light House by supporting Lauren in her Laps for Little Ones and Mini-Laps fundraising efforts. Soon after, that calling grew and the couple has since become monthly donors. “As we continue to hear about the growth of the school, the additional programs, and the number of children and families being served, we are compelled to continue our donations,” says Doug. Doug and Kym are just one of the many stories intertwined with the journey of Little Light House. To all of you who, like Kym and Doug, felt led to join our journey and give the gift of finances to our ministry, we truly could not do what we do without our you! We will never be able to say thank you enough. 18 | JOURNEY