Caldwell Families Win Big When Corwin Gives Back

The best days at work, in my opinion, are the days when your professional life intersects with a personal passion. Such was the case last week when I was blessed to watch my good friends Majs. Robyn and Stephanie Bridgeo of The Salvation Army Caldwell Corps receive a surprise $10,000 donation from Corwin Ford, one of our longtime CLM clients.

Aside from the ubiquitous red kettles at Christmas, I knew basically nothing about The Salvation Army when I was asked to serve on the Caldwell Corps Advisory Board. Since then, I’ve developed a profound appreciation for the impact these humble servants have on communities all over the world. From their cramped, 100-year-old building in downtown Caldwell, for example, the Bridgeos operate a church; food pantry; and music, dance, sports, and scouting programs for countless local kids. They provide coats and toys during the holidays and utility-assistance services year-round.

I wish I could name all the ways in which Caldwell is a better place because of the Bridgeos and The Salvation Army, but I’m up against a word limit here. I’ll use the characters I have left to tell you about my favorite Salvation Army program: Baby Haven. Unique to the Caldwell Corps, this two-year program gives parents the tools and resources they need to build stronger families from Day 1. The adults attend life-skills classes and, in exchange, receive needed items like formula, diapers, clothing, and more. I learned about Baby Haven shortly after giving birth to my own son, so it’s always held a special place in my heart.

Where does Corwin Ford come in? Well, each year Tanner Corwin and Corwin Ford give thousands to Treasure Valley nonprofits that support children and families. In 2017, those gifts totaled more than $215,000. I think I can speak for all of CLM when I say working with the Corwins is one of the highlights of the job. And I’m sure you can imagine my excitement when I learned their generous company wanted to make a surprise donation to the Baby Haven program. I almost spilled the beans about 100 times, but I managed to hold it together until the big reveal.

Thank you, Corwin Ford, for your ongoing commitment to local families! And congratulations to my friends at The Salvation Army Caldwell Corps on this well-deserved gift!

CLM | Aug 9, 2018