I Have Fun Giving

“I love playing with Joshua Station,” says Christine Plentyhoops. It’s an odd way to talk about donating and volunteering, and she peppers her story with delighted laughter.

As Regional Vice President of Primerica and an investment advisor, Christine was meeting with a client some years ago. Inspired and intrigued by her client’s financial priorities of generosity and service, Christine turned the tables and asked for advice about where to get involved. Her client served on the MHM board, and soon Christine was touring Joshua Station. She “fell in love.”

The love story begins much earlier, however. Christine grew up struggling with poverty, and as a young woman found herself in a devastating situation married to a relapsed addict—culminating in divorce. Injured in an accident, she was only able to work part time. After an eviction she was homeless, and her car was repossessed. “The families at Joshua Station… they are me,” she says.

Christine’s “play” at Joshua Station took the form of teaching financial classes for residents, which were so effective that they are now a mandatory part of the program. “Anything ‘mandatory’ is not an easy sell up front,” Christine observes. “I level the playing field by telling them I know it’s hard to spend time away from families for the class—for me and them both! I show up in ordinary clothes and share my story of devastated self-worth and a credit score of 437. ‘Where you are now is just a circumstance, not a life sentence,’ I say. I love to laugh with that group.”

Christine’s husband Brian can relate too; he grew up in poverty, living on an Indian reservation and later in San Francisco. “Brian and I have fun giving,” Christine says, “with our dollars and time.” In their monthly checks or in the financial class at Joshua Station, it definitely shows.

 We Are the Stories

Jazmin Lopez-Geminiano has lived the stories of our community in more ways than most. She’s been a teen mentee of our community partners in the city, an apprentice at Issachar Center for Urban Leadership (then a program of MHM), a client at Justice and Mercy Legal Aid Center (also then a MHM program), a mentor herself, a contracted team member, a donor, and eventually board president of Mile High Ministries.

“Our board is a lot more than just financial decision-making,” Jazmin says. “We help the organization become ever more true to itself by tending to MHM’s ‘special sauce.’” Jazmin has been formed by—and helps form—our values, best practices, spirituality, and ways of building community. “We are part of the actual stories that make the sauce.”

Navigating childhood on the streets of Mexico City, surviving a harrowing immigration experience, arriving at Denver’s West High School with no English, and persevering as a college student all prepared her for service and leadership at MHM. “I’m amazed, really, when I think about how I’ve grown through these roles—and how my life has been woven through them. God has brought me a long, long way.”

For Jazmin this is a work of love. “I know that God is compassionate, and we have the opportunity to show our compassion. It’s so crazy out there, especially these days, and especially for people in society who come from where I do. I love being at Joshua Station, sharing family times with my husband and kids together with residents on the playground. I love to give, and I love to be grateful.”