Hello, my name is Susan, and I am the founder of Open Arms CAFS. The heart behind Open Arms is personal for me. I spent part of my childhood in the foster care system, moving from home to home and often feeling like I didn't have much of a voice in what was happening around me. I know what it feels like to need someone in your corner, to need opportunities that may not automatically be available to you, and sometimes to simply need someone who will listen. Years later, during a student leadership retreat, I was asked to think about my life's purpose. I wrote five words: “to give hope to the hopeless.” It was a big statement then, and honestly, it still is. But the meaning behind those words has continued to shape the work I choose to do and the kind of person I want to be while doing it. I entered this field because I genuinely care about people. I listen. I ask questions. I want to understand what is happening beyond what we can see on the surface. Most importantly, I believe people deserve to have a voice in their own lives and access to opportunities that allow them to learn, experience, make choices, build skills, and grow. I don't believe helping someone means having all the answers for them. Sometimes it means advocating beside them. Sometimes it means teaching a skill, finding a resource, creating an opportunity, asking a different question, or simply being willing to sit with someone long enough to figure out what comes next. That belief has grown alongside Open Arms and continues to guide what we do today.