We were lucky to catch up with David Rose recently and have shared our conversation below.
David, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Is there a heartwarming story from your career that you look back on?
Every year To Give A Smile touches the lives of thousands of families around the world that are facing medical related needs. As an organization, our goal is to simply uplift and encourage children as they walk through one of life’s toughest seasons as they seek medical care. I have had the privilege over the years to meet so many incredible children and their families and I would like to share a heartwarming story with you.
In February of 2017, the Sedars family was staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas while their daughter, Norah, was recovering from her eighth surgery. Norah had just been released from the hospital when our paths crossed. She was in a lot of pain, had extreme swelling, and was having trouble with the way she saw herself in the mirror.
That evening, To Give A Smile was hosting one of our Give Love Valentine’s-themed outreach events. We prepared and served a hot meal to the families staying at the home, followed by an evening activity. Norah and her family were able to take part in the events. Toward the end of the activity, Norah walked up to the To Give A Smile volunteers and handed them a Valentine’s Day card that she had made. All of the volunteers showed their appreciation. They were engaged, fully present, and made her feel like she was the only one in the room. Norah was grinning from ear to ear.
Deb, Norah’s mother, later shared how that evening had touched her heart:
“As a mother, it is a shot in the heart to hear and see your daughter struggle with the way she sees herself and to know that there is nothing you can do to take away the pain she is experiencing. As parents, we fight so hard for a smile. But look at this picture. That is the impact you make! You warm a mama’s heart when she sees her hurting daughter smile. When you serve a meal, talk with the families, play with kids, or even just refill their drinks, it helps, it heals, it shows love when that might have been the only time they felt it all day. Everything you all do makes a difference. You help families get through one more day. Thank you for sacrificing your time to show families love.”
Fast forward three years later, through that interaction, the Sedars family was so moved and encouraged that they wanted to be in the same position to be able to help other families walking through similar circumstances. Today, Dusty & Deb Sedars serve as Chapter Directors in our Sioux Falls, South Dakota location along with their family, serving and loving on the families they come across through our outreach events in Ronald McDonald Houses and Children’s Hospitals.
It’s a beautiful picture of how in certain seasons, we don’t always understand the ‘why we’re going through something’ or ‘its purpose’ but yet God can take our lowest moments and turn them into our greatest ministry, helping to comfort others with the same comfort that we received in the midst of our darkest days.
David, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is David Rose and I am the President and founder of To Give A Smile. I have had the privilege of leading this organization for the past 17 years and it has been such a joy and honor to do so.
In my early teens, I always saw myself in some capacity helping others but never envisioned starting my own nonprofit organization. However, after being involved in a near-fatal hit-and-run car accident at the age of 18 years old my life changed drastically. I was fortunate to survive the hit-and-run accident but suffered extensive internal damage.
In the months and years to follow, I spent a great deal of time in doctor’s offices and hospitals and endured countless surgeries, procedures, and rehabilitation to get back to steady-state health. During my long but yet difficult journey, I had a choice to make. A choice to either allow the mistake of one person to get the best of me or find a way to use what was meant to harm me and turn it into something positive. I chose to move forward, and I founded a non-profit organization called To Give A Smile, that would bring comfort, hope, and encouragement to families facing medical related needs.
Since the launch of the organization, we have continued to expand, now supporting multiple chapters throughout the US that work directly with area Children’s Hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses to host outreach activities to take a child’s mind off current treatment. In addition, we take medical teams all around the world to provide free treatment to children who would otherwise go untreated.
As an organization, I believe what makes us unique from other nonprofits is we are 100% volunteer staffed, 90% of every dollar raised supports our outreach initiatives around the world, and 100% of our services provided, which includes medical care is provided free of charge.
I am most proud of the To Give A Smile team, our volunteers, our supporters, and partners around the world that enable us to continue to make a difference in the lives of children. Without their support and dedication, we wouldn’t be able to touch the lives of so many.
Do you think you’d still choose the same profession or speciality if you were starting now?
Absolutely! It has been the greatest joy to see the impact that we make as an organization. If I had to go back, I would still choose the nonprofit route. Being able to bring hope and encouragement to families as they walk through a difficult season, brings the greatest self-fulfillment and joy, knowing that our time and commitment is truly making a difference in the world!
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
To succeed in the nonprofit field, I believe one must have the heart and compassion to serve people. Nonprofit work is not always easy, it requires an extensive amount of time, commitment, sacrifice, and typically limited resources to work with. Therefore, prior to considering the nonprofit industry, ask the question, “do I have a passion to serve others”. If yes, then I suggest volunteering with a nonprofit you are passionate about to learn some of the behind the scenes work to see if it is something you want to pursue.
In addition, what has helped me to succeed in the nonprofit world is having mentors that I can lean on for advice, and direction. I strongly recommend in any field to try and identify 1-3 mentors that can help guide you through your career.
Contact Info:
- Website: togiveasmile.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tgas_us/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToGiveASmile
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/10491842/admin/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB7I4J76gksWQZTmxo1Ne3g