Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Morris.
Sarah, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
The most important part of my story is my own family. I’ve been married to my high school sweetheart, Richie for 25 years and we have three wonderful children – Patrick (20), Katherine (16) and Natalie (13). They are the driving force behind all I do! My favorite quote is: “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” (Mother Teresa)
I’m a graduate of Baylor University with a B.B.A. in Marketing/Management. Prior to founding This Side Up! Family seven years ago, I worked in human resources for several different companies, wrote and published a Dallas wedding book and was on staff in Family Ministry at Legacy Church.
My passion for strengthening families comes from many years of working with families on a professional level, from my own challenging family upbringing and from experiencing this crazy ‘thing’ called parenting myself! I’m driven by the desire to help parents recognize the importance of their family spending quality time TOGETHER. I want people to focus as much on developing their kid’s character as they spend time (and money) APART developing their abilities in sports, hobbies and other activities.
For years, I had witnessed countless families who were disconnected and in crisis. So, at a family ministry conference in 2010, I experienced what I describe as my “lightning-bolt moment” – a vision for an organization focused on strengthening the whole-family relationship as an approach to family wellness.
After returning from that conference, I set about confirming the need for that vision. I met with numerous meetings with city leaders, school administrators and counselors who all agreed that there was a critical need for family strengthening in our community and we formed our initial Board of Directors in late 2010.
We kicked off with an exciting start! At the suggestion of a friend, I entered a Kellogg’s Pop-Tart contest that asked people how they would bring the fun back to families in their community. This Side Up Family – the mission and business plan – was my answer! We were one of the finalists flown to New York to present our idea in Times Square. We were chosen as the $25,000 grand prize winners and that’s the point when I realized, This Side UP! Family was meeting a need in our community and it was time to push ahead fully! I said, ‘Okay, God, I get it, we’re doing this!” With the help of that funding and many others passionate about our mission, This Side Up! Family (TSUF) rolled out to the community in January 2011.
In addition to leading This Side UP! Family, I’m a Certified Marriage Coach and in the process of getting my Real Estate License. There are many struggles and stresses in the journey of family and parenting…. helping bring confidence, connection and joy to that journey… that’s my focus!
Has it been a smooth road?
As a leader of This Side UP! Family, I’ve struggled most with the same thing most non-profits struggle with… too little funding and too little staff to fully serve so many needs! Our staff started with a Volunteer Executive Director and lots of volunteers and has grown to a staff with a part-time paid Executive Director and 3 additional part-time staff. (We still rely on LOTS of wonderful volunteers who make our programs possible.) That growth has been critical to sustainability. We serve over 500 families per year and must continue to deepen our funding!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
This Side UP! Family is a one-of-a-kind non-profit Family Wellness Program providing a safe, family- friendly environment while giving parents all the tools, skills and quality activities they need to move from surviving to thriving! We have received numerous awards and recognition as a community non-profit bringing a much-needed focus on family relationship strengthening!
Mission Statement: Moving Families from Surviving to THRIVING!
Core Values: Provide Affordable Fun, Cultivate Strong Relationships, Encourage Diverse Community, Equip Families and Champion Family Values.
Core Programs: FREE Family Connection Nights with at-home Values Training Tools, Parenting Education and Coaching, Marriage Enrichment and Single Parent Support.
This Side UP! Family is most proud of seeing families reconnected and rejuvenated in ways that will have long-term, long-reaching impact on their own families and in our community. Here are just a couple examples of the amazing stories of life change:
– Jennifer who has attended some of our recent parenting coaching sessions reported that she has been using the new techniques she learned and experienced a much better connection with her daughter! She said, by responding differently and not taking her daughter’s behavior personally, she can see her daughter’s behavior beginning to change and they both felt much less stress. For the first time in a long time, she had enjoyed being with her!
– Darsell, another parent in our program shared: “I was broken and trying to do something different with my life. This Side Up! Family has supported me and my children and never made me feel worthless or like a charity case. Because of the help we’ve received from TSUF, my girls and I now collect clothes and volunteer at the clothing giveaways. Some of the best times my children and I have had have been at TSUF’s Family Connection Nights.”
TSUFamily is unique in many ways! A few things that set us apart are:
– All of our programs/services are FREE to the community.
– Many of our families end up volunteering to give back out of gratitude.
– We are one of the only non-profits to take both a proactive and reactive approach to family connection and relationship building.
– We serve people across a wide range of races, ages and socio-economic groups.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Yes and yes! Fortunately, Plano is a city whose staff and leadership are passionate about supporting non-profits in our community. We also have a great infrastructure of organizations like the Plano Chamber and companies like Intuit and many others who commit resources, time and people to projects that truly make a difference in our community. It’s been wonderful and encouraging to partner with so many amazing groups and I’m so grateful that Plano has a culture of giving and helping.
Personally, one of the things that helped me to really understand our community and dive deep into community service and leadership was participating in Leadership Plano (through the Plano Chamber). (I am a proud Class 29 alumni!) It was a wonderful catalyst to making connections and deepening my passion and service for this amazing city we are blessed to call home!
Contact Info:
- Address: 1201 E. 15th #202, Plano, TX 75074
- Website: www.thissideupfamily.org
- Phone: 972-633-8783
- Email: sarah@thissideupfamily.org or info@thissideupfamily.org
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