We are so excited to introduce you to one of our incredible WARM Place Board Members, Susan Adams. Susan has served on The WARM Place Board of Directors since 2021 and currently serves as the Treasurer. Susan heard of The WARM Place many years ago when a friend at the time brought her two young children after her husband was killed in the line of duty. However, Susan has her own personal grief story that connects her to our mission. When Susan was 9 years old her brother died. “He passed, we had a funeral and then never talked about it anymore. My parents didn’t know how to handle it, so I didn’t receive any counseling. The WARM Place would have been a wonderful place for me to be able to talk about the loss and how it affected me.” Then when Susan was in her late twenties, another one of her siblings died and she continued to feel alone in her grief without anyone to talk to. Though The WARM Place was not a resource for Susan as a grieving child, she is so grateful it exists for other children who have experienced the death of a loved one.
Not only does Susan give of her time by serving on The WARM Place Board of Directors, she is also a generous donor and supports our program and fundraising events, such as A Cool Night. When asked why she feels inclined to support the organization financially, she shared “My family had so much loss when I was young, and we were never in a position to give. I know that there are families who come to The WARM Place and don’t have the funds for counseling or individual therapy. I want to give to those that can’t access it on their own.” Susan is also a tremendously successful CPA and shared that she feels inclined to give to The WARM Place as opposed to other organizations because “The WARM Place spends its money very responsibly. Cofounders Dr. John Richardson and Peggy Bohme set up a very structured plan for how the funds would be managed with a clear focus being on the families and the children.”
As mentioned, Susan is a Certified Public Accountant for HM&M and we could go on and on about the many accolades and tributes she has received professionally, though she would prefer we don’t talk about as she is quite humble. However, we do have to brag that very recently Susan was nominated and selected as one of America’s top 200 CPAs by Forbes. When asked how it felt to receive this recognition she said “I am so grateful, almost embarrassed initially, but still so very grateful. I tell people that I was 45 when I passed the CPA exam and became a licensed CPA and that it’s never too late. People think it happened a long, long time ago, but it was pretty recent for me! I have the success I do because I have a great group of friends and colleagues, and support system that championed me through this journey.”
When we asked Susan what she would say to someone thinking about getting involved with The WARM Place, she shared “Take the time to go to the house and tour, take the time to listen to children’s stories and testimonies of what The WARM Place did for them. To hear their stories and what it meant to them is very powerful. Even if you don’t have a personal grief story, it is compelling enough to want to get involved and help.”
Thank you, Susan, for ALL you do for The WARM Place and for sharing your story.
