Changing Lives for Many Years to Come
Nearly 30 years ago, Susan Dodd walked out of church service and straight into a group of people who were listening to FINCA’s co-founder, John Hatch, speak. Susan instantly fell in love with John’s vision and with FINCA’s mission.
Susan, a retired physical therapist and an avid traveler, had recently returned from trips to Morocco and Turkey. While there, she had seen first-hand the extreme poverty and hardships that “people in the United States just can’t imagine.” And she was stunned to find that, despite the harsh conditions in which these people lived, they were some of the kindest and most considerate individuals that she had met.
Susan still can vividly recall the day she had the chance to meet a Moroccan woman who was a friend of a friend. Despite the enormous language barrier between them, they had a “wonderful” conversation that concluded with an authentic, wonderfully flavored Moroccan meal.
Susan also had the chance to visit a group of women who beaded bracelets and other jewelry items for a living. The conditions they worked in were less than ideal. Susan heard them repeatedly say that a few improvements, a few additional tools, would go a long way in increasing the efficiency of their operations and hence their sales and profits.
When just a few months later, Susan heard John speaking about the power of microloans to transform lives, she knew immediately what he was talking about. If the beaders and women like them could only get a loan, they could transform their own lives.
If her memory of the event is correct, Susan basically wrote John a check on the spot. She’s been donating regularly ever since. As her means rose over the years, so too has her giving. Then this year, as a brisk septuagenarian, she started thinking about her legacy and it didn’t take her too long to decide to join our Future Makers Circle by including FINCA in her will.
Susan’s life experiences have made her keenly aware of the financial distress many people face around the world. She’s seen first-hand how FINCA’s programs can greatly improve the living and working conditions of many women around the world. And she’s thrilled to know that the commitment that she made to FINCA this year will continue to change lives for many, many years to come.
To see if a planned gift to FINCA makes sense for you, please contact Colleen Zakrewsky on (202) 971-4627 or [email protected].
