Neighbors Curiosity Leads to Helping Foster Care Children
Summary
And Mertens knows just what that substantive thing is—when he learned from Executive Director John Hitchcock that Hillsides had won the EveryChild Foundation grant that gave the initial impetus to Youth Moving On.“I took one of the dogs for a walk and I stood on the hill overlooking Hillsides and had the wonderful feeling that perhaps no longer would an emancipated child have no place to go.” To learn more about the foster care children’s charity or how you can volunteer, visit www.Hillsides.org.### Pasadena, CA, June 03, 2009 --( PR.com )-- With no intention of becoming a full-fledged Hillsides board member, Mark Mertens’ curiosity of Hillsides’ 17-acre campus, which is just below his home, left him with an urge to give back to his community.His natural curiosity has resulted in Hillsides, a foster care children’s charity, honoring him with a Lifetime Achievement Award.Mertens, owner of an apparel company, began his Hillsides’ philanthropic activities by contacting the director of community resources and donating about forty Disneyland tickets.Seeing it as a great opportunity for personal growth, he accepted this next level of involvement.“Hillsides is small enough so that the efforts of a single person can have an effect, but large enough so that substantive things can be accomplished,” Mertens said.And Mertens knows just what that substantive thing is—when he learned from Executive Director John Hitchcock that Hillsides had won the EveryChild Foundation grant that gave the initial impetus to Youth Moving On.