Building Stability, One Step at a Time

Melissa is showing her children what it means to face challenges with resilience and peace.

Searching for Stability

When newly single mother of four, Melissa Studer, first heard about Birch Community Services, she wasn’t sure whether the program applied to her. “It’s not like we don’t have money. It’s just that money is really tight.” Becoming the family’s sole provider brought a lot of anxiety, and Melissa had begun looking for ways to create more stability.

At a women’s event where Suzanne Birch, Founder and Executive Director of BCS, was the keynote speaker, Melissa realized Birch could offer the kind of support her family needed. “I just started crying,” she recalls.

As she re-entered the workforce, Melissa decided to pursue a career in massage therapy because it offered both the security and flexibility her family needed. She saved enough to pay the $1,000 school deposit but wasn’t sure how she would cover the rest of the tuition. 

More Than Groceries

At first glance, Birch looks like a food program. Shelves of pantry staples and fresh produce line the warehouse floor. For Melissa, those groceries are only part of the story. “Birch isn’t just giving me food,” she explains. “It’s giving me stability and hope. The money I save on groceries goes straight into paying tuition and building an emergency fund.”

Melissa wasted no time in taking advantage of the financial literacy classes BCS offers, attending them together with her teenage son. They began learning practical steps to manage money as a family and to plan for his college future.

Building a Family Vision

“I knew God would provide, but I didn’t know how. And suddenly it clicked—this was the provision.”

— Melissa Studer

Melissa’s Family Vision centers around independence, resilience, and legacy—values she lives out daily and that contribute to her family’s growing stability. Her goals include building financial independence, saving for a reliable vehicle, and holding steady while raising her four children.

“I want my kids to understand that life can throw you things you didn’t plan for,” she says. “But you always have choices in how you move forward. You can grow through the hard things.” 

With everything she’s learned at Birch, Melissa is well on her way to bringing her Family Vision to life. In keeping with Birch’s cultural value of celebration, Melissa and her family are saving for a special spring break trip for her son’s senior year, a reward for all their hard work along the way. Instead of taking on debt, Melissa is saving tips and spare dollars to fund their trip.

“I have a little savings jar picture posted on the fridge, and I’m coloring it in with highlighters,” she says with a laugh. Her kids are saving their own spending money too. These visual reminders teach them the importance of saving, celebrating, and living within your means.

The Legacy She’s Creating

Each decision Melissa makes teaches her kids about responsibility and creates a foundation that will outlast her time in the program. By modeling resilience, being mindful about money, and pursuing education at this point in her life, Melissa is showing her children what it looks like to shape a future with intention. For her, legacy is not only about financial independence but also about passing on the values of perseverance and peace.

Today she has nearly three months of emergency savings set aside and is on track to graduate debt-free from massage therapy school.

What Birch Supporters Make Possible

Melissa is clear about the role Birch’s in-kind and financial donors play in her growth. “It’s so much more than food. Every donation, every partnership is a way of saying, ‘You are valuable. Your future matters.’ That message keeps me going.”

For Melissa, those moments of provision and finding just what her family needs when she least expects it are a reminder that Birch is more than a place to shop. It’s a community where hope feels tangible and where Melissa continues building the stability she once only hoped was possible.

A Steady Hand in the Warehouse

How a retired aviation professional found purpose, friendship, and a new rhythm.

Since walking away from a life-changing accident over a decade ago, Keith Marshall kept asking himself a question we all wonder at times: “Why am I still here?” His search for meaning led him to serve others throughout his community.

After retiring from 40 years in aviation and federal service, he had more time to give back. His daughter, a medical professional who often points her patients to Birch as a resource, encouraged him to give volunteering a try.

From the moment he walked in, he knew he had found his place. “Being at Birch feels like part of the answer.” 

Walking the aisles, Keith sees families working hard to get ahead, and for him, it echoes his own story. “When my wife and I first got married, we were making twelve dollars an hour combined. We had debt and a baby right away. I know what it feels like to struggle, and I know what it feels like to work your way out.”

Since February, Keith has logged more than 100 hours in the warehouse, often volunteering two or three days a week. Though he’s helped in every part of the warehouse, lately he can be found in the sort aisle, where donations are unpacked, organized, and prepared for families. “It’s busy, it can be chaotic, but it’s a good kind of busy,” he says. “I don’t need the gym on days I’m here.”

What has surprised him most is the community at Birch. “Everybody is kind. You don’t leave without hearing ‘thank you’ several times,” he says. “The staff, the participants, even other volunteers—there’s appreciation everywhere.”  He’s especially struck by what he sees among participants. “There are families who graduate and still come back to volunteer. That says a lot. People want to give back even when they don’t have to.”

The friendships, the culture of gratitude, and the steady rhythm of giving his time have become part of his everyday life. “I leave tired,” he says, “but it’s the best kind of tired. My heart feels full, and that’s what keeps me coming back.”