Making a Difference... Making a Home
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The goal of Foundations Of Love, Inc. is to provide safe, caring housing for adults with developmental disabilities in St. Charles County.
The goal of Foundations Of Love, Inc. is to make a difference in the lives of adults with developmental disabilities. Our mission is to purchase homes that can be leased to these adults who wish to make a “home” in a safe traditional neighborhood with access to community and ecumenical support.
About Us
FOL will work with the families and/or service providers as we offer places to live that will help developmentally disabled adults avoid homelessness or the despair of living in an unsafe environment. We will not exclude any developmentally disabled adult based on race, gender, creed, or religion.
Our desire is to provide the following:
Foundations of Love, Inc. is a non-profit organization.
How Did Foundations of Love Begin?
Karen Schneider, a native of St. Charles County, Missouri, had a vision of providing affordable homes to those less fortunate. She founded Foundations Of Love, Inc. as a result of this vision.
“Home” is not just a structure or building, it’s an atmosphere of belonging, warmth, and support. The vision of Foundations Of Love has deep roots back to Karen’s childhood in the 1960s when her father quietly advocated for a local, severely crippled black man. “Uncle Louie”, as she knew him growing up, was helped financially by Karen’s dad and a few other men in the community. Together, they provided Uncle Louie a small house trailer to call “home” and he was regularly included at Schneider family gatherings to celebrate Easter, Christmas and other holidays.
Many years later, in 2004, Karen became a financial and personal advocate for a middle-aged woman with developmental disabilities. It was through this experience that Karen began researching the feasibility of creating an organization that would allow people with developmental disabilities the same opportunity provided to “Uncle Louie”.
Who Will Be Helped by Foundations of Love?
"The federal definition of developmental disabilities covers persons whose disability occurs before age 22 and includes a mental or physical impairment or a combination of both. There must be a substantial limitation in three or more of these major life areas: self-care; expressive or receptive language; learning; mobility; capacity for independent living; economic self-sufficiency; or self-direction."
Foundations Of Love, Inc. Executive Board
Members of our Board of Directors have experience in the fields of real estate, medicine, finance and accounting, and business development. They bring extensive expertise associated with residential real estate leasing, real estate management, business accounting, business development and operations. Each board member has a burning desire for those less fortunate within their community.
Executive Board
Chairman/Founder - Karen Schneider
Karen Schneider, a native of St. Charles County, Missouri, is founder of Foundations Of Love, Inc. She currently serves as its Chairman of the Board.
Karen is a financial advisor with Edward Jones; she opened her current office in St. Charles in 2003. The focus of her practice is to help individuals and business owners implement investment strategies so they can achieve their personal goals. Karen, who joined Edward Jones in 1995, has more than 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resource Management and Organizational Development.
Besides Foundations Of Love, Karen serves as a board member of Saints Joachim & Ann Care Services; VFW Auxiliary Post 5077; St Charles Chamber of Commerce; Toastmasters International and is a member of Harvester Christian Church in St. Charles, Missouri.
President - Debbie Green
Debra Green is a well-seasoned registered nurse. Her past career avenues have included hospital floor nursing, hospital operating room nursing, Clinical Care Coordinator for the Chief of Orthopedic Surgery, and Nurse Manager in a 16-room outpatient surgery center with responsibility for 60 employees.
Debbie says, “I believe in Foundations Of Love, Inc. because we all deserve to have a roof over our heads and a neighborhood where we feel honored and comfortable. I am privileged to have already realized this in my life and my goal with this organization is for others to have the same realization. I have always set high personal standards of professional and ethical productivity for myself. I see the glass as half-full.”
Debbie is committed to her church, Harvester Christian Church, in St. Charles, MO. She is a founding member of the adult choir and has served in multiple leadership roles within the choir.
Vice President - Shirley Sellenschueter
Shirley Sellenschueter is a partner in R&S Real Estate Holdings, LLC. She has been involved in real estate for years and has participated in family-owned businesses since 1964. Currently, she is an owner-manager of Mark Twain Mobile Home Park in O’Fallon, MO and has owned/operated/ and sold multiple apartment complexes and mobile home parks.
She has served as a Sexual Assault Advocate volunteer, a volunteer for homes for battered women, and was a member of Sunrise Rotary Club. Shirley served as Executive Board Member of First Assembly of God Church and on the church’s Women’s Executive Board. Shirley also served as board member for New Beginnings, a home for unwed mothers.
Her knowledge of real estate and management, as well as a talent for decision-making and problem solving are contributions to the successful direction of Foundations Of Love, Inc.
Treasurer - LuAnn Jezek
LuAnn serves as treasurer for Foundations of Love.
Secretary - Pam Roth
Pamela Roth has worked as a staff nurse, Nurse Manager, software trainer for a medical records company, an ICU nurse, and a health coach. She says, “I have no particular aptitudes which set me apart for this service except for a willing heart. I have been a nurse for 23 years, and my first job was working with mentally retarded or developmentally disabled children.”
“I think it is more important that you know about my sister and her struggle with mental illness; she has battled her disability for 20 years. She has struggled to keep assistance and, if it were not for the abundant love and perseverance of my mother and father, I am not sure she would be here today. I understand the difficulties of those who see the world differently than you and I. I have had a personal glimpse of the trials that must accompany those who do not have a loving advocate for their well-being.”
“It is my goal to help enable adults with developmental disabilities to live as I do… supported in a community.”
How You Can Help
We are looking for partners as we provide safe living conditions for adults with developmental disabilities in traditional neighborhoods.
Partner with Us Financially
We need your help to provide safe housing for a reasonable and affordable cost to this group of adults. Your gift is tax-deductible. Visit Make a Donation to learn more! (this will link to that page)
Partner with Us as a Volunteer
We need volunteers to serve on teams for maintaining our FOL houses with lawn care, snow removal, holiday decorating, and other social activities.
Personal care for the residents will be provided by their family members or contracted agencies.
Make a Donation
FOL has several properties currently held in escrow. Help us move forward in providing safe homes!
Your donation will help to make a difference in the lives of developmentally disabled adults in St. Charles County! We are currently seeking to raise funds for the purchase of single- and multi-family residences through private and corporate donations, planned giving commitments, and federal grants.
A legacy gift is made by incorporating Foundations Of Love in your trust, will or other estate planning documents.
You can donate your home to Foundations Of Love by passing ownership to FOL via a Beneficiary Deed on your property.
All donations will be acknowledged with a receipt.
Donations are tax deductible. Foundations Of Love, Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit organization under the umbrella of the Community Council of St. Charles County.