Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Lampron. Them and their team share their story with us below:
In the summer of 2017, Terry Walsh and Amber Lampron were having a glass of wine overlooking Lake Harriet and discussing a family in crisis at a school where Amber worked. They saw a need for a way to quickly and efficiently help families remain stable when a crisis strikes. Terry said, “I think we can do this with the help of my band.” And Foothold was born!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We started out very small, only taking in less than $100 dollars a week and only able to help a few families a year. We thought COVID would hurt our donations or opportunities, but thanks to livestreaming technology, Terry’s band actually saw an increase in donations, and we regularly receive $1000 a week from the live shows and the livestream listeners.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Foothold is run strictly by volunteers, primarily Terry Walsh and Amber Lampron, who are the original founders. Amber Lampron works for Richfield Public Schools and coordinates Early Childhood Special Education. This program serves children from birth to age 5 with disabilities. Many of the referrals that Foothold receives are from the public schools from professionals who work directly with the families.
Terry Walsh is a lifelong musician and is the leader of a Minneapolis local legendary band called The Belfast Cowboys. He is known for his beautiful voice that sounds a lot like Van Morrison, his skillful piano playing, and his rockin’ guitar skills. He has a smaller version of the band, St. Dominic’s Trio, that plays each Tuesday at a local hangout in Minneapolis called The Driftwood Char Bar. The majority of the donations for Foothold come from people attending his shows, either in person or via livestream. One of the most popular shows each year is during the summer on the shores of Lake Harriet, a lake within the city, where The Belfast Cowboys regularly have over 2,000 attendees and raise money for Foothold while having a blast at the lake.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Foothold Twin Cities hopes to remain true to its goal of helping families when they need it most and continue our unique status of 100% of donations going directly to families. Our five year goal is to obtain grants to sustain 1 or 2 part-time employees to maintain the organization and to double the number of families helped each year.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.footholdtwincities.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/footholdtwincities
Image Credits
John Botkin
Peggy Walsh
Joe Fahey
Adrian Lampron
Laura Poehlman
