Today we’d like to introduce you to Kipra Anderson.
Hi Kipra, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida, when “Lean on Me” was at the top of the charts. I was an innovative, only child with a strong desire to love and serve in ways that took people’s breath away. Details were important to me, even in my high school student council days. I had a strong interest in advertising and marketing and found Florida State University the perfect fit. As my state’s number one advertising school, it offered many opportunities to learn and grow in my areas of interest. It also proved to be the perfect place to meet a husband. Six months after graduating, Gunnar and I got hitched.
When 2006 rolled around, I was a wife of 12 years, a mom to three young children (4, 6, & 8), everyone’s room mom & team mom, a freelance creative, and a follower of Christ. I found myself with a renewed desire to hear from the Lord, and He was faithful in speaking to me. That October, I was overwhelmed with the thought of what my children would remember if something happened to me. Ideas of things I’d want them to know flooded my brain- family beach trips, sugar cookie making, our weekly cooking rotation, family recipes, their assigned color of Easter eggs, their birthday banner, and so much more. I looked for a business to help preserve these memories and could not find one. I looked at what it took to start (and run) a non-profit and decided I wasn’t doing that. But God was speaking and leading, and He would clarify that I was doing “that.” With the thought out of my mind, I moved on with my life, daily routine, and family celebrations. About that time, God lined things up to be sure He got my attention.
In October of 2006. I was at church, and one of our pastors was preaching. He asked, “Is God asking you to do something you don’t know how to do? “I said no, I’m good. Fast-forward a couple of weeks later, a different pastor is preaching. He asked, “Is God asking you to do something you don’t know how to do? “My husband turned to me and asked, “Why is he looking at you?” I said, “I’m not sure. “That preacher asked us to stand up and pray. I remember telling God, “If you want me to do something, you’re going to have to tell me exactly what it is.” (I was feeling a prodding, but having put the idea out of my head, I was not sure what I was being prompted to do). The next day (less than 24 hours after my prayer), while volunteering at my children’s school, I was working the holiday house, (helping children shop and buy gifts for their parents/family members). A school mom walked in and sat down. The mom in charge asked, “Why is she just sitting there and not helping us?” The “Mom” approached me several times, asking me to get her son out of class. I was not able to get her son out of class, though this request came a couple more times. Finally, she approached me with relief saying his class was on the way, however he had many (more than allotted) things he wanted to purchase. I could only direct her to the ladies in charge so that they could approve the extra items her son wanted to buy. When she was done shopping with her son, I noticed the ladies in charge crying. I asked them what was wrong. They said the mom was sick. I went out in the hall to check on her. At this point, she was talking to a teacher. They hugged, the teacher went in the room, and the mom turned around and collapsed in my arms and said, “The doctors have run out of things to do, and I think this is my last Christmas with my boys. I don’t know what to do. “The whole concept came flooding back, and I told her I knew what to do. We exchanged phone numbers and met a few times over the next couple of months.
The concept seemed like a great idea, almost a natural fit for me, as I was always driven by a desire to create meaningful traditions and memories. Yet the most significant caveat is that I had never been around anyone sick, and I’m blessed to say my parents are still alive, so I didn’t have the best understanding of what I was getting into. Thank goodness God knew and prepared my heart along the way.
In January 2007, I registered with Let There Be Mom in South Carolina. I applied to the IRS to become a 501 (c)3 that March. (It’s important to mention, so you don’t miss God’s work, the timing on the IRS website said it would take 3 to 27 months for approval. We were approved on April 4, less than a month after I sent the application in.) We were initially established as a nonprofit organization created to serve Upstate moms (dads were added later) who had been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. All the families we served would be local and have at least one child under 18.
God’s hand continued to be all over the organization, from assembling the right people to moving hearts to give to providing us with our first mom, Amanda Moon, to serve in August of 2007. Amanda was just 27 years old; she was diagnosed with cervical cancer, & she had a 3-year-old daughter. We were honored to work with Amanda for 3.5 weeks, creating keepsakes for her daughter that would help her get to know her mom throughout her life. We quickly started serving several more moms before Megan Parrott called in March of 2008 (just 7 months after serving our first mom) and said, “I know you don’t serve dads, but my husband was given six weeks to live eight weeks ago. Can you just talk me through this?”. I sat on the phone with Megan, asking her questions that she relayed to her husband, Bryan. Within two hours, projects had been decided on. When Megan responded, “he loves these ideas. How do I do them?’ I knew I had to help them. I figured we’d ask the board for forgiveness later since, after all, we were set up to serve moms who were diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. After serving Brian and Megan, it was ultimately determined that by serving a dad, we were still “Let There Be Mom” (allowing mom to be a mom during these difficult times while she’s a caregiver to her husband and children).
Over the past 17 years, we have served 192 parents; together, they have 164 children. With 12-15 projects per child, this is approximately 5500 legacy projects. We have always had a strong (albeit small) staff, a supportive board, and an army of volunteers and supporters. Our funding comes primarily from individuals, business sponsorships, memorial contributions, third-party events, and our three in-house fundraisers. Each October, local restaurants all join forces to support our mission, making Dine Out for Mom, our biggest fundraiser each year. We also host an online auction, and our Student Ambassadors create a fundraiser each Spring.
As far as my personal life goes, my husband and I have been married for almost 30 years, and our little family of five will round up to eight in June when the last of our three “babies” get married. I try to reflect often to be intentional in noticing what God has done and is doing.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We have been very blessed with Let There Be Mom. Our community is very supportive, and God has been so good and faithful.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Let There Be Mom has a group of Student Ambassadors, local High School Juniors & Seniors. This is the 5th year for that program. Our ’23-’24 class is made up of 21 young ladies. Their role as an SA is to liaise between their schools and our organization. They have to give presentations to their current and past (middle & elementary) schools about our mission; this helps ensure that teachers & staff at local schools are updated on our mission and have a resource to provide to families within their schools. Our Ambassadors attend monthly meetings where leaders from our community teach them about life skills. They also host a fundraiser for our organization. This year’s event will be a Spring Vendor Market held at The Methodist Church of Simpsonville on Saturday, April 27, from 10 -2.
I have a fourth nomination:
LeeAnne Cavin – LeeAnne runs Front Porch Housing – a transitional housing complex like no other! Her energy and dedication to this cause is inspiring! https://www.facebook.com/frontporchhousing
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lettherebemom.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/let_there_be_mom/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LetThereBeMom
Image Credits
Kim DeLoach Photography (several family pictures) Escobar Photography (my head shot, group picture of Student Ambassadors) Darien Marie Photography (several of the family pictures)
