A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

My dad was a founding partner of the Good Samaritan Foundation, an organization whose mission is to serve the most needy in our community-- refugees and immigrants. My dad blessed the lives of thousands of people through food donations, housing assistance, scholarships, job training, English-language training, and the list goes on.

My dad always held the belief and demonstrated to those around him that those who’ve been much blessed have a responsibility to love and serve others as Jesus Christ would. 

I feel privileged to carry on the work that my dad began as I serve in his stead on the board of the foundation. In recognition of his life of love and service, I hope this little acorn pattern can grow into a meaningful donation to those in need.

In August of 2023, after a series of minor surgeries and a stubborn drop foot condition, my dad received the devastating diagnosis of ALS. ALS is an absolutely terrifying diagnosis to receive because the individual is gradually robbed of the ability to walk, talk, eat and breathe until they die. It is 100% fatal, most often within 2-5 years of diagnosis.

It was incomprehensible to think that MY dad, who had always been an athletic, strong, vibrant man was going to face this nightmare. At this writing, I can still hardly wrap my brain around the fact that my dad is gone.

Not surprisingly, my dad took the diagnosis, and the decline of his ability to do EVERYTHING in stride. He never lost his joy for life (which mainly revolved around his family of five children, 16 grandchildren, and my mom). He maintained a positive attitude, and really protected us from the horrors of what he was experiencing. I've never witnessed such courage and grace. He ALWAYS expressed gratitude rather than self-pity, and I will never forget this lesson that he taught by example. He was grateful to not be in pain, for the beauty of the mountains, for the close proximity of his family, for his comfortable home, and the means to take care of himself financially.

My dad passed away June 26, 2025. My grief at losing such a giant figure in my life has been transformative.

I want to be like my dad and I want to make him proud of the work that I'm doing. While I will never fill his shoes, I hope that in my own way I can contribute meaningfully to the mission of the Good Samaritan Foundation. I plan to utilize the talents I've been blessed with, along with the generous hearts of our customers to provide an annual contribution to the foundation.

This year, in the season of giving thanks, I hope to raise money that will be used to provide fresh food to those most vulnerable families in the Rosepark area of Salt Lake City. When you purchase The Acorn downloadable pattern, 100% of the proceeds go towards food for the clients at the Neighborhood Center (the location where Good Samaritan Foundation provides services).

You can feel good knowing that all operating expenses for salaries and building maintenance are provided by Tom Lloyd, my dad's founding partner. That means that 100% of your donation goes to those in need.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support of the Good Samaritan Foundation in honor of my dad!