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Brian Mavis (00:01.098)
Hello, hello, hello. Welcome to the foster friendly podcast. I'm your host, Brian Mavis with, my cohost and Travis. I forgot to think of an adjective. I am really slacking on that lately. And so with, my bald cohost Travis. Yeah. So I like, to give our, my ad adjectives to every episode. And I usually have some that aren't, easily understood because they're.
Travis (00:11.63)
Off the work today then, I mean.
There we go.
Travis (00:27.724)
We never know what they mean. yeah.
Brian Mavis (00:28.438)
Rare words, but everyone knows what bald is and so shaved head shaved shaved. Yeah, so and today man, we have a special guest and People who are listening to this are gonna say I love where she works and we have a lot of fans of This particular restaurant. So today our guest is Callie Priest and she's the director
Travis (00:31.982)
Shaves that, there you go.
Brian Mavis (00:54.6)
of strategic partnerships for WindShape Homes. And people are like now like, well, what's WindShape Homes? Well, WindShape was founded in 1987 by Chick-fil-A's founders, Truett and Jeanette Cathy. And so now people are like, okay, Chick-fil-A, they're tuning in now. And so we're gonna learn about WindShape and what they do. But in general, kind of a 30,000 foot view, it was founded with the hope of
Callie (01:11.12)
Thank
Travis (01:11.886)
Thank
Brian Mavis (01:24.33)
creating a supportive environment for children who have faced challenging circumstances in foster care. so, Callie, really grateful to have you join us today and learn about your work. Welcome.
Callie (01:39.439)
Thank you so much. I'm so excited to be on this podcast. You guys are world renowned and incredible podcast. And so the invitation has been, I've been so excited to get to be on this with you guys.
Brian Mavis (01:46.932)
Uh-huh.
Travis (01:47.598)
Ha ha ha!
Brian Mavis (01:50.19)
Yes. Okay, you're doing very... So far, you're great guest so far, Uh-huh. Alright.
Travis (01:50.966)
No!
Off to a good start!
Callie (01:56.975)
No, that's good. That's good. No, thank you for the intro. That's right. So Wind Shape and Chick-fil-A and just an incredible legacy that I get to be a part of stewarding.
Brian Mavis (02:08.19)
Yes, and to our listeners, I was just right before we hit record complaining to Callie because I've never been to Wind Shape and everybody I know seems to have been there. so it's not Callie's fault. It's all my friends who somehow I don't get the invite. Yes. So so I'm looking for. Yeah, this is just going to whet my appetite even more. But before we get into some of the serious stuff, we've got some youth group.
Travis (02:24.664)
Ha ha ha ha
Brian Mavis (02:36.928)
Questions, know ice ice break stuff. Yes, so First of all, I've got to know. Hey Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Well, it's a truth or dare here we go what you want No have I got to know have you ever worn the cow costume?
Callie (02:38.2)
I love that. Okay, yes.
Callie (02:43.279)
I wasn't nervous. Now I'm a little nervous about you. Oh, no. Okay. Okay.
Travis (02:45.016)
No, he's good.
Ahahaha!
Callie (02:55.977)
I have never worn the Cal costume, I, so our office is here at the Chick-fil-A support center. So we have a main campus, our retreat foundation campus up in Rome, Georgia. Beautiful, amazing. We're going to have you there. But we have the privilege, our one shape home staff gets to office out of the Chick-fil-A support center here in Atlanta. So I will say, Brian, when you come visit us, I have not worn the Chick-fil-A Cal costume.
Brian Mavis (03:10.654)
Okay, okay.
Travis (03:11.576)
Haha
Brian Mavis (03:18.315)
Mm-hmm.
Callie (03:23.695)
but there is one right outside of my house. So we're at our warehouses. Yes, so we'd to put you in it if you come here. So, yes.
Brian Mavis (03:25.622)
Another bucket list item I get to check off. Alright.
Travis (03:32.287)
we need that.
We need that.
Brian Mavis (03:35.448)
you're good at this. good at this. Youth group questions. Okay, I got another one. And Travis, you can answer this one too. What is your go-to sauce?
Callie (03:48.265)
Mmm, Chick-fil-A sauce all day long. That's easy for me.
Travis (03:50.744)
Yeah, I mean, that's a softball, Brian. I mean, isn't it?
Brian Mavis (03:50.774)
Okay, alright, this, this, alright. Really? Really? You guys? Oh, you guys, no adventure in...
Callie (03:55.016)
no.
Callie (04:00.953)
Close second though is the buffalo sauce. So close second is the buffalo sauce. It's really good.
Travis (04:01.026)
Well, yes.
Nah.
Brian Mavis (04:05.81)
Okay, okay, I'm the sriracha guy.
Travis (04:09.283)
yeah. Well, I said the same as you, but I forgot about Sriracha. I love Sriracha, so I'm switching mine.
Callie (04:09.326)
you're the scratcher guy. Okay. All right. Travis, it's for you.
Brian Mavis (04:11.348)
Yeah, so yeah, little heat.
Brian Mavis (04:19.257)
Yeah, it's got a nice little, I mean, not only a little heat, but a little sweet on that one. So I'm a big fan of that. So yeah, to our listeners, you're welcome to know about the Sriracha sauce. It's gonna change your life. Okay, so thanks for playing along. so yeah. Travis, let's get a little bit more serious here. Just steer the ship in it. Okay.
Callie (04:24.963)
Yep. That's a good one.
Travis (04:31.999)
Ha ha ha ha
Callie (04:33.519)
Exactly.
Callie (04:37.529)
Yeah, you're welcome.
Travis (04:41.16)
All right, well, we'll dive in. Okay, sweet.
Callie (04:44.463)
and chicken rice sauce. That's a good way to start the body.
Brian Mavis (04:46.934)
Yes, yep.
Travis (04:49.236)
It is fun times. So we'd really love to hear, what, give us a little bit more of your backstory on yourself and your family and how you came to engage in foster care. Kelly.
Callie (05:00.143)
Yeah, absolutely. So my background actually is not in the foster care space. So I am a little bit of a weirdo and rogue in this space. So I came to Windshaped Poems about three years ago. And prior to that, I actually have had a career in nonprofit leadership and then in local church ministry, specifically in global strategy and global partnership development. So prior to coming to Windshaped, I
felt a call to be in ministry. I love the local church. I love pouring my life into the local church and serving the saints and equipping them for the work of ministry. And primarily had kind of focused my career and become an expert in global partnership development. where is the church? Where do people have access to the gospel in the world? Where do they not have access to the gospel in the world? And then how can we make sure
they do have it. So I've 15-20 years of my life to that. And in a unique season of my life of serving the local church, obviously came into proximity with foster care, adoption, had many partners even in our city from Birmingham, Alabama originally. So that's where I've even served in the local church there. And so, you know, was part of
Brian Mavis (06:15.989)
Mm.
Callie (06:23.887)
I guess what you would say, know, mobilizing the church in small ways, you know, to engage our neighbors well and to consider foster care. I don't think though that I really had a good understanding and honestly even an awareness to how to even steward my life into faithfulness for vulnerable children and families until our church, we did a series actually where our pastor
For about a year, we spent a time of just repentance and prayer and study of God's word of what it meant to actually make disciples, to love our neighbors, to give our lives for the sake of others, you know, in our families, in our city, and around the world. And I remember one Sunday, he had the local defax leader come on a Sunday morning and she talked about our county, she talked about the need that we had.
I think at that time there were about 120 kids that were in our county in the system. And then so our pastor did the whole like, guys, need to engage and how are we gonna do this? And then I think we had 350, 400 people show up two weeks later for a meeting that we partnered with our local defects leaders in. And we had tons of families that got licensed, began the process of becoming foster parents.
Interesting enough though, like a few years later, I remember standing in the hallway of our children's ministry and one of those friends of mine that they had, you know, engaged in the work of foster care. was like, Kali, I haven't been to church in six months because my kid keeps getting kicked out of preschool ministry. And so you guys called us into this and yet weren't ready and equipped to actually to receive. And so my little story and thread of, of, of understanding foster care has really been in the church leadership space.
Brian Mavis (08:04.798)
Hahaha
Travis (08:05.835)
No.
Brian Mavis (08:18.623)
Mm-hmm.
Callie (08:18.783)
and realizing it's such a big reality when you mobilize people into foster care. So I really, three years ago, when Wind Shape Homes began a conversation with me, Wind Shape Homes was kind of in this unique season of needing some different strategy and growth reality. And so again, not an expert in foster care. I'm not, like that's what's so weird about why I'm even here at Wind Shape Homes, but what I am an expert at is strategy, development, partnership.
and then how to mobilize the local church specifically into the work that God has asked his people to engage in. So I'm super passionate about the people of God mobilized into the purposes of God. And this is a clear, distinct call that God has given his people to engage to care for vulnerable families and children. So doing that here in Atlanta and got some incredible churches that have partnered with Wind Shape Homes, aligned churches, churches that are
Travis (09:08.462)
know.
Callie (09:16.323)
desiring to bless the city and to bless families and to open their homes to be foster parents. And so it's been a joy. I'm a little bit of the idiot in the room again here at Windshaped Homes and I love that because I get to kind of raise my hand and say, do we have to do it this way? Why is this so complex? What is, it's a very complex reality. I tell my team all the time, honestly, it feels easier for me to think about how do we plant churches in a place like Somalia?
Travis (09:33.006)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (09:33.055)
Mm-hmm.
Travis (09:37.358)
Hmm.
Callie (09:44.271)
But then engaging in the foster care system has been a real eye-opener for me of how unique and complex it is. I'm excited. It feels like this time of redemptive history. There's just a lot of good things that are happening in movements and people that are engaged in this space that I'm so hopeful for the kingdom realities that are happening, especially in our city here in Atlanta and throughout the state of Georgia right now. So that's a little bit about me.
Travis (09:51.342)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (09:51.36)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Callie (10:13.059)
I'm an Auburn grad, Moor eagle. don't know. But yeah, so again, interesting kind of, I'm not a foster parents. I am just a faithful Christ follower that's wanting to help mobilize people into this space to bring more redemptive narratives into foster care and to support those that are doing it.
Travis (10:13.432)
Yeah. No worries.
Brian Mavis (10:34.592)
Part of what you said, reminded me of a book title. were talking about kind of not being the knowledgeable one in the room, but there's a book, called rookie smarts. And it's, and it's this idea of why, like learning is better than knowing. And, you, because you can, like you, you ask those questions that everybody just assumes like, well, this is just the way it is. And so, yeah, there's, there are advantages to coming in and having that fresh perspective for sure.
Travis (10:34.606)
Very cool.
Callie (10:43.584)
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Travis (10:49.166)
Mmm.
Callie (11:01.955)
Yeah, I just wrote that book down, so I'm definitely gonna get that.
Travis (11:02.67)
I thought you were going to say Brian, the book, the Medici effect, which you and I've geeked out on, which is similar in that it says like the greatest innovation happens at the intersection of fields. Kind of that same whole thing too of like, cause yeah.
Brian Mavis (11:05.205)
Yeah.
Callie (11:14.831)
you
Brian Mavis (11:15.528)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So yeah, you're going to come out with a new book budget on Amazon.
Travis (11:21.728)
Yes.
Callie (11:21.751)
Actually, I've hired some really amazing people on my team that are just, know, one young man on my staff actually is a former foster youth. He does all of our marketing and branding. He's our voice. You know, others that are on my staff, fostered, incredible team. And so, you know, it's been really fun to just build a team around me, even that our experts in this space.
Brian Mavis (11:32.042)
Mm. Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (11:44.522)
Yeah. Yeah. People with lived experience.
Callie (11:47.615)
Mm-hmm, yeah, yeah, yeah. But then allow me to kind of bring our strategy mind and our church-centric minds and reality to this space of foster care. So, Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (11:57.087)
Yeah. Okay. All right. So, let's, let's our listeners and me too, honestly, to understand more about, you know, wind shape homes and, and, what you guys, what your services you have, what programs you have. And a question I always like to ask is what does winning look like? And so, yeah. So fill us in on what wind shape home does.
Callie (12:02.99)
Yeah.
Callie (12:16.247)
Yeah, that's a good
Callie (12:21.357)
Yeah, so you did a great job of introing it. So Wind Shape Homes is one of the five ministries of the Wind Shape Foundation. So Wind Shape Foundation was established by Truett and Jeanette Cathy, same founders of Chick-fil-A, same founders of our foundation. There's actually multiple programmatic realities within the foundation that a lot of people have heard of, Wind Shape Camps, Wind Shape Marriage Retreat, there's a college program, multiple things, creating experiences that where God can transform.
Brian Mavis (12:33.91)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (12:42.676)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Callie (12:48.751)
But in 1987, when Shape Homes was established, it, Kathy had just a real desire to care for vulnerable families and children, even with some unique stories of his family and background. And so he just had a really good lens for seeing the vulnerable around him and God had blessed him with resources and success. so his whole purpose was to then be able to meet the needs with the resources that God was giving him.
Brian Mavis (12:57.995)
Mm-hmm.
Callie (13:18.747)
And so he though realized it was a pretty major crisis, you know, of vulnerable around the world and in the nation and here in the state of Georgia. And so he decided that one of the ministry arms that they wanted to establish was a group care model. And so there was actually a group care program that was started in 1987. That was the very first model of care for wind shape homes. And so he
built beautiful homes, he found two parents that he would hire a family. So think a traditional group care program where family model children were able to be placed in these homes for relational permanency, for stability, and then for a future. our programmatic reality was to give them stability, safety, relational permanency, and then even help them propel into the future.
Travis (13:52.952)
Mm-hmm.
Callie (14:13.305)
College is paid for, ongoing support. have generations now of kiddos that have come through our group homes that return home for Christmas and Thanksgiving. There's now grandkids and great grandkids that many of our families have. So we still actually have that model today. And there are nine homes that we have spread out through Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama. Incredible parents, especially trying to prevent kids from going into the foster care system.
Travis (14:14.668)
Mm-hmm.
Travis (14:25.582)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (14:33.995)
Mm.
Travis (14:42.498)
Mm-hmm.
Callie (14:42.905)
That's a private placement model that we take referrals from all over the nation to help, you know, examples of grandmother, 92 year old grandmother raising 15 year old grandson has cancer and there needs to be a long term plan and has no other support. And so, you know, when Shape Homes is able to step in and receive that child to keep, you know, relational contact with grandmother, but also to have an opportunity to have stability.
Brian Mavis (14:45.11)
Mm.
Brian Mavis (14:55.702)
Mm. Mm.
Travis (14:57.656)
Mm-hmm.
Callie (15:10.747)
for the future, know, partner with DFACS, partner with other community partners for those referral processes, but incredible opportunity to care well for kiddos that are in our home. Interesting enough though, that model that, you know, is very good and we feel like we have one of the best models of care when it comes to group care. The state of Georgia though, back in 2016, 2017,
think there were about 15,000 kids that were in the system at that point. So next generation of Cathys that were leading WindShapes homes realized that our group care model is not easily reproducible. It's something that's not easily multi, you we can't multiply it. It's expensive. It's it's a certain type of model. But how are we going to engage in the crisis of our states? And so actually began to research and decided that becoming a child placing agency, so partnering with the state to become a licensed CPA.
Travis (15:48.184)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (15:52.619)
Mm-hmm.
Callie (16:04.759)
so that we could mobilize Chick-fil-A team members, that we could mobilize believers and partner with churches into this space to actually open their own individual homes to foster. And so became a child placing agency with the state of Georgia in 2017. And that's kind of, you know, the new model basically of care that we have. And so able to mobilize more people into this space to become foster parents.
Incredible opportunities that we have as well is that we were able to start our clinical care program. And so through the resources that we have, we have an in-house clinical team. every child that's placed in a home in our group care program, but then also in our foster care program has access to our therapeutic services, our clinical care team. Every family that's fostering with us is supported through that clinical team. 24 hour access to them. And at two o'clock, you know, in the morning call when
Travis (16:59.854)
Hehehe.
Callie (17:00.435)
things aren't going well, you know, like you've got access to your clinician, incredible case managers, incredible staff that support them. And then on top of that, we also then have basically our church partnership program and model where we're mobilizing people to care well for people that are fostering. And so as we are opening foster families, we want to make sure there's good care communities that are.
Brian Mavis (17:07.21)
Mm-hmm.
Callie (17:24.811)
around them to stabilize and make sure they're doing it for a long time and that they're doing it in a healthy way. And so, you know, hopefully as churches are onboarding into this, then we're putting care communities in those churches that are wrapping around, you know, those families that are fostering. So two pillars, foster care, our group care, and then supporting them through our clinical care services and our care community partnerships that we have.
Travis (17:41.838)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (17:48.607)
Yeah, that's so for our listeners, we have listeners who are old pros and others who are just learning. So one of the advantages of going with an agency like yours is that you can get that extra care, that clinical care that in some cases you don't get when you're working through the government or, and then some agencies just don't have the resources you guys have.
Callie (18:04.164)
Right.
Brian Mavis (18:16.042)
So help me understand a little bit more about your work, working with the churches. So I'm still trying to get some clarity on that. Tell me.
Callie (18:25.859)
Yeah, yeah, so our main kind of mobilization of foster families is to partner with a local church and to raise awareness of the need in our community, partnering with pastors, partnering with those local ministry leaders in those local churches. And so we form partnerships specifically in our counties of service that we're able to serve. And we try our hardest not to see the church as a transactional partner.
Travis (18:47.118)
you
Brian Mavis (18:54.998)
Great, yeah.
Callie (18:55.597)
we value the local church. I believe that the church is the agent in which God is accomplishing his mission in the world. And so we see ourselves as experts in child welfare. And so we partner alongside a church to help them understand the need in our community, even understand the biblical theology of foster care.
intersects and so we do a lot of work of development and friendship and ministry partnerships so it's less transactional of give us your people and your resources. We want to apply our resources and apply our people to that local fellowship so then we are able to see families mobilized out of a healthy church ready for foster and then as they use us as the agency
Brian Mavis (19:28.425)
Yes, yeah.
Travis (19:40.781)
Hmm.
Callie (19:45.167)
to help license, to train, to support. Then we are also, in that meantime, as we're mobilizing families to become foster families, we are actually with the church helping them create a foster care framework, a care community structure. How do you budget? How do you staff? Like, what do your volunteers look like? How can we help resource and actually help you develop a foster care ministry inside your church as we are helping your families become foster families? So...
Brian Mavis (20:00.087)
Mm.
Travis (20:00.088)
Hmm.
Brian Mavis (20:11.776)
Okay.
Callie (20:12.495)
Kind of this give and take, know, like we want to mobilize people to partner with us as agency, but also we want to pour in to make sure that they're cared for well. Trying to mobilize more respite families, you know, to make sure a family has a group of respite families to care for them, making sure their physical, you know, spiritual needs are met as they're fostering. And then even doing like trauma training with them. How do you become a trauma-informed church, you know? And so...
Travis (20:22.2)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (20:22.773)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (20:37.046)
Mm-hmm.
Travis (20:37.806)
Hmm.
Callie (20:37.807)
It's been incredible. churches, we've got about 31 church partnerships here in the Atlanta area. Incredible churches in all varying degrees, know, of foster care ministry as is. you know, we've really been blessed. God's been really kind to Windshake Homes to bring on incredible leaders and churches to engage in this work here that we have. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Travis (20:46.306)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (20:47.359)
Yeah.
Brian Mavis (21:00.31)
Great, awesome.
Travis (21:02.668)
Yeah. Really cool to see continue to grow and expand and do new things. so speaking of new things, you guys have launched a brand new podcast, right? Earlier this year, the wind shape homes podcast. I've checked it out. It's really great. You guys are off to an awesome start. Tell us about it. The vision behind it, all that.
Callie (21:06.712)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Callie (21:13.399)
We have, yes.
Callie (21:22.125)
Yeah, so a few years ago, my staff, were sitting in one of those brainstorming meetings of, why are there so many barriers? Like, we're just kind of hitting some barriers of calling people into this and even engaging churches in this. And as we were praying and thinking, like, realized that awareness really was a big barrier that we have, specifically in our community.
And so we begin to just kind of think and pray. All right, what can we do about this? How can we raise more? There's plenty of information out there, but how do we get it to people? What kind of stuff do we want people to have? And begin to realize, besides y'all's podcast, many of the podcasts or information and resources that were out there were really, really good. But a lot of the narrative in this space is how hard, how difficult.
Brian Mavis (21:54.998)
.
Callie (22:11.371)
even kind of advocacy voice, which is very good, but we realized there was some opportunity to add a more redemptive narrative to this story. so I began to just pray like, okay, how can we add a better story of foster care into this space? And so that's where the podcast idea came out is how do we bring our friends into the studio and just talk about like,
Brian Mavis (22:20.47)
Mm.
Callie (22:39.853)
the gospel threads of foster care. How do we talk about the redemptive narrative that yes, it is hard. We are inviting people into suffering and inviting people into trauma as you open your homes for foster care and God is present and Christ is for us and Christ has given us what we need to do this. And so that's our aim. Honestly, we have had a blast. It has been so much fun. Jamie Phan was our first guest.
Brian Mavis (22:44.587)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (22:56.17)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (23:05.948)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Callie (23:08.515)
We've got Peter Mudabasi. mean, I know these are people that you know, Jason Johnson, who's been on your podcast. mean, so just a lot of our friends in this space that are willing to offer, you know, just kind of a different lens in some ways that I think has really been helpful. had actually had an email come through about two or three weeks ago from one of our foster moms that's a wind shaped foster mom, incredible family, just, you know, have been fostering for a few years now. And she said, Kali,
Travis (23:10.712)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (23:12.694)
Mm-hmm.
Callie (23:36.653)
this was the podcast that we needed when we first started thinking about should we open our homes to do fostering. And she said it was just one of those things where we needed this. And so I'm so thankful that people have it now to just even begin to consider should they step into this. So yeah, we've got a whole season recorded. we're releasing episodes now and we've got actually, so we went to CAFO a few months ago in Houston, Texas, CAFO being one of the big.
Brian Mavis (23:39.318)
Hmm.
Travis (23:43.576)
Awesome.
Travis (23:51.214)
Very cool.
Brian Mavis (24:04.916)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Callie (24:06.655)
in our space and actually did live recording on the trade show floor. It was so much fun. So a lot of the keynote speakers we got to have on and so that's season two that'll get released kind of at of the year. So yeah, we knocked it out. I know we literally knocked out like seven episodes. Well, that's all right. I can't wait to have you guys on there at some point though. So again, when you come to Atlanta, we'll make sure it happens.
Travis (24:09.811)
cool.
Brian Mavis (24:20.32)
That was smart. All right. Yeah. We should have done that Travis, but.
Travis (24:22.062)
Yeah.
Travis (24:26.026)
Yeah, we, yeah, no, we weren't that smart.
Brian Mavis (24:28.956)
No, no, yeah. That'd be great. Yeah, yeah, as long as I get to put on that cow suit. right. Interviewing the cow. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's a good idea, good idea. OK.
Travis (24:34.862)
There you go, Brian.
Travis (24:38.67)
for the podcast.
Travis (24:44.128)
We need that. Yeah. Brian with the. It's totally on brand. That's on brand for Brian.
Callie (24:51.439)
That's so good. No, it's been a lot of fun. We're hoping to see this as like an opportunity to generate just even more resources to specifically for folks that are engaged with us. Yeah.
Travis (24:59.736)
Yep. Yes, for sure. Yep.
Brian Mavis (25:02.58)
Yeah. Okay. So yeah, so you mentioned CAFO and for some of our listeners that stands for Christian Alliance for Orphans and they have a annual conference and they do other work. So you've connected with them. You've helped us with, you guys hosted one of our video programs, I belong project at your headquarters and
I think you've got some other collaborative works and partnership. I'm actually at a conference right now that's all around figuring out how to work together, collaborating. I'd love to hear more, especially since it sounds like God has kind of gifted you this way when it comes to developing things and strategizing. What do you see happening in terms of collaboration in the space of foster care?
And we think people are trying, but it's challenging.
Callie (25:58.679)
Yeah, it is. Well, it's never easy, I think, to collaborate when you your own program and your own brand, your own vision and strategy for what you're trying to accomplish. But I really do believe that collective impact really is important to consider. One of the things that we kind of view at Windshade Poems is this ecosystem idea. That's not a new term.
Brian Mavis (26:03.83)
true.
Callie (26:26.529)
for you and your audience, but it is, I think, helpful because Windshade Homes has been given a vision. We have a vision. We have a mission. We know what we need to do. We, you know, who we are, we're a part of the intervention piece of community, the continuum of care. And, you know, intervention, preservation, like we're, that's our sweet spot. That's who we are. But in this space of child welfare, it is so complex.
Brian Mavis (26:41.109)
Mm-hmm.
Callie (26:51.855)
We want to do everything, right? But we know that this lever has to be pulled in order for this to succeed. so we really know, like we're dependent upon other organizations and we're dependent on best in class organizations that are doing things well and we need their help. so partnering with like a CAFO or partnering with, know, America Kids Belong, Georgia Kids Belong,
Brian Mavis (27:04.949)
Mm-hmm.
Callie (27:17.785)
People are always asking us, we want to adopt, you know, like through foster care. And I love being able to say, hey, go check out our friends at Georgia Kids Belong, America Kids Belong, like, and watch the I Belong Prize. So that's just an easy resource that we don't have the ability to produce and we love what you're doing. And so why not we're aligned, you know, like in what we're trying to accomplish. So making sure that, yeah, we just have healthy ecosystems around us to help accomplish again, just this forward motion of
Travis (27:33.624)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (27:39.061)
Mm-hmm.
Callie (27:47.971)
better care, better outcomes for kids, better, a stronger foster care ecosystem that takes all of us. So yeah, there's multiple partners that we have. know, CAFO is our biggest like alliance from a global standpoint, gives us opportunity to in spaces and around others that are smarter than us and that do things even better than us to help strengthen us. We partner with organizations like Four Others, you know, to help kind of think through.
just even on a national level, like how are we engaged, especially to help governments think through, you know, what they're doing and how can we apply dollars and investment strategies and again, bring the business community into this. So all of that, you know, matters. It's not necessarily our mission, our vision, but it matters, you know, in this big space that we benefit from. So I'm really thankful that there are some really healthy organizations in this space that we get to collaborate with. So yeah, and it's fun.
Brian Mavis (28:22.912)
Mm.
Yeah.
Travis (28:34.574)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (28:44.511)
Yeah, yeah.
Callie (28:45.591)
get to be with your friends to do the work.
Travis (28:47.241)
haha
Brian Mavis (28:49.266)
Yeah. And like you said, this work has a lot of challenges to it. And I mean, partly because the system is, know, everybody complains about the system being broken. And it's like, well, it's a challenging place to step into because you're dealing with people with some deep wounds and brokenness. there is this like it's one of the few things the government says, hey, we need our citizens to volunteer.
Callie (28:56.175)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (29:19.624)
I mean, they don't ask us to go out and fix the roads, you know, and so they're but they're saying, hey, could you open up your heart and home to a child who's in a family that's, you know, suffering right now? And so it's it's a challenging thing. And I think, yeah, there are some great people and great organizations. And we I think a lot of us came in like we're going to be, you know, the answer.
Travis (29:24.044)
Right. Yeah.
Brian Mavis (29:46.295)
And it doesn't take long before I'm like, oh gosh, this is way harder than I thought it was to be, way bigger than I realized. And we do need each other. And so to be able to point to other organizations, be able to talk to other organizations, to help each other out is super important in order to move the needle and make a difference.
Callie (29:56.356)
Right.
Callie (30:15.059)
I think one of the things I've been surprised by, again, kind of as I've stepped into this space, is actually the competitive nature of organizations. I don't know if you guys experienced that or not. I know, it's so interesting. actually, it's actually a discouragement that I have to fight and even keep my team from being discouraged because it's interesting. Yeah, have you?
Brian Mavis (30:20.031)
Mm-hmm.
You
Travis (30:23.906)
this yeah yeah
Brian Mavis (30:26.645)
What?
Travis (30:29.166)
It's.
Travis (30:34.477)
Yeah.
Brian Mavis (30:40.222)
So, okay, let's get, okay. I'm glad, I'm glad exactly. He just took the words right out of my mouth. Let's get real. Okay. Listeners buckle up. I mean, yes. you know, I was trying to be nice and saying there's, there are great organizations and our people here are really wanting to collaborate, but it's true. I want, you know, if you're leading a nonprofit, please have that perspective. mean, I agree with Callie that.
Travis (30:42.283)
yeah. Let's get real here.
Travis (30:54.318)
Yeah.
Callie (30:56.547)
There are, absolutely.
Brian Mavis (31:10.186)
mean, as one of my board members who's very involved in the business government kind of sector, he said, I've never seen a sector this competitive outside of the energy industry, know, where they dig for oil. You know, you think, yeah, it's like, why are you being competitive? There's like, you're not getting rich doing this and you need the help. And so it's true. are.
Travis (31:23.744)
What?
Callie (31:23.983)
What an interesting statement.
Brian Mavis (31:37.462)
people out there who, organizations that are competitive. I'll let you know that is a losing proposition for everybody involved. So this is bigger than any of us can, and we need each other. And so thanks for getting it real there.
Callie (31:50.839)
Agreed.
Travis (31:51.768)
Hmm. Man.
Callie (31:55.853)
Yeah, well, it's been surprising. You know, again, I am thankful for Wind Shape Homes. I'm thankful for the organization that I get to serve and lead in. And one of the things that we have decided is that because of, honestly, because of the generosity of the Cathy family and their desires to make us a significant shift in this space, to add value.
Travis (31:57.725)
Yeah
Travis (32:24.216)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (32:25.13)
Mm-hmm.
Callie (32:25.199)
We've decided that our board, our leaders, like we want to be able to, we want to be a leader in setting the table of cooperation. And so that's something that we actually take very seriously. We do a number of things to make sure that's happening. We have a few events that we even do where it is an opportunity for us to collectively work together.
And again, we can't do everything, but we've decided that we can at least set the table. We can at least set table of hospitality, set the table where there can be constructive cooperation. And I think that there's some opportunities, especially in this space, to continue to do that really well. So I'm hopeful for that. think that's something, yeah, we feel confident that we can do well, but it's a tough time. Definitely.
Brian Mavis (32:55.722)
Mm-hmm.
Travis (33:02.253)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (33:09.408)
Good.
Brian Mavis (33:13.96)
Yes. Yeah. I would, I want to affirm all that. Please keep, yeah. We'll keep, keep leaning into that.
Travis (33:17.102)
Yeah. But discouraging is the right word to you said that because I mean, Brian, you know what, from a high up level AKB, but I've, I've seen even in our state in South Carolina, some things where potentially, I mean, collaborations were going to happen that didn't. And at the end of the day, like you're like, okay, we both have this common goal. The kids being at the forefront at the end of the day, when you see someone like get ugly or fall away or whatever, like,
Callie (33:20.483)
Yeah.
Brian Mavis (33:31.364)
yes!
Travis (33:44.054)
What is that? Like, is this your identity is so tied to this mission that if it makes you disappear, which ultimately, I mean, if it's for the, you you don't want any part of that, or, mean, just the turf or part of it, the ego is the man, it's, it's tough. I mean, we, mean,
Brian Mavis (33:59.287)
Yeah, we tried to you're you're reminding me now Travis. Yeah, Cali We tried to like hey, can we you know come into South Carolina? We think we could really help and serve you guys and and Travis we ran into what Travis calls the foster care mafia Yeah
Travis (34:16.854)
I mean just keep keeping it real okay I mean there's some something going on
Callie (34:22.475)
I'm gonna use that actually now.
Travis (34:24.238)
because that's really what it seemed like because everything else
Callie (34:30.893)
Yeah. Well, I think again, some observations I've made. think it's all, I think it's all out of right, like good intention. I think it's out of honestly preserving what you know is right and true. But this is a space that preservation, you know, like we cannot worry about our brands and our name and our, and even our models. I know that sounds weird. Like there's, there's enough need and enough opportunity for experts and for learning and for again, collaborating.
Travis (34:33.312)
man.
Callie (35:00.463)
And collaboration is hard, it takes energy, it takes follow through, it takes common vision. It's not easy, it is not for the faint of heart. so, yeah, but to create barriers is a whole other thing to prevent.
Brian Mavis (35:03.057)
It is, it is.
Travis (35:07.022)
Right.
Travis (35:13.102)
Yes. That was well put.
Brian Mavis (35:15.366)
Well put yeah, yeah, so this yeah, this took a turn that I didn't expect I'm glad we went here because it was like it needs to be said All right
Travis (35:21.774)
Yeah. Yeah.
Callie (35:21.935)
Yeah, well, and again, I'll finish by saying this. I think the dollar is often times the motivator. I think I am challenged by, you know, that is not going to get us anywhere if we're competing for the dollar at the end of the day. This is the souls of human beings that we are engaged in the work of. And so making sure the right priorities and,
Brian Mavis (35:29.79)
What?
Travis (35:31.843)
Yeah.
Brian Mavis (35:40.83)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (35:46.059)
Yeah.
Callie (35:51.863)
I know no margin, no mission, that's important. We understand that, but at the end of the day, this is not a marketplace reality. This is the souls of individuals that we have been tasked to create services, programs, opportunities, pathways, all the things that we know to care well. And so if we're not about that business, we might need to check ourselves at the door.
Brian Mavis (35:59.831)
Yeah. Yeah.
Brian Mavis (36:13.12)
Well, I'm again, I'm so glad that you said that, keep it real, but also because I do feel like you guys have the reputation of being great hosts and like opening up your, your doors to other organizations and saying, how can we bless you? So very grateful for that.
Travis (36:14.2)
Yes.
Callie (36:28.111)
Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And again, we'll have you here. We'll put the CalCost.
Travis (36:28.302)
Yeah. Oh. Oh, can't wait.
Brian Mavis (36:32.95)
Yeah, I'm glad we got it. Yeah, we have the main point. Keep getting referring to refrain happening here.
Callie (36:37.743)
Thank you.
Callie (36:41.347)
you
Travis (36:41.464)
So, well, trying to move forward from that, which was a great segment. really, yeah, that was, I love that. And challenging and encouraging at the same time. Callie, we'd to ask our guests this question sort of as we get to the ending part of this podcast, but how would you finish this sentence? What kids in foster care really need is.
Callie (37:03.339)
Listen, that's a good question. Do you ask all your guests this? What a great question. Yeah. So again, from from my lens and then what I believe every child means is is Christ. mean, that's that's what I and so again, I know that that's kind of our lens and our our our vision is we want to see families and children experience healing and restoration through the gospel. And so that's what we believe. And that's what's
Travis (37:04.59)
A variation of that, yeah.
Brian Mavis (37:06.526)
Yes.
Callie (37:33.091)
Yeah, I think that's where we pour our lives for that ambition. They need a lot, but access, I think, to the gospel. think that means stable families and families that are willing to sacrifice their lives for a child to be in their home is what a child in foster care needs.
Brian Mavis (37:51.915)
Yeah, I just met two young, young adults who were raised in foster care. Essentially one was trafficked when she ran away. The other one again, spent most of his life as a foster youth and they both just credit like, Hey, and now like one's in college, one graduated, they're doing, you know, they're, doing well. And they both credit it's like, was, it was, you know, Christ who gave them like,
someone you know god loves me and so maybe i can care for care about myself too like i'm like i god thinks i'm worth worth worth it so they started seeing value to like okay maybe i'm my life isn't a waste and it's meaningful so that's so good
Callie (38:41.187)
And that's less proselytizing. That's not even what that means, but a family that understands and is ready and opening their home because of what they're And yeah, whatever the outcome is of a child, but the fact that they've been in a Christ in our home, that sacrifice piece is knowledge and understanding and care comes across.
Brian Mavis (38:49.908)
Totally, yeah. And that's, yeah.
Brian Mavis (39:03.358)
Yeah, I imagine it exists, but I don't think I have ever met a family who said, I'm doing this in order to have a cut. They're like, I'm doing this because I am a Christian, not because I'm trying to make a Christian. Yeah. All right. So tell our listeners how they can learn more about Windshade Poems and what the services are available. What would you recommend for people at NetSy?
Callie (39:10.507)
Right.
Callie (39:14.703)
Right. Right. That's a great way. Yeah, that's a great way to say it. Yeah.
Travis (39:16.108)
Yeah.
Callie (39:31.095)
Yeah, so our website, winshapehomes.org, very simple, can go there to learn more about our private placements model, so our group care, and that's the nationwide referral reality. So, you know, that's something that's available all over the US. So if there are families in need, you know, if you've got social workers or school social workers that, you know, have needs, we'd love to be able to have a family be referred to us and love to serve a kid in our group care program.
Brian Mavis (39:35.007)
Okay.
Brian Mavis (39:46.089)
Right.
Callie (40:00.943)
And then in the state of Georgia, like we're a foster care agency here in Georgia. So if you're in the state of Georgia, interested in fostering, we would love to have a conversation about walking alongside of you to become a foster family. And then if you're a local church in Georgia as well, we'd love to help be able to mobilize and help you get a good framework of foster care ministry. I would say too, we offer that service honestly to any church around the nation. If you're interested in foster care, we can help consult to help you build a good foster care ministry within your local fellowship.
Brian Mavis (40:04.085)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Mavis (40:24.029)
Okay.
Okay, great.
Travis (40:30.264)
Cool.
Callie (40:30.613)
And yeah, check out our podcast, Wind Shape Homes. on YouTube. It's on all the streaming services. So you can do that. And then, you you want to follow us on our socials, at Wind Shape Homes. So very easy. Yeah. It was a joy to get to hang out with you guys today. So I'm looking forward to doing it again sometime. All right. You as well. Bye bye.
Travis (40:32.792)
Yeah.
Sweet.
Brian Mavis (40:41.558)
Great. Awesome. Well done. Thank you, Callie.
Travis (40:43.458)
awesome.
Brian Mavis (40:48.189)
You, yes, same for us. Thank you. bless. Yep. Thank you.
Travis (40:48.91)
You too. Have lot of fun.
Travis (40:54.158)
Bye.