Sara Canterbury – Why Giving Back Means So Much to Me

We recently caught up with Sara Canterbury, Financial Planner in our Columbus office, to discuss her steadfast commitment to her community, find out a little more about the organizations she supports and why giving back means so much to her.

Sara, could you tell us about your community involvement and why giving back means so much to you?

As I grew up my parents gave so much to our community.  They volunteered on many boards and were very active in our church so supporting your community was ingrained in me at an early age.  Their involvement instilled in me a real sense of pride and belonging to my community which has stayed with me in adulthood.  It means so much to me to be part of my community and I really enjoy helping others in any way that I can.    Also through my community, I get to meet new and interesting people which I value.

Could you share with us a little about the organizations that you are involved in?

One of the organizations that I have more recently joined is the Family Pride Network (FPN) which is a non-profit that connects and supports LGBT families and prospective parents through social events, educational programs, and professional resources.  I got involved through a neighbor and now sit on the board. I have to say that it’s been a real eye-opener discovering what hoops same-sex couples have to go through to become parents.  As a parent myself, I understand that for anyone starting a family it can be difficult and daunting and requires a major commitment but becoming an LGBT parent is even more complex.  So, I felt this was an organization that I really wanted to support.  I also wanted to do my bit to ensure that the greater community is inclusive and supportive of non-traditional family structures.

Another organization I’ve been involved in for a number of years is the Westerville Chamber of Commerce where I sit on the Board of Trustees.  The Chamber does amazing work to bring together the business community who support each other, share resources and collaborate.  I firmly believe that together we are stronger.  Within the Chamber, I’m also particularly active in the Young Professionals Network where I encourage as many young professionals as possible to get involved to keep the organization fresh and dynamic.

Finally, I volunteer at my church as well as volunteering at The Childhood League Center which supports the education of special needs children of preschool age.  I’ve made a five-year commitment to the Childhood League to volunteer in classes and to help with fundraising.  Our focus at The Center is to help these children be kindergarten ready through early intervention and providing excellent resources.  For me, there’s nothing more fulfilling than being able to help children and I just love the interaction with them.

Tell us about the Family Pride Network (FPN) event that’s happening this month?

The Family Pride Network is hosting the LGBT Conference and Resource Fair on Sunday, October 11.  It’s the first conference of its kind in Central Ohio and we are very excited about it!  It will provide a much-needed platform for LGBT parents and prospective parents to connect and benefit from two learning tracks “Supporting Our Family” and “Pathways to Parenting”.  It’s an event geared for all the family and there will be plenty of fun activities for the kids.  We see it as a great opportunity for the kids to engage with their peers and grow in confidence by connecting with other kids who have families that look like theirs.  Participants will also have the opportunity to engage with professional resources such as adoption agencies, foster care agencies, fertility clinics, attorneys, doctors and dentists, financial planners, counselors, and places of worship.  We are delighted that Skylight will be there and be supporting the event.

I must say that it’s awesome to see the level of support that the FPN is receiving.  There’s such a need for this organization and we are hoping to see it grow so we can extend our help and support to others.  Already we are getting interest from individuals in Cleveland who want to find out how they can join.  So the hope is that we can take this state-wide and open other chapters.  Exciting times ahead!

Many thanks to Sara for taking the time to speak to us.

Sara Canterbury is a registered representative of and offers securities and investment advisory services through MML Investors Services, LLC Member SIPC. 2012 W. 25th Street, Suite 900, Cleveland OH 44113.  216-621-5680.