07/18/2025
I’ll admit it—I’m not great at social media. But I’ve seen so much good in the last three years that I feel compelled to share, in hopes of restoring a little hope for those who may not realize how many truly great kids are out there.
Over the past decade, after walking away from the golf course and recognizing how blessed my life had been, I knew it was time to give back. I made a plan: first, I kept a promise to my dad by going back to church and rebuilding a relationship with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Then I got my first dog in over forty years. And finally, I wanted to help as many children in Salina and the surrounding small towns as I could.
That dog, Auggie, turned out to be a bigger blessing than I ever expected. Somehow, with him by my side, this “old white guy” could reach kids in a way I never could alone. If a dog’s that good, they figure, his owner can’t be all bad.
So how do you actually reach kids? That was the next question. I began helping at Big Brothers Big Sisters, then started teaching Sunday school. But I wanted to do more. So Auggie and I began greeting students at South Middle School each morning, welcoming them with kindness and a smile. Around that same time, a few generous people helped me set up a nonprofit—at no charge—to give this mission a foundation. We called it Crossroads Messenger.
To better connect with students, I made Auggie a certified service dog so he could accompany me at school while I worked as a paraeducator. The income from that job began funding our nonprofit.
What I saw at school was clear: most kids are great, but about 15–20% don’t know what respect or kindness look like. And if you can’t teach those two things, it’s nearly impossible to teach anything else. So Auggie and I set out on a simple mission—model consistent, small acts of kindness and show every child respect.
The 8th graders who just graduated were in 6th grade when we started. And you know what? Things have truly improved—grades are up, fewer kids are sent to in-school suspension, and they’ve even earned back some privileges. It’s working.
I also got involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, making it clear that you don’t need to be an athlete to come and learn about what Christ can do in your life. Attendance grew from 13 to 63 in two years.
Our nonprofit welcomes help from anyone who’s committed to leading a good, kind, and loving life—Christian or not. That’s a personal choice. But if your heart’s in helping kids who’ve been through a lot, we’ll take it.
We were blessed by Messenger Clothing and Crossroads Church, who allowed us to incorporate parts of their logos into ours. Look at it and you’ll see: if you're Christian, it’s a cross; if not, it's just crossed roads—something we’ve all stood at, either needing help or giving it.
Kids love t-shirts. After selling my buildings, Messenger Clothing generously let me keep my 500-square-foot office and use their resources rent-free as long as I continued my nonprofit work from there. That’s how we launched the Respect and Kindness Project at South Middle School—and we’re growing it this year.
I could go on, but if you’re still reading, thank you. And special thanks to the three young men who came to my office and set up a way for people to make donations.
Crossroads Messenger has no overhead. Every dollar you give goes straight to acts of kindness and teaching kids what respect really means. As I told the students at the end of this school year: Now that you’re starting to understand respect and kindness, it’s time to live out Faith, Hope, and Love—with the greatest of these being Love.
I’ve never been good at asking for money, but what better way to spend it than on the future of our kids?
If you'd like to help, your donation—no matter the size—would be deeply appreciated. Because these days, even small acts of kindness can come with a high price.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. You can reach me directly at 785-342-4101.
