Generosity Inspired by Faith: Meet Donna and Fred

The holiday season is special for so many reasons. There is the time spent with family and friends, the warm meals shared, and the gifts passed—each picked with intention for the people we cherish. At CMMB, there is another reason why this season is so special. Each year, amid the hustle and bustle, we are overwhelmed by the generosity of our supporters. It is our honor to have the opportunity to share some of their stories with gratitude and celebration.

You can’t help but smile while speaking with Donna, her husband Fred adding to the conversation occasionally. You can almost picture him nodding in agreement behind the phone line all the way from their Texas ranch, which Donna describes affectionately as “their joy.”

The pair have been longtime friends of CMMB, supporting our commitment to reach women and children around the world with lifesaving access to healthcare. It was that commitment, especially to children, that drew Donna and Fred to CMMB’s mission in the first place. As parents and now grandparents, they have spent their lives extending their compassion to children. Over the course of eight years, they opened their home to 40 foster children in need of a loving environment.

“We first did that when our kids were six and three,” Donna said. “Someone came to church talking about the need, and it felt like God was leading me.”

And that’s the other piece that guides Donna and Fred’s generosity—their faith.

“I really do feel like God brings things into your life, whether foster care or giving to a charity. I have never been guided wrong.”

Like all of us at CMMB, Donna is inspired by the people who put our mission into action. People like Dr. Tom Catena, who has dedicated his life to serving in Sudan. As the only medical doctor and surgeon in the Nuba Mountains, he cares for the people of this war-torn region. Donna is overwhelmed with both relief and hope to know that the construction at the Mother of Mercy Hospital, where Dr. Tom works, is coming to fruition.

For Donna and Fred, giving to the missions they believe in is a calling more than anything else.

“I just believe that God has blessed us abundantly, and it is our duty and our privilege to pass it on,” Donna shared with us. “You have to pick and choose what organizations will help you do it, and CMMB is one that we have always believed in.”

“Giving is better than is receiving. It truly is and the joy that it brings.”

Thank you, Donna and Fred. Your compassion for the world’s children inspires. It is a blessing to call you friends of CMMB—and to celebrate you during this joyful season.