Ted McGinn was all-in when he learned how Faith Community Homes helps low-income, working families in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.
Ted McGinn believes each of us has a duty to assist people in need. That’s why he was all-in when he learned how Faith Community Homes helps low-income, working families in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. As both an attorney and a CPA, there was no doubt he could make a difference through FCH.
McGinn, who is managing partner at Lavelle Law, Ltd., in Schaumburg, balances his work life with a robust commitment to community service. He serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations in Palatine, Schaumburg and Arlington Heights.
McGinn joined the Faith Community Homes Board of Directors in 2016. He regularly provides valuable legal opinions and counsel to staff and the board, and he and other attorneys in the firm generously provide pro bono assistance to families in the FCH program. It’s all part of his mentoring attitude: “Collectively we have skills, time and resources available, and we are committed to sharing them with others who are facing challenges in their lives.”
Providing financial training
McGinn first learned about FCH when he met Chuck Warner, executive director, through a networking group in the Palatine Chamber of Commerce. As Warner shared more about FCH and its clients, McGinn became aware of the tremendous need in the community for mentorship in household economic management.
McGinn learned that parents battling financial challenges benefit greatly from hands-on coaching in the basics of keeping a household budget, setting goals and taking steps to save and earn more money. He put his fiscal knowledge to work, assisting families who struggled to map out their monthly financial plans. “Through the guidance of mentors and staff, I could see the families receiving the educational support they needed to help guide them on a path toward self-sufficiency.”
Helping with legal challenges
McGinn also suspected that many FCH clients were dealing with legal problems but could not afford to seek legal counsel. It was then that he saw an opportunity, for himself and the attorneys at Lavelle Law, to help families to navigate their legal challenges. This aid would, in turn, improve the community at large: “As we assist and enable others to better manage their individual affairs, together we can create a stronger community.”
McGinn says serving at Faith Community Homes offers him a targeted way to help people move past challenges. It goes back to his basic sense of altruistic duty: “It’s our responsibility to assist, educate and provide hope for people living on the margins.” He finds it rewarding to participate in the work of FCH, adding, “it is a privilege to be a small part of the large and aggressive outreach mission of Faith Community Homes.”