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Faces Behind the Mission

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Meet Doug Gilbert:

Earlier this month, in celebration of Doug Gilbert's upcoming July 31 birthday, the Imprints Cares team had the privilege of visiting Doug at his home alongside his wife, Patti, and family friend, Tommy Henley. During our visit, CEO Scott Mollenkopf and Eurikca Felipe Eustache shared our desire to preserve the history of Imprints Cares. Doug immediately came alive with stories, smiles, and memories from the organization's earliest days.

Doug was hired as the organization's coordinator, leading Saturday evening programs for older adults through the Downtown Church Center, a collaborative ministry serving the West End community. While the seniors gathered inside, Doug noticed neighborhood children spending their evenings outside with few opportunities to learn, play, and grow. That simple observation sparked a lifelong conviction that if you want to make a lasting difference, you must invest in children early.

Doug is one of the few individuals who can share firsthand how Imprints Cares began. In the late 1960s, members of St. Anne's Episcopal Church and six other Winston-Salem congregations (St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Augsburg Lutheran Church, Winston-Salem Friends Meeting, First Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church, Centenary United Methodist Church) came together after recognizing that many children from low-income families were entering kindergarten unprepared. United by a shared vision, they founded the Association to Benefit Children's Development (ABCD), which later became Imprints Cares.

Doug fondly recalled driving a little blue van through the neighborhood to pick up children for early learning opportunities. With the support of the partner churches and his dedicated secretary, Elizabeth Fenwick, the organization grew from a community childcare initiative into a leader in school readiness.

More than five decades later, Doug's vision continues to guide Imprints Cares as we help children and families build a strong foundation for lifelong success.

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