Neighbors Helping Neighbors
By Hart DuBois
For decades, Father Joe’s Villages has been a trusted name in San Diego with one mission: To prevent and end homelessness, one life at a time. In the last ten years alone, Father Joe’s Villages has helped more than 11,000 individuals and families gain permanent housing and lasting stability. These efforts could not be achieved without the support of devoted staff, generous donors, volunteers and dedicated Board Members. This year, Father Joe’s Villages was fortunate enough to welcome longtime supporter Michael “Mick” Farrell to the organization’s Board of Directors.
Mr. Farrell’s passion for helping others shines through in both his professional and personal life. He is the Chief Executive Officer of ResMed, a company changing lives with innovative medical devices and cloud-based software solutions that help treat sleep-disordered breathing, COPD and other chronic diseases. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Farrell Family Foundation, a foundation founded by his father with a mission of giving back to the community by supporting education, health, human welfare and the arts.
Even with such a demanding schedule, Mr. Farrell has managed to become an integral part of the Father Joe’s Villages mission. After touring Father Joe’s Villages East Village campus years ago, he was so impressed with the Therapeutic Childcare Center he decided to become more involved. “To think of the children who are born into homelessness, growing up without food or shelter – and sometimes without love or faith – I wanted to make a difference and support Father Joe’s Villages’ important work,” Mick shared with GB Magazine.
Through the Farrell Family Foundation, Mr. Farrell has generously supported the Therapeutic Childcare Center for over five years. In just the last year alone, the center was able to provide more than 68,000 services to infants, toddlers, preschoolers, school-aged children and teens. Homelessness causes immense stress for children and, as a result, the children served by the Therapeutic Childcare Center often have developmental delays and are behind academically. Through the center’s interventions, children improve their psychosocial, academic and physical development. Thanks to the Farrell Family Foundation’s support, 100% of children preparing to transition to kindergarten demonstrated at or above average kindergarten readiness, and 92% of school age children improved their grades in at least one subject.
When Mr. Farrell was asked to join Father Joe’s Villages Board of Directors this year, he was enthusiastic for the chance. “Many people across San Diego donate their time and their treasures to Father Joe’s Villages,” he says. “I get to be a steward of making sure that we maximize the impact of those investments by helping people find a path out of homelessness.” Now that he is a member of the Board, Michael sees his involvement in the organization growing. “I have been given the opportunity to not only give money, but to give my time. Father Joe’s Villages provides food, shelter, warmth, love and faith to people who desperately need them all. It is a beautiful calling that Father Joe’s Villages delivers, and that I am now honored to be involved with.”
