Mustaches That Matter by Jackie Wallentin
Mustaches That Matter launched in July 2014, at Walnut Creek Church, in Des Moines, Iowa to help families in the adoption process cross their financial finish line.
MTM leverages the power of the mustache to assist families adopting internationally, domestically, or through the foster care system. All money raised go into a fund to help multiple families each year. Within the first week, MTM met the month-long goal of raising $25,000. In one month MTM provided $76,131.
Over 200 men participated by growing mustaches, and they passed out business cards and engaged in conversations throughout the month to ask family, friends, and coworkers to financially sponsor their mustaches. Many of the participants and a majority of the financial donors came from outside Walnut Creek, which allowed the gospel and the joy of adoption to spread.
The Ekwalls were one family helped through MTM. After hosting two children from Columbia in 2013, Will and Lori Ekwall knew they wanted to bring Jose (13) and Maria (11) home to stay and join their family, including their three children: Isabel, Eleanor, and Kendall. The Ekwalls hosted Jose and Maria through Kid Save, an agency that provides summer and
weekend foster care programs.
“We went into the program mainly as an advocate family, trying to find a forever family for the kids,” said Lori. “Once Jose
and Maria were here, we knew they were really great kids who needed a home.” The Ekwalls began the adoption process
in September 2013 and last July their family traveled to Columbia to bring Jose and Maria home to Iowa. “We are very
thankful for people’s prayers for us, to know people are behind us,” said Lori.
“It’s so good to be done with the process and have our new family home for good.” Visit mustachesthatmatter.com for more
information regarding the campaign.