ODB Foundation Advisory Board
Carl T. Amodio
D.C., DIBAK
Carl, a former U.S. Marine, practices holistic medicine at Whole Body Health in Roswell, GA. He does emotional clearing and specializes in helping those who have suffered traumas – physical and emotional – regain their health. “Your thoughts have a direct impact on your physical health. Working with the young people will help them understand that early.”
Richard Becker
Director/Founder of Chrysalis Experiential Academy
“Every child is at-risk. Our children face so many difficult decisions, and My Orange Duffel Bag offers a transformational experience that helps them learn to set goals and make good decisions. We piloted the training for the Orange Duffel Bag Foundation, and I’m proud that our students donated the first check to start the nonprofit.”
Carl Danbury
Publisher “Points North Magazine”
“The Orange Duffel Bag Foundation has an enormous collective heart. The young adults they serve are victims of broken promises and circumstances they had no control over. I believe it is our God-sworn duty to serve them and help them unleash their incredible potential through love, empathy, friendship and faith.” Married to Maureen, father of six children, publisher and founding partner of Points North Magazine.
Dr. Angela Lee
Dr. Lee has been practicing in the Atlanta area for 21 years since moving from her home in Oklahoma. She has supported a local adoption agency by raising financial support and also led a program that targeted at risk groups with low immunization rates. She is the single mother of two wonderful girls she adopted from China.
Elizabeth M. Morrell
“I read about the Orange Duffel Bag Foundation in the newspaper, and came to an event that same night. I was so touched, I bought an entire case of books for my daughters’ school. Caring mentors helped me find my way as a young adult, and helping foster kids and homeless teens appealed to me as a great opportunity to pay that forward.” Elizabeth is a senior business analyst with Riskonnect, Inc, an independent innovator providing risk management technology solutions. She lives in Powder Springs with her husband Bob and 2 daughters.
Michele L. Stumpe Esq.
Taylor | English Duma LLP
Michele Stumpe is a partner at the law firm of Taylor | English Duma LLP. Stumpe has a long history of charitable endeavors involving children, including over 10 years with the Board of Camp Twin Lakes. More recently, Michele and her husband started the Stumpe Foundation which takes a global approach toward conservation education by providing scholarships to the children of wildlife sanctuary workers in Africa and other third world countries.
Spokespeople
Sam Bracken
Vice President and General Manager of FranklinCovey MediaPartner, Operation Orange Media
Sam Bracken shares his story of growing up in Las Vegas with mobsters and motorcycle gang members as his role models. Abused by his wannabe mobster stepfather Leroy and a sadistic older stepbrother, Sam started drinking and doing drugs by age 9. As a 13-year-old his love of sports led him to quit drugs and drinking. He languished in special education classes until an eighth grade teacher discovered he just needed glasses. His mom suffered a mental breakdown and abandoned Sam, then 15. Despite being essentially homeless throughout high school, Sam graduated with a 3.9 GPA as #11 out of a class of 720 and won a full ride football scholarship to the Georgia Institute of Technology. When Sam left Las Vega, everything he owned in the world fit into an orange duffel bag.
Brandon Beachey
Atlanta Braves Pitcher
Brandon Beachy serves as a spokesperson for ODBF. The 25-year-old right-hander set a modern-day franchise rookie record with 169 strikeouts and went 7-3 with a 3.68 ERA in 2011. Brandon spoke to the Atlanta class of ODBF Grads sharing his personal challenges and triumphs over adversity. Brandon presented graduates with their laptops and Orange Duffel Bags that they earned.
Kevin Montgomery
Singer/songwriter Kevin Montgomery, a native of Nashville, dedicated his 2010 50 States in 50 Days Tour to the Orange Duffel Bag Foundation. Montgomery, accompanied by Sean Snook, played a show in a different state every night with the mission of bringing light to the epidemic of teens aging out of foster care and becoming the “invisible homeless.” He is currently making plans for the 2012 50 States in 50 Days Tour launching this summer.
During the 2011 tour, Montgomery blogged and videotaped the stories of those who have aged out of foster care, been homeless as teens, overcame that background or work with teens in crisis. “The biggest surprise is how eager the kids are to tell their stories,” says Montgomery, who is passionate about this cause. “They want people to know what they’ve been through.” The videos can be viewed at www.The50Statesin50DaysTour.com under the tab “Orange Duffel Bag Stories.” He is working on a documentary series on what happens to kids when they age out of foster care.
