Most Engaged Volunteer Award Therese Gruba

By Andrea Busche

The Rosie Awards “Most Engaged Volunteer Award” is given to someone who goes above and beyond, working tirelessly in the region for the good of us all. Duluthian Therese Gruba has found great purpose in her life through helping children, volunteering countless hours to their care.

Gruba has always loved children.

“I’ve always wanted to care for orphans, since I was a kid myself,” she said.

Not only is she the mother to eight of her own, but she is the co-founder and president of New Hope for Families, a non-profit entity specializing in foster care placements and support.

It all started with a mission trip to Mexico through Lakeview Christian Academy.

She visited Rio Bravo Ministries, a faith-based ministry located in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, where she met many orphaned children being housed in a unique setting.

“Wouldn’t it be cool if we did something like this in Duluth?” she thought.

Fast forward a few years, and Therese and her husband,

Jim, along with Joe and Briar Fischer, established New Hope for Families. The organization’s goals include raising public awareness about the need for foster families; supporting families involved in fostering children; working with biological families seeking to be reunited with their children; and letting people know that getting involved doesn’t just mean doing foster care, but providing support in other ways, too.

New Hope for Families recently purchased a former church from the Benedictine Sisters for just $2. Currently, it is home to one local family, with extra room to house six to eight foster children at one time.

Gruba has big dreams to add even more homes to their roster. She and Jim would also like to do respite care in their own home.

But they can’t, and don’t, do it alone.

“We’re an army of volunteers,” Gruba said about New Hope.

The group is immensely grateful for the donations of time, money, and supplies that have poured in from the community.

“I’m in tears almost every day,” Gruba added. “It’s such a community effort.”

Gruba received not just one, but two, nominations: from her husband and her brother-in-law.

“My wife, Therese, is one of the volunteer founders and president of New Hope for Families,” said Jim in his nomination. “Under her leadership, a joint center of operations and emergency foster care building has been acquired and refurbished. The current roster of New Hope foster parents is four and growing.

“Recently, she let me know that she was bringing two boys from one of the homes to spend the night at our house so the parents could have a night off. She would be Mother Theresa if there was an ‘a’ at the end of her name.”

“This award is a podium for raising public awareness,” Therese said. “Churches and schools aren’t open right now, so we can’t go and speak. We have to find more ways to get the word out, and this is one of them.”

Please visit newhopeforfamilies.com or find them on Facebook to learn more. D

New Hope for Families

Vision Statement

In the winter of 2017, God planted a desire in our hearts to find a creative way to remedy the growing shortfall of foster care homes in our community. Thus began our mission to recruit and support a network of foster care homes for children needing a safe place to land during times of trauma & transition. By building a community of support around foster families, we are also able to support biological families in their reunification process. We believe that together, we can make a difference.