Help Shae raise money

I work in fundraising, but my real job is bearing witness.

Every day, I walk into First Step Staffing's Philadelphia office and I see what most people never get to see — the moment someone's life begins to shift. It might be the quiet pride on a person's face the first time they clock in. The relief in someone's voice when they tell us they finally have enough to cover rent. The determination of a man or woman who has faced homelessness, a justice system, or years of closed doors — and is choosing, against all odds, to walk through this one.

That's why I'm running.

Last year alone, First Step Staffing employed nearly 3,000 people right here in Philadelphia — people who were experiencing homelessness, rebuilding after incarceration, and navigating barriers most of us will never fully understand. We provided over 56,000 rides to and from work, because for many of our clients, transportation is the difference between keeping a job and losing it. We connected over 1,000 individuals with retention services — resource navigation, housing support, upskilling — because getting a job is just the first step. Keeping it, and building from it, is the work.

I fundraise because this work costs something. And it's worth every penny.

When you donate to my page, you're not giving to an organization — you're investing in a person. Someone who just needed one real opportunity. Someone who, with the right support, will change not just their own life, but the lives of their family and their community for generations.

I'll be running my miles thinking of every client I've seen walk through that door. I'd love for you to run alongside me — in spirit and in giving.