Strat Labs

Welcome to Strat Labs’ Changemaker Spotlight Series! This blog series is dedicated to showcasing the inspiring journeys of remarkable individuals who have transformed their passions into purposeful endeavors, leaving a significant impact on the world around them every single day. Join us as we delve into the heart of innovation and commitment, celebrating the extraordinary stories of those who are not just dreaming of a better future but actively shaping it in their journey as a Changemaker.

Paula is the Founder, CEO, and Board Member of There With Care, embodying authentic leadership. Her background in producing major motion pictures equipped her with vital skills in financial management, marketing, and strategic planning, all of which have been crucial in growing There With Care into a thriving nonprofit. Over the past twenty years, Paula’s innovative leadership has transformed the organization from a grassroots effort into a multi-state support system for families facing critical medical crises. One of her early initiatives, a collaboration that brought critically ill children onto the set of Harry Potter, exemplifies her commitment to creating compassionate communities for those in need. Paula’s personal experience with her husband’s successful battle against advanced colon cancer deepened her empathy for families in crisis, further driving her mission. Today, There With Care stands as a beacon of hope, thanks to Paula’s unwavering dedication and visionary leadership.

Can you describe how you and There With Care are making a significant social impact?

There With Care provides essential day-to-day support to families who have a child facing a critical medical illness, and because of that, every day we are embracing a family whose life is turned upside down. For example, one parent may have to leave their job to take care of their sick child, leaving a family’s income cut in half. These circumstances not only affect a family’s finances but also affect their rhythm and support for each other as well as the emotional well-being of the siblings. 

There With Care wraps our arms around these families. They are referred from hospitals, patient navigators, and social workers. Once we start working with a family, we become a community for them. We hold them through their crisis so they’re not alone. We listen to ways that they’re being impacted financially and how we can ease those burdens. We also lean into that isolation that they are forced into by illness, and remind them that there are people who care about them and that they’re not alone – volunteers, supporters, and staff are all there for them to help them get through their journey.

The impact is felt daily as a constant reminder of a population in our community who are isolated and financially in distress. We want to help them reach the other side of that, whatever that looks like for them.

What inspired you to leave behind a successful feature film career to start your journey in the social impact space with There With Care?

When I was working on the first Harry Potter movie, my husband was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer. We went through our own medical crisis and the first day I returned to work in London, I got a misdirected call for a child who wanted to see the film before she died. She had a short life expectancy period of only about three weeks. We set up a screening for her to see a rough cut of the film and after that, I started working with different wish organizations from all over the world.

Spending time with those families on the Harry Potter sets was magical, and to be able to provide the one thing that those kids wanted was great – but it was only one day. I was really moved by the stories that families shared, and I asked one dad if he had many people helping him and he said, “Actually, we don’t. We’re living a parent’s worst nightmare and people don’t know what to say or do, so often they don’t do anything.” That really stuck with me and made me wonder how to fill in those gaps. How could we help be the conduit between the social worker and the families and the community who want to support them? Once the idea was formed, people started showing up to help and wanting to get involved. 

To create the model for There With Care, I talked to four of the families who had wishes granted and asked them what would have helped their families, whether it was transportation, food, home security, support for the patients, or help with the siblings. The ideas they shared are the core programs we still offer today.

The organization started with our four Co-Founders, and now we’ve helped more than 12,000 families through the entire course of their critical illness. This has all been possible through the help of the community – people who step up and want to help and want to make a difference.

Can you tell us about a project or initiative that you’re particularly proud of and it’s in fact on the community or issue it addresses?

It’s bigger than one project, but I am most proud of meeting the needs of families with the community. After receiving a referral from the hospital, we speak with the family and try to identify their most urgent needs so that we can ease those stresses.

There With Care then responds by finding support in the community to show up for this family and make a connection that is so much bigger than a service. It bridges isolation and financial distress by supporting each family through a really terrifying situation. 

I’m extremely proud of the way that the community,  team, and volunteers show up for these families. Our communities are better and stronger when we’re more connected to someone’s struggle and our kids are more connected to what’s going on in the world beyond their own lives. We have a lot of kids that volunteer with us and a lot of families that volunteer with their kids, and I’m so proud of that, because beyond the service that they’re doing to help a family, they’re also making the communities that we live in stronger and more connected for everyone.

Can you tell us a story about a particular child who was impacted or helped by There With Care?

We work with an average of 200 families a day, so there are hundreds of family stories, and they’re all special and unique in their own way. One of the privileges I have is to go and spend time with these families, interview them, hear how we’re doing, and share their stories.

I recently got to spend time with a mom whose baby was born at one pound, and that baby was in the hospital for over 400 days. The mom had other children and lost her job the day after her baby’s final surgery. Because of There With Care, she had food for her family, time with her kids, transportation to get to the hospital, and the needs met for her other children. The whole family felt the impact of our support. Her story reminded me that over time, even if you have a support system, people tend to go back to their lives amidst the 400 days that your baby is in the hospital. There With Care has been there for that family and given them the reassurance that they would keep their home, have food on the table, and have transportation. By meeting these needs, the mother could stay at her baby’s bedside and be there for her other children.

How do you balance being both a CEO and a producer?

I’ve always done both. For me, films are my book club. We all have things that we like to do in our free time, and that’s what I choose to do because I love it. However, I couldn’t do it without also being able to help families through There With Care. Both things feed my soul and are ways that I can give back. I love to mentor through film and also feel grateful that I can be a part of an organization that’s helping families in a medical crisis when they are so alone. They are different ways to give back, but they are ways that I can try and help.

How would you describe a Changemaker? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?

When I hear the word Changemaker, I think about There With Care. It’s a different type of organization. It’s not prescriptive. It’s listening and being there for somebody in a way that’s helpful by really taking the time to get to know people and meet them where they’re at. 

A Changemaker can be a good, quiet listener. Not doing things for attention, but doing it to make a difference. That’s where the true meaningful rewards come – when you’re doing it for the right reason.

What are a few things you wish someone told you when you first started There With Care and why?

While there are so many things I wish I would have known, I’m also glad I didn’t know everything because I’ve met amazing people along the way who’ve had the answers when I didn’t know them. It’s been such a great experience meeting and learning from so many different people over 20 years. This organization wouldn’t exist without the generosity of so many people who have lifted me up, listened, and helped me navigate through things that I didn’t know how to do. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss that part of the journey. 

How can people, whether in Boulder, Colorado, or beyond, get involved with There With Care?

We welcome people to There With Care and would love to meet new people who might be listening and want to participate. There are so many ways to help! You can be a donor, a volunteer, or apply to work for us when a job is open. If there’s a skill that you bring that we need and that’s specifically how you want to help, reach out at ThereWithCare.org.

We also love to give people tours to show them what we’re doing and have them attend an event. There are so many ways that people can help.

To learn more about the impactful and important work that There With Care is doing, visit their website at ThereWithCare.org.

If you are interested in connecting with Paula DuPré Pesmen to learn more about her Changemaker journey or connect with the foundation, you can contact her at paula@therewithcare.org or connect with her on LinkedIn.