How Diana Liberto Grove Lifts Teens Aging Out Of Care

High-school teacher and nonprofit founder Diana Liberto Grove shares how she and her husband began fostering teens—and why she launched Shifting Gears to support youth ages 16–25 as they transition out of care. From Sunday dinners and tutoring to driver’s ed partnerships and a vision for tiny-home communities and an emergency shelter, Diana lays out practical, community-powered solutions anyone can help with. It’s a hopeful, action-oriented conversation about turning compassion into infrastructure. 

Sponsored by Freedom Federal Credit Union 

Guest Bio:  

Diana Liberto Grove is the co-founder of Shifting Gears, a Maryland-based nonprofit focused on helping foster youth (16–25) build independence through life skills, education, employment, housing support, and community. A longtime Harford County high-school teacher and foster/adoptive mom, Diana creates safe spaces and trusted relationships that carry teens into adulthood—with programs like tutoring, Sunday dinners, creative outlets, and career readiness.  

Main Topics: 

·         Diana’s path into fostering teens and adopting (why teens need homes, trust, and consistency) 

·         The birth of Shifting Gears and its focus on ages 16–25 (in-care to independence) 

·         Current programs: Sunday dinners, book club, tutoring, driver’s ed partnership, creative/skills shop plans 

·         The big vision: tiny-home community, adult “boys & girls club” space, and an emergency shelter 

·         Fundraising and volunteers: board needs, background checks, care closet, and in-kind skills (plumbing, design, tutoring, etc.) 

·         Hard realities & hope: outcomes after aging out, mental health, trafficking risk, and how community changes the story  

Resources mentioned: 

·         Shifting Gears website: shiftinggearsmd.org (donate button on site)

·         Email: shiftinggearsmd@gmail.com 

·         Social: Facebook “Shifting Gears, Inc”; Instagram “shifting_gears_md” (spoken as “shifting underscore gears underscore MD”)

·         Local partners & orgs referenced: Arrow girls group home; CASA (court-appointed special advocates); Premier Driving School (Bel Air); St. Francis de Sales (Abingdon) youth group (back-to-school packing)

·         Episode Sponsor: Freedom Federal Credit Union

·         Supporter: Full Circle Boards

·         Supporter: Sincerely Sawyer Photography 

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Transcript

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Wendy & Rich 0:00
Hey everyone it's Rich Bennett. Can you believe it? The show is turning 10 this year. I am so grateful for each and every one of you who've tuned in, shared an episode, or even joined the conversation over the years. You're the reason that this podcast has grown into what it is today. Together we've shared laughs, tears, tears, and moments that truly matter. So I want to thank you for being part of this journey. Let's make the next 10 years even better. Coming to you from the Freedom Federal Credit Union Studios Hartford County living presents Conversations with Rich Bennett. 

No, no, no, no, no, it's

Rich Bennett 1:00
I am joined 

Michelle Hayes 1:01
all that is. 

Rich Bennett 1:01
by my lovely co-host Michelle today and we have a special guest that, uh, God I haven't seen in a long time and she walked in and she goes, I know you're like, uh-oh, you know, that's always... 

Michelle Hayes 1:13
Well, 

Rich Bennett 1:14
look, I'm sorry, but 

Michelle Hayes 1:15
a 

Rich Bennett 1:15
with 

Michelle Hayes 1:16
young woman, 

Rich Bennett 1:17
I know you. That's always scary as hell. We are 

Michelle Hayes 1:22
by 

Rich Bennett 1:23
joined 

Michelle Hayes 1:23
Diana Burro. 

Rich Bennett 1:24
(Founder 

Diana Liberto Grove 1:26
and president 

Rich Bennett 1:27
of Sh*tty 

Michelle Hayes 1:28
News) 

Rich Bennett 1:29
Which is not what I thought it was, which is a locomotive. She's trying to find out more. That ain't about Diana first. So first of all welcome. 

Diana Liberto Grove 1:39
Thank you. Thank you for having me. 

Rich Bennett 1:41
So who the hell's Diana? 

Diana Liberto Grove 1:42
Well, 

Rich Bennett 1:43
besides somebody scared to sh*t out of me when you came in, it said, I know you. What? No, I'm joking. Dad! No. 

Diana Liberto Grove 1:54
Maybe you know. 

Rich Bennett 1:55
What? 

Diana Liberto Grove 1:57
My name is Diana. I have 

Michelle Hayes 2:00
um... 

Rich Bennett 2:01
I'm doing the 

Diana Liberto Grove 2:02
Sorry 

Rich Bennett 2:02
math. 

Diana Liberto Grove 2:03
I um have lived in Harper County since I was about 16. I came to Harper County from Baltimore County. I went to John curl high school and that's how I knew 

Rich Bennett 2:13
you. 

Michelle Hayes 2:15
So I just 

Diana Liberto Grove 2:17
forgot, I looked a lot younger than that. But I 

Rich Bennett 2:20
Who did I? 

Diana Liberto Grove 2:20
know... But your name is syn... like everyone knows who you are. 

Rich Bennett 2:25
That's... 

Diana Liberto Grove 2:25
I know. 

Michelle Hayes 2:28
That's 

Diana Liberto Grove 2:28
scary. I 

Rich Bennett 2:30
give my picture, hang up at the post office one time. No. 

Diana Liberto Grove 2:33
I 

Rich Bennett 2:35
think... 

Diana Liberto Grove 2:35
With 

Michelle Hayes 2:36
wanted printed below 

Diana Liberto Grove 2:37
Yeah, 

Michelle Hayes 2:37
it. 

Diana Liberto Grove 2:38
yeah, exactly. But basically, once my husband and I got married, we weren't sure if we wanted to have biological children. People always ask us how we got into foster care and I kind of say one day we were watching a show on ABC Family called the "Forsters." It was about a family 

Michelle Hayes 2:56
Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. What about family? 

Diana Liberto Grove 2:56
that fostered teenagers and we were kind of... Of course, it highlights all the crazy things they get into. 

Rich Bennett 3:02
Right. 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:03
And we kind of look to each other and we're like, "We can do that." I'm a local high school teacher in the county. So I primarily deal with high school... Oh, teenagers, high schoolers. 

Rich Bennett 3:13
Yeah. 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:13
And so... My husband says in true Diana fashion. We looked at each other and said we could do that. And within 48 hours we were at our first meeting. Our first training 

Michelle Hayes 3:23
Yeah. So 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:24
session. So I 

Michelle Hayes 3:24
I 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:24
made 

Michelle Hayes 3:24
made 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:24
the 

Michelle Hayes 3:24
the call. 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:25
calls. Yeah, there 

Michelle Hayes 3:26
was a... 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:28
Pastional session at the Public Library, we went and then we did the classes. 

Rich Bennett 3:31
You 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:31
And... 

Rich Bennett 3:32
found something that quick. 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:33
I mean, I don't mess around. 

Michelle Hayes 3:35
Rich, I would like to introduce you to in true Diana 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:38
Yeah, 

Michelle Hayes 3:38
fashion. 

Rich Bennett 3:38
yeah. But 

Michelle Hayes 3:39
She 

Rich Bennett 3:39
no. 

Michelle Hayes 3:39
wants something 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:39
gets 

Michelle Hayes 3:40
done and 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:40
paid. 

Michelle Hayes 3:40
John. 

Rich Bennett 3:41
But 

Michelle Hayes 3:41
But with 

Rich Bennett 3:41
with... 

Michelle Hayes 3:41
48 

Rich Bennett 3:42
hours? 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:42
It just so happened that there was one at the library, yeah. It was just so 

Michelle Hayes 3:46
happened... I 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:47
heard there was an information. 

Michelle Hayes 3:48
She would have found one if there 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:49
it. Yeah, 

Michelle Hayes 3:49
was 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:50
I had made some phone calls 

Michelle Hayes 3:51
a... I 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:51
and I wasn't 

Michelle Hayes 3:51
loved 

Diana Liberto Grove 3:51
getting anywhere. Actually, there was a girl I was tutoring and her mom was such a welcomed. She's like, "Hey, I think there's a meeting at the library." And so it just all worked out. We did the classes. They take about six months for anybody that's interested in becoming a foster parent. And our house opened on August 3rd, 2018 at 8am and at 8.01 we got a phone call saying, "We have the perfect girl for you." And I swear they say that for everyone.  But our daughter Destiny came to us that day and has been with us ever since we adopted her in 2020, 

Rich Bennett 4:23
The hell was she when 

Diana Liberto Grove 4:24
so 

Rich Bennett 4:24
you... 

Diana Liberto Grove 4:24
she was fifteen when she came, she's twenty two now, um, so we primarily foster teenage girls, um, cause in the county once you kinda start with teenagers you kinda do one sex just to play it safe with everybody, um, and so yeah you just don't want anything to happen and then they have to be separated so that's not ideal. So we started fostering teenagers, and then I realized in Harvard County we don't have a ton of homes that take in teenagers. If I'm being honest, most people want the cute little babies that don't talk back, um, but they eventually will. 

Yeah, yeah, so then we started finding ways to expand our home, our house is actually currently under construction so we can, right now we have three teenage, well they're not even teenage or more, our girls right now are twenty, twenty two and twenty two, um, but we got them all around fifteen and sixteen, Um, and so we're expanding our house so that we can take in two more so we're working on construction right now, but because I knew there was 

Michelle Hayes 5:21
money 

Diana Liberto Grove 5:22
teenagers 

Michelle Hayes 5:22
for 

Diana Liberto Grove 5:22
that needed help, I started working at our local group home. Most people don't know in Harvard County, we do have a local girls group home, um, and it houses foster teens that we can't find a home for, um. And we have a smaller local boys one in in Harvard County too, but it's much smaller. Um, 

Rich Bennett 5:41
if you don't mind what's the name is one of 

Diana Liberto Grove 5:43
Erro 

Rich Bennett 5:43
them? 

Diana Liberto Grove 5:43
is 

Rich Bennett 5:43
Yeah, 

Diana Liberto Grove 5:43
the one. Yeah, so and they have a couple of locations, um, so we started working with them and then also through my own process I realize that when my girls aged out of care, it's kind of like see. I mean, they try to set you up for success, but the world's tough now, so shifting gears, main purpose is to help kids shift from being in a 

Michelle Hayes 6:02
of 

Diana Liberto Grove 6:02
system 

Michelle Hayes 6:02
the 

Diana Liberto Grove 6:02
to out 

Michelle Hayes 6:03
system. 

Diana Liberto Grove 6:04
We want to primarily focus on 16 to 25 year olds. Um, 16 to 18 to 21, while they're still in care, developing that relationship so they trust us, and that when they choose dayjada care, which we encourage, they stay told 21, um, that we help them find housing jobs, finish up education that needs to be finished get drivers license, have all their documents, um, life's off skills, 

Rich Bennett 6:25
Right. 

Diana Liberto Grove 6:26
um, good mental health activities, you know, creative outlets, those kinds of things. So that's the point of shifting years and where we are, we want to work with both. You know, all people were not just a for girls organization, but right now we do most of our, um, clientele that we work with, our females, just because that was easier to get in with with arrow being a female group home. But we 

Michelle Hayes 6:52
are here for 

Diana Liberto Grove 6:52
anyone who was in care at one time in their life. Um, we want, 

Michelle Hayes 6:57
because they can hang out with people that have similar 

Diana Liberto Grove 6:59
experiences with them. So, you know, right now people are 

Michelle Hayes 7:03
reaching out to us 

Diana Liberto Grove 7:03
that, you know, aged out of care, you know, a couple years ago, hear about us and say, hey, I can 

Michelle Hayes 7:07
really 

Diana Liberto Grove 7:08
make that help happen. 

Rich Bennett 7:12
So are you working with any 

Michelle Hayes 7:13
other. 

Diana Liberto Grove 7:14
So there's plenty of nine great nonprofits. 

Michelle Hayes 7:16
Um, 

Diana Liberto Grove 7:16
there's one I was actually speaking with today. A home project she works, particular with um, females who age out on 

Michelle Hayes 7:23
individual basis, 

Diana Liberto Grove 7:24
getting them things and then we talk with, um, Kasa, which is the quarter pointed sport advocate. And so we're going to continue to work with them because they support you know, foster 

Michelle Hayes 7:34
youth. 

Rich Bennett 7:35
Um, 

Diana Liberto Grove 7:35
so there's a plenty that we're going to to connect with. And I have some big goals, big dreams are ultimate, 

Rich Bennett 7:45
continue 

Diana Liberto Grove 7:45
um, our ultimate dream is, uh, I know it may be difficult in Hartford County. But if I had to close my eyes and pick something I would love like a community of tiny homes, um, 

Michelle Hayes 7:54
girls can 

Diana Liberto Grove 7:55
where and the 

Rich Bennett 7:57
never 

Diana Liberto Grove 7:57
girls 

Michelle Hayes 7:57
no, 

Diana Liberto Grove 7:57
and 

Rich Bennett 7:57
say 

Diana Liberto Grove 7:57
guys 

Michelle Hayes 7:58
I know, 

Diana Liberto Grove 7:58
um, because we want 

Michelle Hayes 7:59
them to feel the 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:00
independence 

Michelle Hayes 8:01
a child, 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:01
of 

Michelle Hayes 8:02
um, they don't have to 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:02
care 

Michelle Hayes 8:02
worry about what they're doing out of 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:02
care, but with 

Michelle Hayes 8:03
help me 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:03
help. 

Michelle Hayes 8:03
or 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:03
I 

Michelle Hayes 8:03
buy. Um, 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:05
and so that's one of our goals is having housing. 

Rich Bennett 8:09
You think about it because you're the key thing there, you said tiny home, 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:13
hmm, 

Rich Bennett 8:13
which means you don't need a lot 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:15
No, 

Rich Bennett 8:15
of property. 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:15
no, we do not. We do not need a lot of space. We don't the girls, particularly I work with the girls and guys in groups homes. And so we're dealing with a lot of people and we want to give them that independence. But we want to have staff nearby to help. I mean, just the other day someone called me and said, you know, Miss Diana, can you help me with my, um, direct deposit form, right? They don't 

Michelle Hayes 8:34
have someone 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:35
information 

Michelle Hayes 8:35
to call 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:35
or 

Michelle Hayes 8:35
or 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:35
the 

Michelle Hayes 8:35
the 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:36
insurance 

Michelle Hayes 8:36
insurance 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:36
information or I need to go 

Michelle Hayes 8:37
to this doctor. 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:37
You know, we want to 

Michelle Hayes 8:39
point 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:39
be their contact, 

Michelle Hayes 8:39
of 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:40
uh, to help with those things and answer those questions. 

Michelle Hayes 8:43
More than a point of contact, which I just want to say we volunteer with you guys and I am so excited that Clevver Cat, and you know, us personally, we can, we can help support 'cause that just makes me so happy. 

Diana Liberto Grove 8:54
Yeah, it's awesome. 

Michelle Hayes 8:54
But, I think more than a point of contact you also provide a wonderful, you know, level of trust. They have that person that they can call. They have the startings of that community with shifting gears as well as the other foster youth that they come in contact through you guys. 

Diana Liberto Grove 9:10
Yeah. 

Michelle Hayes 9:23
These kids, they need 

Diana Liberto Grove 9:25
that, and they have walls up, right? They're kind of sick, at trusting people that let them down. And so that's why we're starting at 

Michelle Hayes 9:31
16. 

Diana Liberto Grove 9:32
Some of the things we do at the group home right now, we have a book club. We do Sunday dinner so we get someone to sponsor our Sunday 

Michelle Hayes 9:37
dinner. 

Diana Liberto Grove 9:38
Looking for restaurants, catering company, or just people, moms that love to cook, dads that love to cook. I'm just sponsor Sunday dinner and I go in there with a couple other board members. We provide them dinner on Sunday, hang out, communicate, play, board games. They usually don't want to sleep, uhm, and just kind of hang out. And so again, they know who I am. And we build that trust together, build that attachment. We are going to, in the fall, be providing tutoring for all the girls and guys. We're working on a partnership with premier, driving school and Belair to help get them drivers license. Our current second big dream is we basically want to have an adult boys and girls club where, you know, 16 to 25 year olds. It's open. They can come hang out. It has, you know, gaming area, book nook crafting area. And so we are looking at spaces now. We're getting very excited about those spaces. 

Rich Bennett 10:28
You know what I think you need. What seriously, I mean, because what's 

Michelle Hayes 10:33
your, 

Rich Bennett 10:35
everything that 

Michelle Hayes 10:35
you're, everything that you're explaining 

Rich Bennett 10:37
is a community. 

Diana Liberto Grove 10:38
100% 

Michelle Hayes 10:39
you 

Rich Bennett 10:39
get enough 

Michelle Hayes 10:40
property. 

Rich Bennett 10:42
You know, to where you can put those tiny homes, a bunch of tiny homes on that property 

Michelle Hayes 10:47
that, 

Rich Bennett 10:47
I guess you could say community center. 

Diana Liberto Grove 10:49
Right 100% 

Rich Bennett 10:50
for your staff right 

Michelle Hayes 10:53
there. I mean, 

Diana Liberto Grove 10:55
yeah, no. It's definitely 

Rich Bennett 10:56
what's the time one of the tiny homes wrong. 

Diana Liberto Grove 10:58
No, but in Hartford County, there are a lot of laws against them. 

Rich Bennett 11:02
What about Baltimore County? 

Diana Liberto Grove 11:04
We're going to keep looking. I know a pretty sure it's in a round all don't quote me on that that just past. If you have over an acre, you can put a tiny home on your property. 

Rich Bennett 11:11
Oh, that's right. I think Hartford County just pays that thing we, but that's if you are. 

Michelle Hayes 11:15
If you have a house 

Diana Liberto Grove 11:16
Which 

Michelle Hayes 11:16
on. 

Diana Liberto Grove 11:17
is also ideal because again, we don't necessarily, if we could find people that were willing to put tiny homes on their property and not sponsor 

Rich Bennett 11:29
right. 

Michelle Hayes 11:30
Right. Right. 

Diana Liberto Grove 11:30
Um, they would 

Michelle Hayes 11:31
be there. And again, we 

Diana Liberto Grove 11:33
don't need necessarily they, we can have a space where they all congregate, right? It doesn't have to be 

Michelle Hayes 11:38
where their house 

Diana Liberto Grove 11:39
necessarily is, but lot 

Michelle Hayes 11:41
there is a 

Diana Liberto Grove 11:41
of options to make this happen. 

Rich Bennett 11:43
If 

Michelle Hayes 11:44
in like 

Rich Bennett 11:44
they do it 

Michelle Hayes 11:44
a developer does 

Rich Bennett 11:45
like developers 

Michelle Hayes 11:46
developers go 

Rich Bennett 11:46
go 

Michelle Hayes 11:46
in. They buy that 

Rich Bennett 11:47
property. Then they put 

Michelle Hayes 11:48
The 

Rich Bennett 11:48
it 

Diana Liberto Grove 11:49
in. 

Rich Bennett 11:50
scale. So if you did that, they'll 

Michelle Hayes 11:53
be smaller 

Rich Bennett 11:54
or plots for the tiny houses. 

Diana Liberto Grove 11:57
And we even looked 

Rich Bennett 11:58
at a sat in Hartford, 

Diana Liberto Grove 12:00
We even looked at there's a, um, like a mobile trailer home right in church. When I looked at 

Rich Bennett 12:05
Kenny, right. 

Diana Liberto Grove 12:05
a house there, and I thought a little mobile home was so cute. 

Michelle Hayes 12:09
Um, 

Diana Liberto Grove 12:10
reasonably priced. And I said, like, can I rent this? And he was like, no, you know, how the, it's set up. The owners have to live there. How do I just 

Michelle Hayes 12:18
create my own? 

Rich Bennett 12:19
Yeah. 

Diana Liberto Grove 12:19
Like 

Michelle Hayes 12:20
Yeah. Right. 

Diana Liberto Grove 12:20
community. Like how do I make that happen? Because I was even think it's perfect for my, you know, adult children one day because it's affordable, close in town. Like, It is an option out there. Um, so we are looking. We also want to eventually like I was talking to you before. Rich about a emergency homeless shelter for 

Rich Bennett 12:38
yeah. 

Diana Liberto Grove 12:38
these girls, because the stats are staggering. So we found 70% of kids after they age out of foster care in this state, um, you know, end up homeless in jail pregnant. Like all the things that make our life a lot more difficult. Um, and we don't have a shelter where people can just walk into. And so right. And 

Michelle Hayes 12:59
especially 

Diana Liberto Grove 13:00
we know in our extreme weather conditions that we have here, you know, 

Michelle Hayes 13:04
oh, yeah, 

Diana Liberto Grove 13:05
um, because we have it. 

you know. Yeah, we can come, you know, whether it's day a week until we can get you another solution, but we want to roof over your head 

Rich Bennett 13:14
Yeah, 

Diana Liberto Grove 13:14
immediately. So these are all of our dream big 

Michelle Hayes 13:16
goals of. 

Diana Liberto Grove 13:17
We just started in January of this year. 

Michelle Hayes 13:19
Um, 

Diana Liberto Grove 13:19
Um, but we have so much in the works currently working 

Michelle Hayes 13:22
working on 

Diana Liberto Grove 13:22
on grants 

Michelle Hayes 13:22
grants 

Diana Liberto Grove 13:23
for 

Michelle Hayes 13:23
for things 

Diana Liberto Grove 13:23
things. Um, and just really 

Michelle Hayes 13:25
really. 

Diana Liberto Grove 13:25
excited about where it's going to go. 

Rich Bennett 13:26
Alright, so what are your plans for fundraiser cause you can't 

Michelle Hayes 13:29
on 

Rich Bennett 13:29
rely 

Diana Liberto Grove 13:30
Alright. So we just we had our first fundraiser in May, which was a T, and it went well T for teens. Um, it was so fun. Everybody, yeah, everyone had a 

Rich Bennett 13:38
I'm 

Diana Liberto Grove 13:38
great 

Rich Bennett 13:38
a big team. 

Diana Liberto Grove 13:39
Z. 

Michelle Hayes 13:40
Yeah. 

Diana Liberto Grove 13:41
But it was for anybody, but it supported the team. Um, but October 3rd, we're having a basketball at the fossil fire hall tickets are almost sold out literally single digits of tickets left, um, but we're still looking for sponsors. Nobody is ever out there interested in sponsoring any of our events. So we do have that fundraiser coming. 

Rich Bennett 13:59
That can become an 

Diana Liberto Grove 14:00
event. 

Rich Bennett 14:00
annual 

Diana Liberto Grove 14:00
Yes, 100%. And we're 

Michelle Hayes 14:01
Did 

Diana Liberto Grove 14:01
so 

Michelle Hayes 14:01
we 

Diana Liberto Grove 14:02
excited. 

Michelle Hayes 14:02
sponsor that yet? 

Diana Liberto Grove 14:03
I know. Get 

Michelle Hayes 14:04
on 

Diana Liberto Grove 14:04
on. 

Michelle Hayes 14:04
my gosh, you should talk to my founder. 

Diana Liberto Grove 14:06
I 

Michelle Hayes 14:07
You know, 

Diana Liberto Grove 14:07
know I know I should work 

Michelle Hayes 14:08
have your people talk 

Diana Liberto Grove 14:09
Yeah, 

Michelle Hayes 14:09
about. 

Diana Liberto Grove 14:09
yeah, we're also really excited. We were 

Michelle Hayes 14:12
talking to 

Diana Liberto Grove 14:12
of the girls in the group 

Michelle Hayes 14:13
some 

Diana Liberto Grove 14:13
home and some other. Um, a lot of nonprofits have like a little shop for the girls as a creative outlet to make things and sell things. So we already are in the works. We're hoping by 2026 that we have, you know, shop of some basic items. Get the girls and consignment shops, but teach them how to solve skills. Right. How to make a Facebook business page, how to sell items. How to 

Michelle Hayes 14:31
You 

Diana Liberto Grove 14:31
buy 

Michelle Hayes 14:32
need 

Diana Liberto Grove 14:32
what we're. for a They can make commission on the items that they make, but just 

Michelle Hayes 14:38
know 

Diana Liberto Grove 14:38
the creative outlet is so good for mental health and coping skills. So we're really hoping to teach them some skills like for shaying and so and showing and cricketing and painting and standing and using power tools to cut wood. So we're really excited about that. We're even excited if we get a new location about having like a community garden and teaching them that skill. Um, you know, whatever they want to learn, we're happy to teach them. And then they can again 

Michelle Hayes 15:02
also, 

Diana Liberto Grove 15:03
use it, 

Michelle Hayes 15:04
but 

Diana Liberto Grove 15:05
but 

Michelle Hayes 15:05
also make some money. 

Rich Bennett 15:07
You know there from what I know there are some at least I know of one community gardens where they can always volunteer it. 

Diana Liberto Grove 15:14
And that's what we're really excited about, but we're just excited to get them involved in things that they enjoy. 

Michelle Hayes 15:21
Mister 

Rich Bennett 15:22
care month. 

Diana Liberto Grove 15:23
is. It's in May. There is. It was in May. Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 15:26
There Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. All right. 

Diana Liberto Grove 15:27
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 15:27
So since you're a new nonprofit and since, you know, you went in John Carroll. 

Diana Liberto Grove 15:37
I know him and I have secrets about him. 

Rich Bennett 15:40
What? 

Diana Liberto Grove 15:42
It's. 

Rich Bennett 15:42
what ever Jennifer 

Diana Liberto Grove 15:43
Oh, 

Rich Bennett 15:44
tells you definitely don't listen to whatever my 

Diana Liberto Grove 15:45
sister. All 

Rich Bennett 15:46
all 

Diana Liberto Grove 15:46
right, 

Rich Bennett 15:47
right. Now it's a, 

Michelle Hayes 15:49
can you get rock on the phone? 

Diana Liberto Grove 15:50
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 15:51
So we're 

Michelle Hayes 15:52
doing 

Rich Bennett 15:53
we're 

Michelle Hayes 15:53
our first. 

Diana Liberto Grove 15:54
If 

Rich Bennett 15:55
that goes, 

Michelle Hayes 15:56
oh, well, I 

Rich Bennett 15:58
oh, I was, 

Michelle Hayes 15:58
was loved to do 

Rich Bennett 15:59
one. 

Diana Liberto Grove 16:01
That would be amazing. 

Rich Bennett 16:02
Yeah. Because I know there's, I've had a lot of people. 

Diana Liberto Grove 16:06
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 16:06
And it's. 

We can do several of them for that. 

Diana Liberto Grove 16:13
That would be amazing. 

Rich Bennett 16:15
Some of 

Diana Liberto Grove 16:16
They would love to 

Rich Bennett 16:16
the. 

Diana Liberto Grove 16:16
come on. They would love to. But any of them that are eighteen or older, I can get on. No problem. 

Rich Bennett 16:20
Yeah, right. 

Diana Liberto Grove 16:20
And they. 

Rich Bennett 16:21
Yeah, because the little ones will take 

Diana Liberto Grove 16:23
show. 

Rich Bennett 16:23
over the 

Diana Liberto Grove 16:23
Oh, they will. 

Rich Bennett 16:24
Oh, my god. Yes. Yeah. It'll heartbeat. 

Diana Liberto Grove 16:27
Yeah. But the eighteen year old do like to talk to and they like. 

Michelle Hayes 16:30
Yeah. 

Diana Liberto Grove 16:32
It's 

Rich Bennett 16:33
important. 

Diana Liberto Grove 16:33
These people are a part of our community and unfortunately. past is not their fault. You know, but it is like we say it is their burden. They have to figure out how to deal with it. And we want to give them the skills to be able to overcome their traumas. Be successful. Find what they love and realize that there are, this community we live in is wonderful. 

Rich Bennett 16:54
Yeah. 

Diana Liberto Grove 16:54
Right. It's a be able like you mentioned earlier to trust people. 

Michelle Hayes 16:57
Yeah. Yes. 

Diana Liberto Grove 16:58
Because a lot of them even grew up in homes where maybe where their parents didn't like. We're so scared to trust people because people had failed them too, right? 

Rich Bennett 17:06
Their 

Diana Liberto Grove 17:06
It's a cycle. 

Michelle Hayes 17:07
we 

Diana Liberto Grove 17:07
So 

Michelle Hayes 17:08
really want 

Diana Liberto Grove 17:08
to show that community gets together and really that's how the not. 

Michelle Hayes 17:12
It 

Diana Liberto Grove 17:14
started for so many reasons. But when my husband and I were helping teens. She was helping a girl for respite that was going to college at frostberg. When she was in high school, she was getting ace. She went to college and failed out. And she needed someone to go to spring break. And when so she came to our 

Michelle Hayes 17:29
house, we 

Diana Liberto Grove 17:30
case 

Michelle Hayes 17:30
don't make 

Diana Liberto Grove 17:30
and we did all the things with her and I realized again, I can't imagine going away to college basically zero support. No 

Rich Bennett 17:38
with 

Diana Liberto Grove 17:38
one to call. I can't tell you how many times I call 

Michelle Hayes 17:40
crying. 

Diana Liberto Grove 17:40
my mom So I'm being like, I can't 

Michelle Hayes 17:42
this. 

Diana Liberto Grove 17:43
do Smarter than me. And just my mom 

Michelle Hayes 17:45
talks to me all the way. Right. 

Diana Liberto Grove 17:48
It was a wonderful young lady. And so then the next year, she was going to try again, school. And I was like, 'You know what I loved about school? Fun school supplies.' Like I love just 

Michelle Hayes 17:58
Yeah. 

Diana Liberto Grove 17:58
the fun stuff. I'm not the boring stuff. And so 

Michelle Hayes 18:01
I did a 

Diana Liberto Grove 18:02
school supply drive 

Michelle Hayes 18:03
teenagers. 

Diana Liberto Grove 18:03
for 

it. And I lived in a townhouse at the time. And I'll never forget. I posted about it. I posted her story, and at least three times in the first week that I posted the fundraiser. The mail truck came to my house just filled with donations for me. 

Rich Bennett 18:25
That's 

Diana Liberto Grove 18:26
He was a one stop. 

Michelle Hayes 18:27
Oh my 

Diana Liberto Grove 18:28
You should have saw my townhouse. It was packed. And so ever since 

Michelle Hayes 18:31
god, 

Diana Liberto Grove 18:31
then we started 

Michelle Hayes 18:31
starting 

Diana Liberto Grove 18:32
doing 

Michelle Hayes 18:32
doing 

Diana Liberto Grove 18:32
the back-to-school drive, which I'm actually 

Michelle Hayes 18:33
actually, 

Diana Liberto Grove 18:34
doing next Sunday with St. Francis II sales in Abbingdon, they decided to help sponsor us this year. And their youth group is going to help us pack all the bags, which we're so 

Michelle Hayes 18:41
uhm. 

Diana Liberto Grove 18:41
excited about. But then we started doing Christmas, you know, doing Christmas. And we got tons of donations that Christmas time to sponsor each girl, allowed them to give a wish list. And it's been fun. And watching this 

Michelle Hayes 18:54
community support that. 

Diana Liberto Grove 18:55
I was like, 

Michelle Hayes 18:56
it. That's 

Diana Liberto Grove 18:56
that's 

Michelle Hayes 18:56
what gave me 

Diana Liberto Grove 18:57
me, the 

Michelle Hayes 18:57
the final 

Diana Liberto Grove 18:57
final push I 

Michelle Hayes 18:58
needed 

Diana Liberto Grove 18:58
needed to be 

Michelle Hayes 18:59
to be 

Diana Liberto Grove 18:59
like, it's time to support this nonprofit. So me and my co-founder, her name is 

Michelle Hayes 19:03
Nicole, 

Diana Liberto Grove 19:03
Nicole. She is foster and adopted three 

Michelle Hayes 19:06
younger girls 

Diana Liberto Grove 19:07
through foster care. We were like, it's time. You know, we need this. It's time. We're just going to get started and see what happens. And really the people that have already 

Michelle Hayes 19:16
volunteered to be 

Diana Liberto Grove 19:16
board 

Michelle Hayes 19:16
on our 

Diana Liberto Grove 19:17
and in our community chairs. And people that have 

Michelle Hayes 19:19
volunteered 

Diana Liberto Grove 19:19
to help them 

Michelle Hayes 19:20
message 

Diana Liberto Grove 19:20
or 

Michelle Hayes 19:20
you all 

Diana Liberto Grove 19:20
time, 

Michelle Hayes 19:21
the 

Diana Liberto Grove 19:21
I can offer this in this. So that's why we're 

Michelle Hayes 19:23
working at, 

Diana Liberto Grove 19:24
I don't know, the fastest pace. I mean, 

Michelle Hayes 19:26
need 

Diana Liberto Grove 19:26
every 

Michelle Hayes 19:26
of light at this point. 

Diana Liberto Grove 19:28
Every day, something new 

Michelle Hayes 19:29
and happening. 

Diana Liberto Grove 19:31
I couldn't sleep. We literally. 

We could do maybe I'm a kid and I can't. He's out with it. 

Michelle Hayes 19:42
I think you might be. 

Diana Liberto Grove 19:42
I know. 

Michelle Hayes 19:43
But I think that comes through you genuinely just want to help the kid. 

Diana Liberto Grove 19:47
Well, like even like I said, I said to my husband, he's. 

Michelle Hayes 19:50
And we can 

Diana Liberto Grove 19:50
do the community like he was excited about all the things we could 

Michelle Hayes 19:53
do. That's amazing. 

Diana Liberto Grove 19:54
With. 

Rich Bennett 19:54
I 

Michelle Hayes 19:55
see you in the whole just starting 

Rich Bennett 19:56
January. 

Diana Liberto Grove 19:56
Yeah, we've been working together and doing things not through nonprofit, like the back of school drive Christmas for about seven years. We've been doing those things just out of our own home, asking the community, posting on Facebook, friends and 

Rich Bennett 20:08
Right. 

Diana Liberto Grove 20:08
family. But officially 501, see the beginning of January 2026. 

Rich Bennett 20:12
And you both, and you both have 

Michelle Hayes 20:14
ready for time

Rich Bennett 20:15
jobs. 

Diana Liberto Grove 20:15
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 20:16
I want to give a huge shout out to a key player behind the scenes of the show Freedom Federal Credit Union. You know running a podcast involves more than just microphones and stories. It requires solid financial management and that's where freedom federal credit even comes in. They're not just a credit union. There are community partner that I trust deeply. Their support helps us keep bringing you the stories you love episode after episode. And what really sets freedom federal credit union apart is their dedication to local businesses. They offer everything from business loans to incredible resources and showing companies like mine thrive. And it's all wrapped in top notch customer service. So if you're a business owner looking for our financial institution that supports your goals and invest in our community. I can't recommend freedom federal credit union enough. You can either site at freedom fcu. org or give them a call at 1-800-440-4120. All right, so how soon would you like to see 

Michelle Hayes 21:27
yourself in the 

Rich Bennett 21:28
field be to where 

Michelle Hayes 21:29
time 

Rich Bennett 21:29
it's 

Michelle Hayes 21:30
to walk away 

Rich Bennett 21:30
your 

Michelle Hayes 21:30
for 

Rich Bennett 21:30
full time job because this has become full time. 

Diana Liberto Grove 21:33
Well, I think Nicole would do it as soon as possible. 

Michelle Hayes 21:37
was going 

Diana Liberto Grove 21:37
I 

Michelle Hayes 21:37
to say, how about yesterday? 

Diana Liberto Grove 21:40
The only reason I 

Michelle Hayes 21:41
say no 

Diana Liberto Grove 21:42
20 years in with teaching and I really got to get those 

Michelle Hayes 21:44
10. 

Diana Liberto Grove 21:44
last You know that. 

But Nicole would 

Rich Bennett 21:52
make sense 

Diana Liberto Grove 21:52
for me being a teacher. So this summer, I got 

Rich Bennett 21:54
so she could run. 

Diana Liberto Grove 21:55
Yeah, I got to I mean, I would still consider it, but I do 

Michelle Hayes 21:58
love. 

Diana Liberto Grove 22:00
but I love this too. And honestly, having a summer off, I've gotten so much on this summer. 

Rich Bennett 22:04
Yeah, 

Diana Liberto Grove 22:05
And but yes, she would be as soon as possible. 

Rich Bennett 22:09
And for you, it's a good retirement thing to 

Diana Liberto Grove 22:10
Oh, 

Rich Bennett 22:10
fall. 

Diana Liberto Grove 22:11
100%. We would do it forever. 

Rich Bennett 22:13
And I bring it up because I think we're 

Michelle Hayes 22:15
a lot of 

Rich Bennett 22:16
people started on 

Michelle Hayes 22:19
property, 

Rich Bennett 22:20
but they don't. 

Diana Liberto Grove 22:22
And 

Rich Bennett 22:22
you have. 

Diana Liberto Grove 22:23
We have to read. We've talked about 

Michelle Hayes 22:24
that. 

Diana Liberto Grove 22:26
We have talked about that and just everything because it needs to continue. We want to continue forever when I'm going and we have to set up that foundation and what makes it work and that's another reason why we've been connecting with other nonprofits to help us with what works and what doesn't work. 

Rich Bennett 22:41
All right. So a lot of people that decide they want to start a 501(c)(3), you know, in Hartford County, they haven't always feature 

Michelle Hayes 22:50
-- 

Rich Bennett 22:51
one and I've gotten burned a couple of times because come to find out they weren't 501(c)(3) and I've 

Michelle Hayes 22:58
gotten burned a couple of times because it's come to find out that they weren't 501(c)(3). 

Rich Bennett 22:59
They said it's going to take at least a year and so forth. How 

Michelle Hayes 23:03
it 

Rich Bennett 23:03
long did 

Michelle Hayes 23:04
take you to get 501(c)(3). 

Diana Liberto Grove 23:05
There's a new path that's called the "Easy 990" 

Rich Bennett 23:12
-- Okay. 

Diana Liberto Grove 23:13
So we did -- we chose that path. It still took longer than they said. So I think they originally told us it could be within a month but it took us about three months. 

Rich Bennett 23:23
That's pretty good, 

Diana Liberto Grove 23:24
Yeah. So but the difference of it is we have a limit on how much we can raise the first three 

Rich Bennett 23:30
right? 

Diana Liberto Grove 23:30
years. But we were just -- we just wanted to get it so we could get started. 

Michelle Hayes 23:35
And 

Diana Liberto Grove 23:35
don't 

Michelle Hayes 23:35
so that was 

Diana Liberto Grove 23:35
-- was what was important for us. And honestly, 

Michelle Hayes 23:38
-- 

Diana Liberto Grove 23:39
I 

Michelle Hayes 23:39
I 

Diana Liberto Grove 23:39
don't -- nothing I say is set in stone, so I don't really know all the rules. But after researching it, we've learned that there are nonprofits that go over the M. A. L. and you just have 

Rich Bennett 23:46
-- 

Diana Liberto Grove 23:46
to 

Rich Bennett 23:46
Yeah. -- are very 

Diana Liberto Grove 23:46
-- gave 

Michelle Hayes 23:47
documented. 

Diana Liberto Grove 23:47
them an "adal." 

Michelle Hayes 23:47
So 

Diana Liberto Grove 23:47
And so we're 

Michelle Hayes 23:48
we're 

Diana Liberto Grove 23:48
hopeful about that. 

Rich Bennett 23:49
But you can also 

Michelle Hayes 23:50
-- 

Rich Bennett 23:50
change your 

Diana Liberto Grove 23:51
one -- and there's -- it's not a clear process on how to 

Michelle Hayes 23:54
Yeah. -- 

Diana Liberto Grove 23:54
do that. We're working with finding people to help. But it seems like the status -- I believe it actually will change after three years. You know we're working with CPA on trying to figure out that out. But that was important to us to have it. I mean we were grateful that the community was donating things without it. But obviously we know it helps everyone and we want everybody to 

Rich Bennett 24:12
that. 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:13
benefit 

Rich Bennett 24:13
Yeah, 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:13
from 

Rich Bennett 24:13
I know it took us six months. 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:14
-- Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 24:15
-- But we didn't 

Michelle Hayes 24:16
do it in the easy, 

Rich Bennett 24:17
easy, easy, 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:17
secret. -- 

Rich Bennett 24:18
-- 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:18
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 24:18
But six 

Michelle Hayes 24:19
months -- it's 

Rich Bennett 24:20
pretty good. 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:21
-- Yeah. -- But the form is -- even the regular form 

Rich Bennett 24:23
you 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:23
-- 

Rich Bennett 24:23
need a lawyer. It all honesty. -- The board 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:27
now -- but also they ask you questions that you're like, "Well, right now." 

Michelle Hayes 24:31
-- Yeah, 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:31
"Do you have a paid position?" But you know the 

Michelle Hayes 24:32
the 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:32
last 

Michelle Hayes 24:32
last question 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:32
question 

Michelle Hayes 24:32
is 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:32
is like, 

Michelle Hayes 24:32
like, 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:32
"Do you have a paid position?" Well, right 

Rich Bennett 24:34
now -- Right. 

Michelle Hayes 24:35
-- He's like, 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:35
"Can I write now?" 

Michelle Hayes 24:37
like, "You 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:37
He's 

Michelle Hayes 24:38
do need -- and 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:38
to find." -- 

Michelle Hayes 24:38
it's 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:38
It's hard 

Michelle Hayes 24:38
hard 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:39
to find a tax person that specializes in nonprofits. 

Rich Bennett 24:42
-- Mm-hmm. -- 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:43
It is difficult. We're still kind of -- 

Michelle Hayes 24:45
-- You know, 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:46
-- paid 

Michelle Hayes 24:46
hunting 

Rich Bennett 24:46
paid 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:46
hunting for 

Michelle Hayes 24:47
for 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:47
what 

Michelle Hayes 24:47
what 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:47
we, 

Michelle Hayes 24:47
we -- 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:48
you know, the perfect person for 

Rich Bennett 24:49
-- 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:49
that. 

Rich Bennett 24:50
Now how many people you have on the board? 

Diana Liberto Grove 24:51
-- So we have seven positions on the board. We have one that still needs to be filled, which is an insurance person. So if anybody's looking to volunteer, we are always looking for someone to 

Michelle Hayes 25:02
-- 

Diana Liberto Grove 25:02
help us with 

Michelle Hayes 25:03
-- 

Diana Liberto Grove 25:03
-- Lawrence. And then we have a lot of committee chair positions. 

Rich Bennett 25:07
Okay. 

Diana Liberto Grove 25:08
So that's where Michelle comes in as social media and Mitchell as our tech person. We have a grant writer, we have a monthly chair activity chair, but then we -- here in the near future, we'll probably once we get a place looking for like a business -- a business or a place, we'll look for a 

Michelle Hayes 25:23
building 

Diana Liberto Grove 25:24
-- But when we start our little shop, maybe like a business structure, to kind of help look, lead the girls with that. 

Rich Bennett 25:29
right -- 

Diana Liberto Grove 25:29
So we are looking for volunteers. We just had our first volunteer training because we do need our volunteers to go through some training, fingerprinting, and fill out a background form just because we are dealing with vulnerable youth. But both things are quick and easy to get done. And we just -- it's a -- our next volunteer meeting is in September. Check out our website, shiftinggearsmg. org to see the date and time in its virtual. Yes, I know, you know, coal runs our volunteer sessions, and again, it's just because our volunteers run from -- we need people to help, like I said, with Sunday dinners, but also to drive youth places, which requires a little bit of different training. If you're going to work hand-on-hand, we need tutors. We need people to pick up things for youth and take it to them. So 

Michelle Hayes 26:20
any 

Diana Liberto Grove 26:20
you 

Michelle Hayes 26:20
skills 

Diana Liberto Grove 26:20
have or take people that are willing to volunteer, you know, once a month to every day, you know, so don't be shy, fill out our form. And we'll just -- be posting -- 

Michelle Hayes 26:30
-- I'm 

Diana Liberto Grove 26:30
Mitchell is going 

Michelle Hayes 26:30
going 

Diana Liberto Grove 26:30
to 

Michelle Hayes 26:30
to 

Diana Liberto Grove 26:31
help 

Michelle Hayes 26:31
help 

Diana Liberto Grove 26:31
us with some kind of software where the foster kids and our youth that are in or out can post their needs, and then one of our 

Michelle Hayes 26:40
you 

Diana Liberto Grove 26:40
volunteers can respond to 

Rich Bennett 26:41
it. 

Diana Liberto Grove 26:42
So quick and easy -- so then I don't have to be the middle person anymore. 

Rich Bennett 26:46
Because I was going to ask you if there's 

Michelle Hayes 26:48
-- 

Diana Liberto Grove 26:48
we do have a care clause and we're always taking donations for basic needs, the kids can come in any time. We do try to keep most things new 

Michelle Hayes 26:57
-- 

Diana Liberto Grove 26:58
in our 

Michelle Hayes 26:58
Our father's 

Diana Liberto Grove 26:59
so they can kind of shop new things 'cause they do get a good amount of hand-me-downs. 

Rich Bennett 27:02
own it. Right. 

Diana Liberto Grove 27:04
But we do have, um, from hair products to, um, basic hygiene, but some clothes, hats, winter gears, all that kind of stuff. 

Rich Bennett 27:12
And that's where either cash donations or even gift-carts. 

Diana Liberto Grove 27:15
100 help. 

Rich Bennett 27:23
About DNA and shifting gears. Had a he find out. All right. I knew I should have had him on 

Michelle Hayes 27:31
He knew, no, he 

Rich Bennett 27:32
it. 

Michelle Hayes 27:32
said work. Okay. 

Rich Bennett 27:35
He would 

Michelle Hayes 27:35
He's always, he's a 

Diana Liberto Grove 27:36
tell 

Michelle Hayes 27:36
just 

Diana Liberto Grove 27:36
his 

Michelle Hayes 27:36
real job. 

Diana Liberto Grove 27:37
life. 

Michelle Hayes 27:38
So he, he knew somebody. Who did he know? 

Diana Liberto Grove 27:43
You know, I don't know how he found us to be honest. 

Michelle Hayes 27:46
He knew somebody and found out you were looking for a tech guy. Or girl. 

Diana Liberto Grove 27:51
That's so funny. 

Michelle Hayes 27:52
And it was somebody that worked at Mountain. 

Diana Liberto Grove 27:56
Oh, 

Michelle Hayes 27:56
with him. 

Diana Liberto Grove 27:58
Really? 

Michelle Hayes 27:58
Yeah. And he was like, Oh, this looks neat. And he actually eventually wants to start his own non-prime. 

Diana Liberto Grove 28:05
Right. 

Michelle Hayes 28:06
It's 

Diana Liberto Grove 28:06
show 

Michelle Hayes 28:06
complimentary to years, 

Diana Liberto Grove 28:07
you new 

Michelle Hayes 28:07
years. Um, and he wanted experience in the nonprofit world. Um, not on the marketing side. And getting his hands wet and just really understanding the nonprofit world. So he decided that he was going to volunteer to be the chair. And uh, then I got involved because, well, we're a team. And I noticed the need for social media and I looked on the website and I was like, Oh, social media director. There's no one's picture there. It's not filled. And so I sat on it for a while because it was Mitchell thing. Um, and I tried to let him have a thing. Um, but he has his own, his own things. He does on his own. So then I talked to Diana. We had a few conversations and we talked and 

Diana Liberto Grove 28:59
the world so small. Like I learned that I used to be a director for top where for like 10 years 

Michelle Hayes 29:04
Oh, yeah. You know 

Rich Bennett 29:04
director. 

Michelle Hayes 29:04
my mom. 

Diana Liberto Grove 29:05
I tap up where 

Rich Bennett 29:06
Tupperware. 

Diana Liberto Grove 29:06
for the state of marijuana. 

Michelle Hayes 29:07
She was my mom's Tupperware. 

Diana Liberto Grove 29:08
Yes. And so we ran that connection. Plus I dealt with Mitchell's mom a lot at freedom when I was changing bank accounts because being a teacher. She would come to our school and talk. So then I'm like, wait. 

Small world, Hartford County is a small place. 

Rich Bennett 29:22
When the Tupperware still rounds. 

Diana Liberto Grove 29:23
Hey, that's people always say that. And then 

Michelle Hayes 29:26
my mom is really sad that you're not. 

Diana Liberto Grove 29:28
My dad actually still continues with our loyal clients. 

Michelle Hayes 29:31
He, he keeps it up. I'll let her know 

Diana Liberto Grove 29:34
because he was like, what are you going to do? You're going to leave all your people behind? So he still actively takes care of my Facebook page and just does local like, we don't do anything new with like a lot of new customers, but a lot of like our old 

Rich Bennett 29:45
I 

Diana Liberto Grove 29:45
customers. 

Rich Bennett 29:45
did not realize I was still around 

Diana Liberto Grove 29:48
50 years. 

Rich Bennett 29:49
Yeah. No, you couldn't beat 

Diana Liberto Grove 29:51
it. 

Michelle Hayes 29:52
Yeah. I mean, I'm I remember 

Rich Bennett 29:52
growing up as a kid. I mean, I mean, I've read I think. Somewhere or another there may still be some old Tupperware. 

Diana Liberto Grove 29:57
I'm sure there is. 

Rich Bennett 29:58
I 

Diana Liberto Grove 29:59
I'm sure turn it upside 

Rich Bennett 30:00
mean, 

Diana Liberto Grove 30:00
down to say the name. Yeah, they didn't. Yeah, yeah, no, they don't. 

Michelle Hayes 30:05
Yeah, 

Diana Liberto Grove 30:05
Yeah, 

Michelle Hayes 30:05
no, yeah, my 

Diana Liberto Grove 30:06
so that's it. Yeah, that's how we kind of all connected. And Mitchell had felt like they fostered when he was 

Michelle Hayes 30:12
mom. home for 40 

Diana Liberto Grove 30:14
kids. 

Michelle Hayes 30:15
Your emergency placement in Georgia? For they were the only emergency placement house in their county. 

Rich Bennett 30:22
Wow. 

Michelle Hayes 30:22
So they would get calls it to. Yeah, you know, tiny little newborns and pre-meas and I mean they had teenagers all the way down to newborns and everything in between. 

Diana Liberto Grove 30:37
So it was really the perfect fit for my needed someone to help attack. He's good at that. He has family already has a passion for foster care too. So really it's been a perfect fit. 

Rich Bennett 30:46
And 

Michelle Hayes 30:46
I just love everybody. 

Diana Liberto Grove 30:47
Yeah, she does. She's easy to 

Michelle Hayes 30:49
I 

Rich Bennett 30:49
talk to. 

Michelle Hayes 30:49
love you, Rich. I just love you differently. 

Diana Liberto Grove 30:51
The 

Michelle Hayes 30:52
the one 

Rich Bennett 30:52
one 

Michelle Hayes 30:53
thing 

Rich Bennett 30:53
thing with 

Michelle Hayes 30:54
with 

Rich Bennett 30:54
foster 

Michelle Hayes 30:54
foster children 

Rich Bennett 30:55
and I've said this before with somebody 

Michelle Hayes 30:58
talking 

Rich Bennett 30:58
to. And it is sad to see the 

Michelle Hayes 31:01
number 

Rich Bennett 31:01
of children that need foster. And people will turn their heads but they will they have no problem at the bottom of 

Diana Liberto Grove 31:10
an animal. 

Rich Bennett 31:11
So, you know, you have kids out there that didn't need to. And here's the thing. Like you said, once it is 18 when the 

Diana Liberto Grove 31:18
They 

Rich Bennett 31:18
agent. 

Diana Liberto Grove 31:18
actually Marlena 

Rich Bennett 31:20
is 21 21 so they a Janage out of 21 animals don't age out. 

Diana Liberto Grove 31:24
Yeah, hmm, 

Rich Bennett 31:25
I mean 

Michelle Hayes 31:26
these these kids. 

Rich Bennett 31:28
Needs homes and the thing is, it's like you said before, the ones that don't get adopted. 

Michelle Hayes 31:36
Forget 

Rich Bennett 31:36
nothing bad happens but you never know they could end up. Yeah. They could end up in The mental health is definitely er, 

Michelle Hayes 31:44
the. 

Diana Liberto Grove 31:45
illnesses. 

Rich Bennett 31:45
mental 

Diana Liberto Grove 31:45
Yeah. 

Michelle Hayes 31:46
And there 

Rich Bennett 31:46
Mhm. Yeah. 

Michelle Hayes 31:47
are also with a higher risk for trafficking. 

Diana Liberto Grove 31:49
But 100. 

Rich Bennett 31:49
Oh very. Yeah, and we're in one of 

Michelle Hayes 31:52
areas. 

Rich Bennett 31:52
the 

Diana Liberto Grove 31:52
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 31:52
highest 

Michelle Hayes 31:55
Mhm. 

Diana Liberto Grove 31:56
Mhm. I mean, and I just imagine just aging out without a forever family breaks my heart. And so I, because I can't take them all in my house, like I want to see. their forever family. 

Rich Bennett 32:05
Yeah. 

Diana Liberto Grove 32:06
Um, because it is tough. And like I said, I have. My girls, one is adopted, one chose not to, but she is our daughter. She's our family. And one is 20 inch. We're working on adapting her. And Hover County's really never done that before. You would think it would be easy to adapt an adult. Um, the laws are changing October 1st, so it will be easier. But even to adopt an adult, you need to find their parents. 

Rich Bennett 32:30
Wow. 

Diana Liberto Grove 32:31
Um, so yeah. And we actually know her parents and her parents support her 

Michelle Hayes 32:35
adopted. 

Diana Liberto Grove 32:36
being is to buy us. We are, my husband are very big into just growing family and that it's okay for kids to have two families, 

Rich Bennett 32:42
Yeah. 

Diana Liberto Grove 32:43
you know. And we are all about their biological families and supporting them in any way we can. And hers are very much on board. But you know, laws are the laws and there are things getting in our way. So, but starting October 1st, there was a new law that says if you are over 18, you do not need that anymore. So hopefully that will help some people. 

Rich Bennett 33:00
The goal 

Diana Liberto Grove 33:00
Right. Move it because no matter your age, I mean, even when we adopted our daughter at 17, they couldn't remember the last time they had an adoption at that age. 

Rich Bennett 33:07
Wow. 

Diana Liberto Grove 33:08
And often teenagers, I will say when my husband and I got into this, we didn't think we would adopt because we had heard most teenagers at that point have given. right. 

Rich Bennett 33:17
Yeah, 

Diana Liberto Grove 33:17
They don't necessarily want to be adopted. And we don't take any of that personally, but when our daughter came home and said, um, she literally looked at me one day and said, Mom, how do you feel about adoption? I said of a cat. I was joking with her and she was like, um, no, like if there was a kid, you really, really liked she said to me. And I was like, I would consider it why who needs adopting. And she was like, mom, would you adopt me? Like, of course we would adopt you. I know. I know. And, you know, so, of course, and so like I said, she has forever been in our lives and we are very close actually 

Rich Bennett 33:49
currently 

Diana Liberto Grove 33:49
now. Right 

Rich Bennett 33:50
right 

Diana Liberto Grove 33:50
now, her biological grandmother and biological brother are visiting from California. They're staying at our house for two weeks. So they're at the health right now. They're sleeping when I left this morning. Are 

Rich Bennett 33:58
they helping with the construction? 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:00
no. 

Rich Bennett 34:00
Oh, 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:00
I had a clean. 

Michelle Hayes 34:01
goodness 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:01
I had 

Michelle Hayes 34:02
rich. 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:02
Clean up the construction so they could 

Rich Bennett 34:05
put on the work 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:06
have room. Yeah, 

Rich Bennett 34:07
have 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:07
room to say, but yeah, that's really special to us. Like kids can't. Emkitchen feel forced to love one over the other, 

Michelle Hayes 34:13
No, 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:13
right? Like it's just all. 

Rich Bennett 34:15
Maybe 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:15
I'm 

Rich Bennett 34:15
that's why 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:15
failing. 

Rich Bennett 34:15
my son doesn't come 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:16
because 

Rich Bennett 34:16
over too much 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:17
I put him to work. 

Rich Bennett 34:18
I'm putting the work. 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:19
Yeah, you're 

Michelle Hayes 34:20
always son's always welcome at my 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:22
own. 

Rich Bennett 34:23
Do you going to put in the work? Oh, 

Michelle Hayes 34:26
can set 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:26
he 

Michelle Hayes 34:26
and play video games 

Rich Bennett 34:28
You 

Michelle Hayes 34:28
with 

Rich Bennett 34:28
know what day you got food? 

Michelle Hayes 34:30
always, 

Rich Bennett 34:30
Never 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:30
always. 

Rich Bennett 34:31
mind. 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:31
went to her office. You just see all the snacks in 

Michelle Hayes 34:33
Yeah, 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:33
her snack bin. Her son must have eaten like four packs of fruit snacks like three granola bars. She 

Michelle Hayes 34:39
I 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:39
got hit in wine in there. I know where 

Michelle Hayes 34:41
I 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:41
to go. 

Michelle Hayes 34:42
have not so hidden wine too. 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:45
True, 

Michelle Hayes 34:45
There's scotch. There's wine. There's some vodka right now. 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:50
Hey, 

Michelle Hayes 34:50
that's some salt or vodka. 

Diana Liberto Grove 34:51
It's a fun place to be. 

Michelle Hayes 34:52
There's also water and soda. Not old papaya coffee and coffee. There's lots of 

Diana Liberto Grove 35:01
coffee. See? 

I 

Rich Bennett 35:09
have 

Michelle Hayes 35:10
people that come by the office, like every week, 

Rich Bennett 35:14
Every 

Michelle Hayes 35:14
every other. 

Rich Bennett 35:14
time I've been by the office, you haven't been there. 

Michelle Hayes 35:17
That's not my problem. You didn't text me. 

Rich Bennett 35:19
I was trying to 

Michelle Hayes 35:21
surprise you. I'm at events like 

Rich Bennett 35:22
When 

Michelle Hayes 35:22
this. 

Rich Bennett 35:22
it be able to surprise you, would I? 

Michelle Hayes 35:23
I'm at events like this. 

Rich Bennett 35:24
Yeah, whatever. I'm not feeling alone. It's quick. 

Michelle Hayes 35:27
I'm busy. 

Rich Bennett 35:28
Sorry. 

Michelle Hayes 35:28
I 

Rich Bennett 35:29
stop 

Michelle Hayes 35:29
can always 

Rich Bennett 35:29
by some other marker. Please. I 

Michelle Hayes 35:31
in. 

Rich Bennett 35:31
guarantee you they would invite me But I 

Michelle Hayes 35:34
that. 

Rich Bennett 35:34
wouldn't do 

Michelle Hayes 35:38
Go ahead. 

Rich Bennett 35:41
Go 

Michelle Hayes 35:42
try. 

Rich Bennett 35:43
What? Go ahead. Go try. No, no, no. It's okay. 

Michelle Hayes 35:49
I 

Rich Bennett 35:50
can't do that. I can't do that to Mitchell. 

To you, that's another story. 

Michelle Hayes 35:56
I know. 

Rich Bennett 35:56
Can't do it to Mitchell. 

Michelle Hayes 35:57
I know. I still love you. That's 

Rich Bennett 35:58
That's 

Michelle Hayes 35:59
fine. 

Rich Bennett 36:00
fine. So 

Michelle Hayes 36:01
where would you like to sit you? 

Diana Liberto Grove 36:04
Oh, all the dreams that I just said I want them to. I would love us to be. 

Um, y'know, I would like multiple counties in our area all, um, giving kids 

Michelle Hayes 36:16
out the day 

Diana Liberto Grove 36:17
our 

Michelle Hayes 36:17
out 

Diana Liberto Grove 36:18
information, 

Michelle Hayes 36:18
our, 

Diana Liberto Grove 36:19
um, 

Rich Bennett 36:19
come 

Diana Liberto Grove 36:19
to 

Rich Bennett 36:19
to come right 

Diana Liberto Grove 36:19
to us. Again, I want it to be this great community space. I want it to be a safe space. Um, I want it to be vibrant and beautiful and, y'know, like I said, 

Michelle Hayes 36:29
That they, uh, 

Diana Liberto Grove 36:30
spot. 

Michelle Hayes 36:30
spaces for when people are doing really well, 

Diana Liberto Grove 36:32
Right? 

Michelle Hayes 36:32
right, that they can come, 

Diana Liberto Grove 36:33
but then also, 

Michelle Hayes 36:34
it's the emergency 

Diana Liberto Grove 36:35
homeless shelter. And these people with 

Michelle Hayes 36:37
trauma, 

Diana Liberto Grove 36:37
similar 

Michelle Hayes 36:37
similar trauma experiences, helping each 

Diana Liberto Grove 36:39
other, 'cause I think within their community, they can help each other too. Um, and just everyone, helping because again, these people are living in our area, right? We don't want homeless, right? We don't love seeing homeless people in our county. So let's get them off the streets. Let's help 

Michelle Hayes 36:53
them now. 

Diana Liberto Grove 36:54
For it's too late because it does get to a point. They're, 

do more than we're willing to miss sometimes. And 

Michelle Hayes 37:01
we 

Diana Liberto Grove 37:01
mental health plays a big role and we need to get them 

Michelle Hayes 37:03
help, uh, 

Diana Liberto Grove 37:06
we do have a behavioral health specialist on the board too, which is an amazing resource for us to get people what they need. Um, so that they can be stable. 

Michelle Hayes 37:16
want 

Diana Liberto Grove 37:16
They 

Michelle Hayes 37:16
these kids want to be independent, but they 

Diana Liberto Grove 37:19
to 

Michelle Hayes 37:19
want 

Diana Liberto Grove 37:19
do for themselves, but there are things that are getting in their way. So dream 

Michelle Hayes 37:23
five 

Diana Liberto Grove 37:23
big and 

Michelle Hayes 37:23
years, 

Diana Liberto Grove 37:24
but we have our place. I hope we have our emergency shelter. I would love to have housing for the girls and guys. Um, and just really thriving in a community space that, you know, maybe eventually it's, you know, any teen, any young adults can come hang out too, but really a safe space first for people that have been in and out of care. Um, but then there's plenty of kids that have been in and not in and out of care, but have had the same trauma experiences. Right and a safe space for them too. So we're really excited to grow and help and we love this community in Harvard County. We are, we are going to expand, you know, letting Cecil County know about my county, know about our city that the space is available to their kids to kids. And I say kids, but young adults as well. 

Rich Bennett 38:05
Some of the very important even though you already said it. Tell everybody listening where they can go to make a donation. There is a donate button on the 

Diana Liberto Grove 38:13
Yes, 

Rich Bennett 38:13
website. 

Diana Liberto Grove 38:14
there is there is a donate 

Michelle Hayes 38:15
button. I'm not the website. 

Diana Liberto Grove 38:17
Yeah, Mitchell. There is a donate button. So it's shifting gears MD dot org. Um, and maybe one day we'll expand, but we put the MD because it could be Mason Dixon, not just Maryland. Um, so we could have multiple. 

Rich Bennett 38:30
Where it could be multiple 

Diana Liberto Grove 38:32
It 

Rich Bennett 38:32
districts. 

Diana Liberto Grove 38:32
could be multiple So 

Rich Bennett 38:33
districts. 

Diana Liberto Grove 38:33
many things, but we needed the MD. That was what's available people. Um, but check us out there, check us out on social media. Um, Facebook, shifting gears. Um, Ink, I think we're shifting years ink on social media. on Facebook, but on Instagram, which is new. I'm just learning Instagram. Um, shifting underscore gears underscore MD. Um, so definitely check us out. There's plenty of ways to In-kind donations, monetary donations, time donations. We need it all. Nothing. Um, time is huge. We, especially again, if we get our new place, we're going to need help cleaning it up, um, fixing it up, doing all the things. And skills you have from, you know, willing to donate an hour of interior design or your plumber in an hour, we can 

Michelle Hayes 39:16
help. 

Diana Liberto Grove 39:16
use your Like I said, old teachers that have retired that can tutor. Like 

Michelle Hayes 39:21
any skills you have. 

Diana Liberto Grove 39:23
Somehow, 

Rich Bennett 39:25
I have a funny feeling. Well, I know when you retire and you said in 10 years. 

Diana Liberto Grove 39:30
Yeah, I know. 

Rich Bennett 39:31
10 years, this will be going full blast. And Nicole already start, 

Diana Liberto Grove 39:37
yes, she's better. We work 

Rich Bennett 39:37
I 

Diana Liberto Grove 39:37
on 

Rich Bennett 39:38
want to say this year. 

Diana Liberto Grove 39:39
it. Yeah, 

Rich Bennett 39:39
I think it's going to take off. It's needed. 

Diana Liberto Grove 39:43
It's so needed. 

Rich Bennett 39:44
Hope in anybody. Listen, I hope there's a developer or somebody that's listening to that will, they can find the land to where you can put little plots in 

Diana Liberto Grove 39:53
which we do have land. 

Rich Bennett 39:55
Yeah, we do. 

Diana Liberto Grove 39:55
We have it 

Rich Bennett 39:56
plenty of 

Michelle Hayes 39:57
land. 

Diana Liberto Grove 39:57
And 

Michelle Hayes 39:57
Oh 

Rich Bennett 39:57
There. 

Michelle Hayes 39:57
yeah. 

Diana Liberto Grove 39:58
again, businesses that are willing to support us foundations. We, we would love to work together with people. We are open. So please reach out to us. Our email is shifting years MD@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you and hear your ideas too. We are we are open and flexible. 

Rich Bennett 40:16
Do you have any questions for? 

Michelle Hayes 40:18
Oh no, I talked to her all the time. 

Rich Bennett 40:20
Oh, 

Diana Liberto Grove 40:22
I 

Michelle Hayes 40:23
text her probably too much sometimes. 

Rich Bennett 40:26
This 

Diana Liberto Grove 40:27
has been 

Michelle Hayes 40:27
great. And 

Diana Liberto Grove 40:29
I I appreciate you giving us time 

Rich Bennett 40:30
to get our message out there. Oh, let's just start. This is just the first time. 

Diana Liberto Grove 40:34
I can't 

Michelle Hayes 40:34
Oh, 

Diana Liberto Grove 40:34
wait. 

Michelle Hayes 40:34
yeah, 

Diana Liberto Grove 40:34
I can't wait. 

Rich Bennett 40:35
I. Yeah, 

Diana Liberto Grove 40:36
maybe we'll bring Jennifer next time. 

Rich Bennett 40:39
Women, which Jennifer? My niece. 

Diana Liberto Grove 40:41
Yes, your niece. 

Rich Bennett 40:42
Oh, God, no. 

Diana Liberto Grove 40:43
Yeah, come on. 

Rich Bennett 40:44
Oh, Robyn, come who said something? 

Diana Liberto Grove 40:46
She guys 

Rich Bennett 40:47
Jennifer 

Diana Liberto Grove 40:48
Jennifer is working on a fun travel basket for a basket bingo. People are going to want to win 

Rich Bennett 40:52
because 

Diana Liberto Grove 40:52
that prize 

Rich Bennett 40:52
you know they 

Diana Liberto Grove 40:53
do 

Rich Bennett 40:53
do. 

Diana Liberto Grove 40:54
it. Those women, they know how 

Rich Bennett 40:56
to. Jennifer, give me a heart. 

Diana Liberto Grove 40:58
They know how to make beautiful. 

Rich Bennett 40:58
Especially and if Michelle's here too. 

Diana Liberto Grove 41:00
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 41:01
No. 

Michelle Hayes 41:02
I'll be nice. 

Diana Liberto Grove 41:02
Yeah. Yeah. We need to come back. 

Rich Bennett 41:05
So lot. 

Diana Liberto Grove 41:05
Thank you. 

Rich Bennett 41:06
you. 

Michelle Hayes 41:06
Thank

Diana Liberto Grove 41:07
Bye. 

Rich Bennett 41:08
Thank you for listening to the conversations with Rich Bennett. I hope you enjoyed today's episode and learned something from it as I did. If you'd like to hear more conversations like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. And if you have a moment, I'd love it if you could leave a review. It helps us reach more listeners and share more incredible stories. Don't forget to connect with us on social media or visit our website at Conversations with Rich Bennett dot com for updates, giveaways and more. Until next time, take care, be kind and keep the conversation's going. You know, it takes a lot to put a podcast together together, and my sponsors help add a lot, but I also have some supporters that actually help me when it comes to the editing software, the hosting and so forth. There's a lot that goes into putting this together. So I want to thank them. And if you can, please, please visit their websites, visit their businesses, support them, however you can. So please visit the following Full full circle boards. Nobody does charcuterie like full circle boards, visit them at fullcircleboards.com. Sincerely, Sincerely, Sincerely Sawyer Photography. Live in the moment. They'll capture it. Visit them at sincerlysowyer.com.