Meet our 2013 Mother of Achievement - Mari Goodman
Born the oldest of four children
in South Jordan, Utah., Mari Goodman learned
the value of family unity at her mother’s knees. After high school, Mari
attended Brigham Young University,
where she met and married Paul while they were both working on their Bachelor's
of Science Degrees in Chemical Engineering.
Christina was born during the middle of their Senior year, so Mari eagerly
took some time off to be a mom and then finished her degree 18 months later. 2003 brought exciting changes for her family:
Sarah was born in February, Paul defended his PhD dissertation in June and they
moved to Flagstaff
in July where Paul obtained employment at W.L. Gore & Associates. She and her husband have been licensed foster
parents and respite care providers since 2005, being the foster parents of
eleven children. As a foster mother, she
has had opportunities to help children and their families, by working with the
families of children in her care and by establishing a clothing exchange in Northern Arizona for foster families. She is currently in the middle of her
training to become a CASA (Court
Appointed Special Advocate) for children in foster care.
Mari's service reaches beyond her
family and the foster care system to the community around her. She has been actively involved in her girl's
schools since Christina started kindergarten.
Her level of involvement has varied, depending on the needs of the
teachers: from working with small groups of children, to leading groups on
field trips at the Grand Canyon, to office
work. One year, she was an adult mentor
for a fourth grade student who came from a very challenging back ground. She worked with him several days a week for a
full semester, basically striving to keep him in school and get back up to
grade level performance.
Another aspect of Mari's community
service has been with the annual Flagstaff Faith in Action Day, where people of
many different faiths come together to provide service throughout the community. During the past few years, Mari has organized
and coordinated one of the many projects as part of this city-wide event. One year, she helped create a safe and
family-type setting for a visitation room for CPS. The project transformed the room from a large
storage room with a couch to a family room, with a couch, toys, books, games, table
and chairs, and murals on the walls.
Mari has actively served within
her church organization in many different capacities. She has led the women's organization of about
150 women for almost 4 years, in which time she has taught classes, organized
humanitarian aid projects, and supported women and their families. She currently enjoys working with a lively children's
class of ten three year olds on Sundays, coloring, telling stories, and loving
the kids.
Mari’s latest undertaking is a
joint business venture with her sister.
They opened a small business two years ago, providing jobs and giving
back to the community.
Mother Theresa once said, "Never worry about
numbers. Help one person at a time, and
always start with the person nearest you."
In all that she does, Mari exemplifies this attitude to all those around
her.
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