It All Started with a "Yes"
Matt and Lindsay talked about fostering and adopting for a long time but the universe provided the opportunity with a pink flyer in their property taxes. They had their first child placed even before they were fully licensed and that first “yes” was the beginning of this journey. Originally, like so many other foster parents, they felt they only had the capacity for kids ages 4-10. As they continued their foster classes they realized what was really needed – foster parents willing to take teens so they opened their home for kids/young adults from birth to 21. Lindsay and Matt were living in a home they loved and a beautifully wooded neighborhood that felt like a retreat but they both longed for a farm. In January 2020 they casually started looking for a farm and thought they could start a program on the farm for young adults aging out of foster care eventually. Their realtors, Lonnie and Julie, sent a listing they thought would be perfect for their dream– it was more land, an additional house, and more money than they had planned for but agreed to look at everything. Hesitant to have an additional house and become landlords they continued their search. While Lindsay was reading an article about Penny Lane farms building tiny homes in Pittsboro– the idea struck her – we can provide housing for young adults aging out of foster care with the original farmhouse. When they went to look at the farm a second time, they saw the excitement in the eyes of the two kids they were fostering at the time and knew this was THE PLACE for their Vision.
The Co-Founders
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Dr. Lindsay B Schwartz, Ph.d., FGSA |
Matthew W. Arvin |
Dr. Lindsay Schwartz grew up in Indiana and couldn’t wait to get away from the corn fields. When she and Matt moved to the Baltimore area so she could attend graduate school, the first trip back to Indiana in the summer she realized the incredible beauty of those same fields. Sometimes, you just need a bit of perspective to realize the beauty that has surrounded you all your life.
Dr. Lindsay earned her BS in Psychology with a minor in Business from Indiana University and her Ph.D. in Health Policy and Management, with a focus on Health Services Research & Policy from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is a recognized expert in developing quality measures for long-term care, policy and a workforce. She has traveled all over the US speaking to providers, states, and other stakeholders about these issues and has served on numerous committees, expert panels, and research studies. Dr. Lindsay was the first woman to serve as Board Chair for the Center for Excellence in Assisted Living (CEAL) and has served as a mentor in the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation Health Policy Scholars program. During graduate school she completed a Health Fellowship in a subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions during health care reform in 2009. Dr. Lindsay embraces her nerdiness with a love for policy, data, and research. In June 2022, she launched her research, advisory, and consulting organization - Workforce & Quality Innovations, LLC. In her spare time, she loves spending time outdoors, gardening, baking, crafting, and caring for their farm animals. |
Matt was born and raised in rural southern Indiana on 14 acres. Both of his parents grew up in rural farming families, so they had an appreciation for animals and land which they passed on to Matt and his two younger brothers. Matt’s father was a Tool and Die Maker by trade, so he spent his youth working on anything and everything with his Dad and brothers. They rarely called “the guy”. They did most everything themselves, whether working on their home, property, or vehicles. Matt’s earliest memory was riding a dirt bike for the first time which ignited his life-long passion for motorcycles. He bought a sidecar motorcycle for their beloved adopted dog, Mattie, so she could accompany him on rides and camping trips. In 2020, Matt built his first Harley-Davidson chopper from a 1977 Superglide. His chopper won best in show from the Pit Stop in Sanford, NC in 2021, his first entry into a motorcycle contest. Matt earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Purdue University. He has worked in manufacturing for 25 years, including the last 12 years as a Manufacturing Engineer. Matt comes from a long line of garage “piddlers” dating back to his grandfather “Papa Joe” who was a General Contractor and Welder by trade. Since leaving home, Matt has lived many places with Dr. Lindsay either in or near cities with small yards as he dreamed for a day in which they had their very own larger property. He feels like he can finally put roots down on their farm now and carve out a little piece of heaven on Earth for the family here like his parents did for him and his brothers.
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