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About

Share My Smile has been a growing part of our community since its inception in 2010. We were founded to serve as a supportive organization for foster and adoptive families and children for Southwest Iowa.  We currently serve 17 counties in Iowa and Douglas County in Nebraska.  We serve over 450 foster and adopted children and their families.

Our founder, Chelsea Best, has been involved with foster care and adoption in some fashion or another for fifteen years and is devoted to providing the best overall service to the families and children we are honored to help
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We are committed to continuously evaluating our programs to grow, evolve, and become more effective as the years continue. We believe in building community partnerships and making family connections to best serve our families and our community at large. 

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Our funding: We have a responsibility to our community and our donors and work hard to ensure the long-term sustainability of the organization.  We are funded through fundraiser proceeds, individual donations, business sponsorships, and grants.  We make our IRS Form 990 available for review, as required by law. IRS Form 990

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SMS DREAM TEAM

From left to right:
Michelle Irions, Executive Director
Chelsea Best, President
Michaela Harrington, Program Specialist

We need your support today. The children in your local communities need your support today.  Through no fault of their own, kids from infants to 17 are taken from their homes and put into another; in a different location, with complete strangers.  Our foster families have the desire to provide love and work hard to help these children.  And Share My Smile provides supportive services no other nonprofit or government agency provides.  We do not receive any government funds.

But we have you!!  Please click the Donate button to learn exactly what we do and how you can help!

Our Mission

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide family strengthening events and care programs for foster families to encourage true, honest, and happy smiles in children. 

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Our Core Values: 

S - Support our Communities
M - Make a Difference
I - Inspire Children
L - Lead with Integrity
E - Encourage Families

Team

Our Vision

Our vision is that foster care families have the resources to become successful which encourages more individuals to become foster parents and positively impact a foster child’s life. 

Our board and staff are committed to our mission, our vision,

our purpose, and our goals.

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Chelsea Best

Board President

Chelsea, the founder and President of Share My Smile, designed and created the plans for the organization while in high school

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Michelle Irions

Executive Director

Michelle joined Share My Smile in 2016 as the Board Vice President.  She took the Executive Director position in October of 2022.

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Michaela "Mickey" Harrington

Program Specialist

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Mickey joins Share My Smile as our program specialist. She is a Nebraska native and holds a bachelor’s degree in English and journalism from Wayne State College and earned a master of arts degree in communication from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her best job to date was being a stay-at-home-mom for her two children. She is an active volunteer for her church and neighborhood association and has volunteered with TeamMates, Boys Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts. She brings a wealth of marketing and public relations experience to her position and is excited to be a part of Share My Smile and the wonderful families we serve.

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Stephanie Little

Board Member

Stephanie has been active in Human Resources and Program Management since 2013.

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Theresa Edwards

Treasurer

Theresa Edwards works at US Bank.  Most recently, she is a Business Banking Specialist in Council Bluffs where she works with small businesses in the community to meet their banking needs. 

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Board Member

Staci Hodge

Staci Hodge

Vice President

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Staci has been an IT professional for over 17 years.  She just recently completed her Master’s Degree in Management of Information Systems with an emphasis in Data Analytics.  She comes to us with a wealth of knowledge from technical training & management to crisis management & risk and compliance. She currently works for PayPal and has been with the organization for 7 years.

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Bonnie Tippery

Board Member

Bonnie has a BBA from the University of Iowa. She retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2009 after 37 years in Human Resources

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Frank Barrett

Board Member

Frank has been in IT for over 23 years. Spanning multiple industries including government, health care, manufacturing, private equity and real estate. Recently he added Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist to his resume after a cycling injury prompted a personal focus on the science of health. 

 

Frank is a retired Scoutmaster of CB Troop #537, and is currently a member of Excelsior Lodge #259, Bluff City Lodge #71, the Council Bluffs York Rite Bodies, and a veteran of the Iowa Army National Guard. He enjoys cycling for charity, woodworking and collecting antique tractors.  

 

Frank is new to Share My Smile and is excited to support the organization's mission.

Michelle Berry

Board Member

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Michelle graduated from UNO with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in English and graduated with her MBA at the University of Phoenix. Michelle has 15 years in the healthcare industry and  ten years in sales and marketing. In her current role, Michelle is the Marketing DIrector for a mobile primary care clinic.  

 

In her spare time, Michelle enjoys spending time with her family, reading books, and watching movies. Also, Michelle volunteers on her church's welcome team.

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