He started a nonprofit, and his team was right there to help

Megan Raposa -

This is a paid piece from Midco.

Simplified: When Darin and Kari Palmer founded a nonprofit in memory of their late son, Darin's team at Midco rallied around them to show support. Four years later, the team's support has only grown stronger.

Tell me more about the nonprofit

The couple started Journey of Hope in 2020 with the mission of meeting people where they're at, giving them space to be heard, and inspiring hope and possibility for the future.

  • They accomplish this by providing basic necessities and hygiene products to people who are unhoused, re-joining society after incarceration, struggling with addiction or who just need a helping hand.

Why it matters

  • Journey of Hope regularly hands out blue tote bags with essential hygiene products – an homage to Sven Godwin, the couple's son who died in February 2020 of an alcohol overdose after years of struggling with depression and addiction. He always carried a blue tote, and his parents knew he often needed a new pair of socks and access to basic hygiene items.
  • The nonprofit has grown to help not only people who are battling addiction or coming out of incarceration, but also to help people who are unhoused, kids in juvenile detention and kids in local schools who are in need of basic hygiene products.
  • Darin's colleagues at Midco have also grown closer as a team through volunteering with Journey of Hope – particularly in the times they've volunteered together to fill the tote bags.
"When you work with someone five days a week, 40 hours a week, they become family," he said.

Tell me more about Midco's support

Darin has worked at Midco for 17 years as an accounts payable supervisor. His coworkers at Midco were among the first volunteers to help out Journey of Hope.

"I think people didn't realize the need was as deep as it is in our community until we were right there filling those bags," said Nancy Grote, senior manager of capital and disbursement accounts at Midco. "It just gave us all that sense that we can make a difference."

Not only have Darin's coworkers helped by volunteering and donating supplies, but also Midco as a company has supported Journey of Hope through a grant from the Midco Foundation.

Midco's employee benefits have also helped Darin be able to run this nonprofit while maintaining his full-time job.

  • He's able to take volunteer time off (VTO) in which he can go hand out bags or work on whatever is needed at Journey of Hope.

There have also been even small connections that have made a big difference. Darin shared the story of a coworker in Minneapolis who called him and asked if the nonprofit needed toothbrushes. A few days later, a couple of cases of toothbrushes showed up at his house.

"It does mean a lot," he said. "It gives us that reassurance that people do believe in what we're doing."

How can I support Journey of Hope?

You can learn more about the nonprofit here.

  • You'll also find ways to help from donating products, volunteering your time or giving a financial donation.