Employee Spotlight: Assistant Director of Development Ed Savage pursues a passion for caring

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Assistant Director of Development Ed Savage pursues a passion for caring!

Ed Savage reviews the images selected for printing in a “lottery calendar,” to be sold as a Homeland fundraiser. Buyers of lottery calendars qualify for daily cash drawings throughout the year.

Savage is a history buff, particularly enamored of the Civil War, and he marvels at Homeland Center’s endurance dating from its founding in 1867 as a home for Civil War widows and orphans. That makes the 2017 gala celebrating Homeland’s 150th anniversary especially important.

“How many organizations get to this phase?” he says. “You only have one chance at this. You want to make sure it’s done right.”

Development offices stay fresh by always dreaming up new ideas, Savage believes. Homeland is in the midst of its “$20 million by 2020” initiative – meant to raise funds to assure Homeland’s renowned benevolent care will be available to future residents. Savage is part of “a truly committed’’ team tasked with reaching the goal – a team that includes that includes members of the volunteer Board of Trustees and Board of Managers.

“We’ve been encouraged to think creatively,” he notes. “It’s nice to work for folks who have a real feel for the organization.”

Growing up in Brooklyn, Savage learned to appreciate diverse cultures and people. His parents were both educators who taught him to value learning, and his father is a longtime sports referee. His all-male Catholic High School instilled in him a spiritual foundation and a sense of social justice.

His wife, Kathy, a psychometrician, is passionate about empowering women through martial arts and teaches and practices in four disciplines, holding a second-degree black belt in Jung Sim Do.  He bonds with his three sons, ages 21, 18 and 13, over their athletic pursuits, and he and his youngest son enjoy excursions to the region’s charming towns, sometimes letting the car guide the way.

Development, Savage says, “is about storytelling,’’ and Homeland “has a great story to tell.” Though Homeland is steeped in history, it stays relevant by keeping pace with changing needs, such as the recent creation of Homeland Hospice, Homeland HomeCare, and Homeland HomeHealth.

Sometimes, the development office will get a note from someone thanking them for the excellent, compassionate care that Homeland has provided a loved one. “It makes you stop for a second and say this is why we do what we do,” Savage says. And then he repeats, “This is why we do what we do.”