When Gina Grote was a child, she remembers one defining moment when she was riding in her father’s car, and as they drove through downtown, she witnessed living conditions that she had never before experienced growing up in her suburban neighborhood. She remembers staring out the window with tears in her eyes. Gina told her dad that she was so sad that some people had to live like that. She realized at that moment how truly blessed her family was and she prayed that in the future she would not only have the ability to help those who need it, but also that she would recognize the opportunity to help and take the time and effort to act on it.
Now an adult, Gina finds the time to volunteer at various Delaware County agencies, such as the Common Ground Free Store, as part of her involvement with the Women’s Leadership Network of United Way, Delaware County. Gina was a founding member of the Women’s Leadership Network and is a current advisory board member. She is also on the Board for the United Way of Delaware County, treasurer for the United Way of Delaware County, board member and treasurer of PBJ Connections, and is currently mentoring a teen mom through the Delaware County MOMs Mentoring Program.
Gina is a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and is now a tax advisor at WealthStone Advisors. She has been working in public accounting for over 20 years and loves working with her clients for a variety of projects, from making a process more efficient to evaluating a possible acquisition or entering into a new market. When her kids were students with Buckeye Valley Schools, Gina was a member of the Buckeye Valley Foundation and worked to raise the funds to build a fitness center for the high school. She still does pro-bono tax return preparation for the Buckeye Valley booster groups.
The biggest obstacles that Gina has had to overcome to get to where she is today is learning to have confidence and believing in herself enough not to give up when things get a bit tough or challenging. “It took a lot for me to finally believe in myself and realize I can accomplish my goals as long as I have the passion to do so. My husband has done a lot to improve my confidence by always believing in and supporting me, not matter what. He has also helped me to realize that it is better to fail the first time, learn from it, and try again than to never try at all.”
Gina’s hero is Jane Grote Abell who she says truly believes in doing good for people and the community and stands by her principles. Gina’s short term goal is to open a Reeb Avenue-type center in the city of Delaware within the next few years. The Reeb Avenue Center is a place for residents in the community to learn, acquire job training and job placement, care for and educate their children, shop for groceries, and empower them to live better lives. “It is the perfect way to empower the impoverished because it engenders self-confidence and teaches them pride.”
For more details about the organizations Gina is involved with, please visit: www.liveuniteddelawarecounty.org, pbjconnections.org, and www.reebavenuecenter.org