When financial advisor Rob Spencer moved to Atlanta in 1999, he reconnected with former college classmate Kate Atwood who was then launching Kate’s Club, a nonprofit to support young people coping with bereavement.
“It seemed like a great mission,” said the Buckhead resident. “Then shortly after I learned about it, my father died, and the message and the mission resonated with me even more. I was a young adult who had a good support group, but I didn’t know many people personally who had been through that experience. I was dealing with grief and loss pretty much on my own.”
Spencer realized that if he was having difficulty coping, kids were probably struggling even more.
“Kids grieve very differently,” he said. “The adults around them might not even have the same vocabulary to talk about. That’s what makes Kate’s Club so special: It brings them together and forms a community to share similar feelings, and they can support each other in ways it’s hard for others to do.”
Spencer and his wife, Kathryn, began attending club events and volunteering. Now the father of two, he’s continued his involvement by serving dinners at “clubhouse” events where children and families come together for activities or helping kids settle into the camps held twice a year. Four years ago, he joined the nonprofit’s board, and for the last two he’s served as the chair.
“I took over that role in January 2020, and pretty quickly the things I thought I was going to do changed,” he said. One of the main goals was to recruit and hire a new director, a search that ended with Lisa Aman joining the staff in April.
Spencer’s dedication to the Kate’s Club cause was recently recognized by his employer, Northwestern Mutual. Each year, the company’s foundation selects 16 recipients who have demonstrated exceptional volunteer service for its Community Service Awards. As part of the honor, winners receive a grant for the nonprofit they support. Spencer’s commitment earned a $15,000 donation to Kate’s Club.
“I was excited, happy and honored to receive the award on behalf of Kate’s Club and to have Northwestern Mutual cut a check for $15,000 that will support our programs and camps this year,” he said.
Information about Kate’s Club is online at katesclub.org.
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