The Poulson Family
For every parent, sending a child to college brings pride and excitement, as well as worry for all the unknowns of this new phase. Richard and Anne Poulson were not only able to send their son Hundley (Princeton ’19) to one of the top schools in the nation, but were elated to know that Hundley found rich Christian community on campus through the ministry of Christian Union. “Christian Union provided our son with a warm and nurturing environment as he began his college career. Christian Union serves a very useful purpose in helping students transition to college life.”
The Poulson family
Hundley recently shared about his time with the ministry. “I became involved with Christian Union during the fall semester of my freshman year. The ministry did an incredible job of reaching out to new students, which was especially meaningful because it took me a while to feel comfortable on campus, away from my family. I quickly signed up for a Bible course and began meeting weekly with the ministry director and fellow freshmen. I made this decision within a few weeks of studying at Princeton; it was one of the best choices I made during my time there.”
Hundley continued, “If I had to pinpoint one part of my experience that stood out as the most enjoyable, I would identify the unique combination of mentorship from ministry fellows and camaraderie with students.”
Richard, Anne, and Hundley are faithful friends and supporters of Christian Union. Richard has instilled a spirit of generosity in his family. He launched a private foundation nearly fifty years ago to facilitate his commitment to philanthropy. “Over the years, we have supported deserving organizations, schools, and colleges to provide financial support to students who would not otherwise be able to attend. To date, the foundation has distributed grants in excess of $20,000,000,” Richard explained.
The Poulson family believes they have a duty to help those less fortunate than themselves, and this principle has impacted Hundley (now a member of the foundation board) greatly. “My views on giving and stewardship are definitely still evolving, and I would be worried if they ever stopped doing so. One of the things I know to watch out for is selfish giving . . . in our stewardship, the main beneficiary should always be the one to whom we give. A yearning for personal satisfaction should not become the driving force behind how we practice gift giving.”
Hundley and his parents are excited for the future of Christian Union. Hundley shared, “The essence of Christian Union’s formula for impactful service is not complex. It requires great people having the resources to build faith through community and community through faith... I hope to do my best to make sure that students for decades will have similar experiences.”
Christian Union is profoundly grateful to the Poulson family; their impact through leadership and giving will be felt long into the future, praise be to God. Demonstrating a spirit of generosity to our families invites the Lord’s blessings to our nation, and world, for generations to come.
To learn more about the many ways to support Christian Union, please visit www.christianunion.org/get-involved/donors/ways-to-give.
