What’s the difference between “Where do you live?” and “Where do you stay?”

We Are the Champions

Gwyn and John Beagle have become passionate Acts Housing champions over the last five years. Their primary volunteer and philanthropic attention is focused on organizations that further education and anti-poverty goals, which makes a lot of sense considering their own backgrounds: John is an engineer-turned-co-founder-and-CEO of Investment Bank Grace Matthews, and Gwyn is a lifelong science teacher.

Where do you stay?

Gwyn is known for making a complicated subject seem simple. A few months ago, she was sharing a story from when she worked in a high school in Milwaukee’s inner city.

As she observed kids in the hallways, she noticed that instead of asking each other, “where do you live?” students often asked, “where do you stay?”

It was this observation that made Gwyn realize that when kids aren’t sure where they’re going to sleep at night, it’s not likely that they’ll have the energy to focus on Algebra or Chemistry.

There’s no better way to “get it” in 3 minutes than to watch Gwyn’s video (above). Her story connects the dots: a safe, stable home will help kids thrive in school.

Showing Up

The Beagles put their time and energy behind the things they care about; John joined the Acts Housing board in 2020 and currently co-chairs the Expansion Steering Committee, and Gwyn shares her contagious passion for the impact of stable housing on children every time we see her. Each conversation with them reminds us why this work is so important.