15-year-old Dixie Jones has a passion for foster families and she’s taking action.  Her family has fostered and adopted several children, so she followed God’s lead to combine her love of the arts with a mission to help families like hers.  In March, this freshman in high school launched “Plan G”, a non-profit organization that helps foster families afford fine arts lessons and extracurricular activities for their foster children.  During a recent chat, she shared how we can step out of ourselves to joyfully serve others, why she thinks people find it hard to serve, and how to use God-given talents for good.  Here’s how God called this seemingly-ordinary high school girl to do some extraordinary things for these often-overlooked families.

OMB is Leah from OurMatchlessBeauty.com   DJ is Dixie Jones from Plan G.

OMB: Hi Dixie!  Let’s get to know you. What do you do enjoy doing in your spare time, outside of Plan G?

DJ:  I’m someone who likes theater and plays. I like hanging out with friends and going shopping on the weekends.  But a lot of my spare time is being spent packing up orders for Plan G and shipping the merchandise because we had a bigger launch than we expected.

OMB:  A big launch is exciting! How did you first get the idea for Plan G?

DJ: I wanted to start an organization for a long time.  God put it on my heart that I was going to do something soon, but I didn’t know what.   I knew if I just let Him take care of it, He would show me when He was ready for it to happen. 

I’ve grown up in a foster home.  I love seeing the kids’ faces when they come home from a music lesson and hearing them talk about it.  My mom brought up that the state doesn’t pay for those kinds of things.  Foster families often have trouble paying for extras, so it was put on my heart that these kids should be able to dream big.  So, at Plan G we sell merchandise to raise money for kids in foster care so they can have those opportunities.  We also accept money donations.  A lot of people say they have a “Plan A” or a “Plan B”.  Ours is Plan G, and the “G” stands for God. We need to be on God’s plan.

OMB:  When you say you’re a foster family, are you a foster child yourself or do you have foster children in your home?

DJ:  We are a group home right now. I’m a biological daughter to my parents and I have an older biological brother.  I was eleven when we started foster care.  Right now we have four adopted siblings and one foster sister that we are hoping to adopt soon.

OMB:  What a nice big family.  So how does Plan G work for foster families like yours?

DJ:  The foster families fill out some basic information about what the child wants to do, whether its tutoring, dance lessons or sports.  Sometimes it’s for sports equipment needed.  We pray over the applications.  We haven’t had too many come in yet to where we’ve had to pick and choose.  We follow up with them to make sure they got it in time.  All the profits from Plan G go to getting those things for the kids.

OMB:  Dixie, what do you specifically do in Plan G to get it all done? Do other people help you?

DJ:  Definitely. My dad does all the legal stuff that I don’t understand yet.  He’s teaching me as we go so, later on, I don’t have to depend on him so much.  My mom runs the Facebook page.  I do Twitter, Instagram, email and the website.  I also ship everything.

OMB:  That must be a challenge to balance with school, homework, and activities.  What was your official launch for plan G like?

DJ:  I waited up until midnight to launch on March 31 so that my friends at school could be on the website the next day.  Looking back, I would’ve waited because the launch was bigger than I expected.  My mom got 3,000 shares on the first Facebook post in 24 hours. It was kind of crazy.

OMB:  Well, audiences love to hear about younger people doing such valuable work.   Have you had any other issues with launching or has it been pretty smooth?

DJ:  It’s been pretty smooth, but a few days before the launch date, I started to doubt myself and began thinking I wasn’t smart enough to handle it because I’m only in high school. I texted a friend for encouragement.  He has his own company and reminded me that it wasn’t really my company, but God’s company.  Ultimately, God’s in charge so He’s going to give me wisdom when I need it.

OMB: It’s good to keep that perspective.  Doubt comes and goes and we have to line up our feelings with what God says.  We’re human and we mess up, but if we have a God-given vision, it’s not going to ultimately fail.   You talked about how your family inspired your vision.  What else can you tell us about your passion & vision?

DJ:  I see a lot of girls my age who feel like they need to be comfortable in their own lives before they help others and that’s not what God says.  God says we should help others before we help ourselves and to hold others in high esteem.

OMB:  Yes.  Sometimes people think ‘I have to get things straightened out with me first before I serve God’, but if we serve in the midst of our challenges, we find joy in God.  What has been the most challenging (and rewarding) part of this so far?

DJ:  The most encouraging thing has been watching it come together and the positive response.  I got so many emails about people wanting to help.  I was overwhelmed by the love.  We have people wanting to create their own organization or start their own website.  The most challenging thing has been keeping up with orders but once I saw the response, I didn’t have so much fear.  I was just overcome with peace, like this is going to work out because God says it’s going to work out.  I’m so happy that people are encouraged by Plan G.  They’re seeing that in order to see change, they have to be change.

OMB:  I’ve heard that foster kids are the ones that slip through the cracks and are forgotten about so I’m confident you’ll hear some really positive feedback from families who benefit from Plan G.  I want to follow up with you as it develops.  Speaking of developing Plan G, do you have goals and vision for the future?  

DJ:  I want to collaborate with charities who are doing similar things.   Right now I’m just working on building it and telling more people.  I hope to share more of the kids’ stories on the website so people can see how their purchase for Plan G is helping specific kids.  I think in the future, we’d like to get more personal with it in that way.

OMB:  Setting big goals is important but we need to remember that helping just one person is very important, too.  Let’s talk about people your age.  Why do you think they find it hard to meaningfully connect in their communities?

DJ:  I think this generation is taught to be comfortable before you begin to serve.  What we need to know is that nobody’s life is ever going to be perfect, that things aren’t going to slow down in order for us to help others.  We were made to take this journey together; we weren’t made to figure out life alone.  There’s a reason God made Eve; so Adam wouldn’t have to do life alone.  We need to be willing to reach out.  Maybe they’ll do the same for you.

OMB:  Part of the problem is that, deep down, there are people who think they don’t have anything to offer.  What would you say to someone who thinks that?

DJ:  God has given us all a gift.  We just need to figure out how to use what God has gifted us with to glorify Him.  Since I love to create, that’s what God has led me to do.  I really didn’t think I was going to be a businesswoman.  I thought I’d be more in the arts, but He led me to this and it’s more than what I had in mind.  Once we find what we can glorify God with, we’re all set.

OMB: And you don’t have to be in a non-profit or the next Billy Graham to make a difference.  You could be someone who cleans houses and still do it to the glory of God.  All talents and gifts can be an offering.  But let’s say someone finds their passion and mission and decides to start an organization.   What should they do?

DJ:  I had to ask people for ideas and advice.  It has to do with the people you surround yourself with to get the creative juices flowing.  If you’re really smart in something, maybe you’ll do tutoring.  If you’re into sports, maybe you’ll coach little league.  No matter what you love to do, you can always find an opportunity.  You can reach out to grab it.

OMB:  It’s so important to keep our eyes open for opportunities because we don’t always see them right in front of us.  We can ask God to open our eyes to the opportunities.

DJ:  I didn’t think I was even going to start this organization.  I figured I’d go into something more with art and God was like, “No, this is where I want you.” So I said, “Ok, God, lead me where you want me” and He took over and showed me an opportunity I would have completely missed if I had closed myself off to it.

OMB:  Ephesians 3:20-21 talks about how God is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power at work within us.  Sometimes we put limits on what we think God can do through our lives, but when we align ourselves with Him and pray that He would do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, He does!  Dixie, help us just understand why this cause is so important.

DJ:  These kids just want to have a normal life and do what they love.  They don’t want to be seen as a charity case.  This is just a way to help them and give them the opportunity.

OMB:  That’s awesome.  Matchless Beauty’s mission is making sure girls and women, no matter how young or old, know that God created them like no other and that they are truly matchless.  How has God made you matchless?

DJ:  Awhile back, I was struggling with confidence and selfishness.  God took that and taught me love, how I could better myself, how I can help others, and not just mope around.  He showed me love and through it all, He gave me confidence.

OMB:  Adults struggle with confidence, too, but God doesn’t make manufacturer defects.  He created us with different talents and gifts, like you said.  You’re embracing the way that God created you to fulfill your calling and to help others.  That’s powerful.  How can people help?

DJ:  Just visit our website www.plangstore.org . We have coffee mugs and men’s and women’s shirts.  All the profits go to foster kids for their activities.  Or you can make a donation.

OMB:  What’s amazing is that by you following your vision, you’re enabling others to follow their vision through Plan G.  Thank you so much for inspiring all of us to follow God’s plan and to make a difference.

Let’s support Dixie and the foster families she serves!  To shop or donate, please visit www.PlanGStore.org and share this article!