Lianne Wang:

To be able to lend a hand and to be able to care for others. It’s something that makes your life more meaningful. I want to set a good example for my children, as my mother has done for me.

I can’t expect somebody to do something that I wouldn’t do myself. I’ll be nervous, but my sister will be right next to me, and our mother will be watching, guiding us down.

Speaker 2:

Ready to rappel.

Lianne Wang:

I am the business banking leader in the greater Washington region for Truist. I’m looking forward to speaking to the students on today’s session.

I remember working with a family that was new to the country, like we were, and opening up their first checking account. The child was doing the interpretation for the parents and just getting flashbacks into that’s what my parents felt when they first got here.

We didn’t have a lot growing up, but whatever we had, we always shared with our neighbors, with our family. It was second nature to help other people.

We are going to New Hope Housing’s Mondloch Place. This is one of the shelters and homes that New Hope Housing provides.

Jan Sacharko:

It’s a very simple solution, sometimes, to homelessness: Getting people into housing that’s appropriate and affordable, without giving them a whole bunch of hoops to jump through, without making all sorts of rules that are easy to break so we can kick them out again, and give them a chance.

Lianne Wang:

Financial education is so important at every level, not just the young kids growing up, that’s super important, but as an adult.

I would imagine that some of our guests here never had that type of financial education or financial literacy.

To have someone who was sleeping on the streets move into a permanent home, that’s the ultimate goal, is to have a home that you can call your own, have a bed that you can sleep in, where you’re not out in the weather, getting snowed on, getting rained on.

We started talking about this event last year. At the time, it sounded really exciting. It’s Over The Edge. We’re going to rappel off of a building. We’re gonna raise so much money. I jumped in with open arms saying, “Yes, I will do it.” Even though I am deathly afraid of heights, but it’s a great opportunity.

I feel like I’m gonna cry. Oh my God, I’m so nervous.

I was in my third year in college. My mother got ill. She was in Taiwan. We were there for about two weeks. And I made the decision to come back to school because I didn’t want to disappoint her. I said goodbye, came back, and two weeks later we got the call that she had passed.

Li-Ping Hwang:

I couldn’t be at Charlottesville to comfort her. I know my mom want me to take care of my brother and sister. And I try my best to take care of them whenever I can. I think I did a pretty good job about it. I hope.

Lianne Wang:

Caring is something innate for me. You care about your children, your family, your friends, your teammates, your community. That’s part of my DNA.

Li-Ping Hwang:

Lianne is 100% of my mom when I see her. I can see her strong will coming from my mom. I see that love, compassion is a part of her. When she put her mind to it, she can accomplish anything.

Lianne’s son:

Go, Mommy, go.

Lianne Wang:

My fear of heights is nothing compared to being homeless. If I can just help one person by doing this, I feel like I’ve done my job.

I’m ready. I’m ready.

Jan Sacharko:

Ending homelessness is not something that we do alone. There are a lot of community partners and people involved. And with this event, thanks to Lianne, all of our rappelers, our sponsors, our partners, we’ve already raised over 215,000 and still counting. And we are just truly grateful for every single one of you.

Lianne Wang:

Oh, my god.

High five.

I feel great. I did it! Yeah.