SpenserNation Overview
Creative Spirit Ministries, LLC is a family business. Born of a love for family and concern for children in need, CSM sponsors different types of initiatives, all of which result in revenues which are then used to fund programs whose purpose is to enrich the lives of children and families.
It is the vision of CSM to develop in a loving, family-focused environment, well-defined initiatives which will benefit children throughout the country and which will provide emotional support to these children and their families.
SpenserNation is an initiative of CSM. Its ministry is childhood hunger.
CSM and SpenserNation's Corporate Values include:
- Commitment to support of the family relationship
- Love and compassion of others
- Understanding and tolerance of the differences among us
- Dedication to and support of our country, the United States of America
Meet The Team
SPENSER—Superstar
Spenser is a ten-year-old Yorkshire terrier but never call him a dog. He thinks he is as human as the rest of Mom's children and she agrees that he is (and, by far, the best behaved!). He lives with Mom in Savannah, Georgia, but spends most of his time on airplanes traveling with Mom to the places she works. He has lots of two-legged and four-legged brothers and sisters who he loves very much. He is a very good traveler and likes to sniff children that he meets in airports and hotels. September 29 is Spenser's birthday and it is a special event for our family. Spenser would like for you to celebrate with him each September as he collects food for hungry children. He hopes you enjoy his stories and share his adventures as he continues to travel across this great country. Maybe one day he will visit your city and school!
MOM (Melanie Brooks)—Creative Services and Development
Mom is the originator of the SpenserNation concept. She developed these ideas as the result of comments from friends who received her emails about Spenser's travels. Mom cares deeply about hungry children in America and decided to use the skills God blessed her with to support the food banks associated with Feeding America. Spenser is the last of Mom's children and she is very fortunate to have a beautiful granddaughter, Hannah, to love and spoil. Mom and Spenser have been very lucky to meet wonderful people in their travels and have friends from coast to coast that they love to visit. They have visited all fifty states. Mom and Spenser have also been lucky enough to participate in some of America's great churches as part of their travels. They have worshipped at St. Louis Family Church in St. Louis, Missouri, North Point Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, California as well as special places like Manchester United Methodist in Manchester, Michigan and First United Methodist in Hendersonville, North Carolina. All of these churches are also strongly involved in caring for children as are many churches, community associations, and civic organizations around the country. Mom and Spenser have also volunteered with charitable organizations in the cities they have visited.
AMIE—Illustration and Book Design
Amie is a practicing freelance illustrator with thirteen years of experience in fine art, illustration, and design. She completed her undergraduate degree in Studio Art from Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado. During her college years, she showed her work at various galleries and in 1996 was featured on the cover of Colorado Sportsman magazine. The most important part of her life during this time was the birth of her son, Jared, and daughter, Jessie. While she continued to complete occasional commissions for artwork, her love for children and desire to be involved in her own children's daily activities led her to spend the next several years running a licensed childcare and preschool program from her home. However, as her own children began to go off to school, Amie took a new direction and began to pursue illustration, combining both her love for children and love for art, and published her first children's book in 2004. That year, she also returned to school to earn her Master of Fine Arts degree at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), graduating in 2006 and illustrating her second children's book. She returned to SCAD to teach in the Foundation and Illustration departments that same year. Amie, Jared, and Jessie live with Socks the cat and Roxie the dog in the Kansas City area. She is also very involved in her church serving as president of the youth organization and teaching Sunday school. She has also recently developed an online illustration course for SCAD's graduate program. Amie joined the Creative Spirit Ministries family 2008 and is excited to be a part of the future of Spenser Nation!
BEN—Marketing Services and Media Relations
Ben is the oldest of Mom's children (well, only if counting in human years). He attended Benedictine Military School in Savannah and graduated from the Radnor School in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Ben loves to play soccer, tennis, and golf and is a volunteer with the National First Tee organization. He enjoys watching all sports especially the Crimson Tide of Alabama where he attended college. Ben graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in marketing and public relations. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. After working in St. Louis and Atlanta in the rental car industry, he decided to return to his hometown of Savannah. Once back home, Ben went to work with his aunt and uncle in the custom cabinet business where he has mastered the tricky business of computer-aided design. He is currently enrolled in Mercer University's Executive MBA program, fine-tuning the skills needed to develop SpenserNation. Ben visits the gym regularly to work out and enjoys running. Ben is the proud co-parent of a three-year old boxer, Palmer. Ben has worked with hunger organizations in Atlanta and Savannah and is committed to helping SpenserNation take care of lots of hungry children. He is also busy establishing Simple Fish Book Company whose mission is to support SpenserNation's publishing objectives.
LINDSEY—Design Services and Charitable Gifts
Lindsey, along with her brothers, grew up in Savannah, Georgia. She learned the importance of family and education from a young age. She was educated at Catholic schools until college at Georgia Tech. There, she was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, and earned a bachelor's degree in management with a certificate in marketing. While in school, she studied abroad at Oxford University and spent a summer touring Europe. Lindsey also has a Master of Arts in Interior Design degree from The Savannah College of Art and Design. She has worked in both the residential and commercial realms of interior design and is an associate member of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). Lindsey resides in Jesup, Georgia with her husband, Joe, and their new arrival (Mom's first grandbaby), Hannah Maddalena Gnann Buck, who joined our family on September 9, 2009 (09-09-09). Hannah has two canine big sisters - Chloe, a Yorkie and Mollie, a Cairn terrier. Lindsey loves sports (especially football), yoga, working out, reading and photography. She has been on many amazing trips with her family, with her husband, and, of course, with Spenser. Volunteering and charitable work is important to Lindsey. She is a member of the Junior League of Savannah and enjoys the many opportunities it provides her with to help the community. She and her husband are members of The 13th Colony Society part of the Historic Savannah Foundation in her hometown. She is active in her church and enjoys singing with the praise team. An interior designer by education and experience, Lindsey is a member of the SpenserNation team by good fortune; her mom is its gifted creator. She is the director of Design Services and Charitable Gifts for Creative Spirit Ministries. She is also the Executive Director of Spenser's non-profit affiliate, Operation Hungry Child, Inc. Her goal is to help Spenser feed all the hungry kids in America.
JOE—Faith Based Activities and Spiritual Support
Joe has been lucky enough to marry into this exciting family when he and Lindsey were married in the fall of 2006. He was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, where his parents still reside. His parents have collectively worked in the field of education for over 80 years, and they had a powerful impact on Joe's devotion to education and service. His sister is an educator as well in Fulton County Schools where she is the coordinator of the Special Education program at a middle school. Joe graduated from Benedictine Military School in Savannah, and then received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy where he was a varsity swimmer and triathlon team member. Upon graduation and commissioning as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy, Joe served as a supply corps officer, a job that took him around the world. After an honorable discharge from the Navy, Joe began a long process of attaining graduate degrees. Joe received his Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Economics from Auburn University and worked on a Ph.D. in Finance before answering God's call to the ministry. Joe received his Master of Divinity degree from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Joe has served as pastor of Antioch UMC in Fairburn, Georgia, associate pastor of Wesley Monumental UMC in Savannah, and is currently the pastor of Epworth UMC in Jesup, Georgia. Joe is a triathlete who has completed an Ironman and several Half-Ironman triathlons. He also competes in U.S. Masters Swimming having swum at their National Championships. Joe plays golf when he is not training and loves life with his wife, Lindsey, baby Hannah, and their two dogs, Chloe and Mollie. Love of God and neighbor is very important to Joe, and he is excited to be involved with Spenser Nation and the wonderful work they are doing to better the world in which we live. Joe is involved in many community groups, including United Way, Rotary International, Hospice Jesup, Salvation Army, and Step Up Savannah Poverty Reduction Initiative. He provides a spiritual motivation for the Spenser Nation while partnering with faith-based groups to facilitate their involvement with our charitable focus.
WILLIAM—Technology Services and Web-Based Activities
William is originally from Savannah, Georgia. Throughout his childhood he was raised by his single mother. William grew up mainly in Savannah, but spent two years during high school near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Catholic schools, graduating from Benedictine Military School in Savannah and chose Emory University in Atlanta to continue his education. At Emory William helped direct the intramural sports program and earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology, with a focus in Chemistry. After graduation, William worked as a research assistant in an Ophthalmic Lab at Emory. While there he was published in multiple academic journals. He returned to Savannah to work for his aunt and uncle's custom cabinet business developing a cost accounting system. In 2006 William moved to Nashville, Tennessee to work in software implementation for hospitals, and resides there today. His main interests include music, sports, and his dog, Palmer(boxers). William, like his siblings, is a member of the SpenserNation team by good fortune. His mother, and her ever-creative mind, is responsible for this wonderful outlet for child hunger awareness. Through his faith and family, he has a drive to help those in need. William is using his passion for technology to better the presentation of SpenserNation to people everywhere via the Internet. He serves as Director of Technology Services for Creative Spirit Ministries, and enjoys helping Spenser feed hungry children everywhere!
STEPHANIE—Educational Materials Development
Stephanie is our professional educator and is responsible for developing all of the lesson plans you can download from this website. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, in horticulture and a master's degree in Secondary Science Education, also from Auburn. She received her Education Specialist degree from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Stephanie is a nationally certified teacher and has been in the classroom for six years. But her biggest claim to fame is baby Jack whom she and her husband, Luke, welcomed into the world in 2007. Stephanie, Luke, and Jack also have two dogs, Maggie and Dublin, and live near Birmingham, Alabama. SpenserNation is happy to have a teacher as qualified as Stephanie (who we lovingly call SAS) to take Spenser and his travels into the classroom.
SpenserNation is an initiative of CSM LLC.
