Lily Pad Founders
Benjamin Tice and
Jennifer Tice, Executive Director
After becoming parents in 2010, Benjamin and Jennifer Tice were led to start fostering vulnerable children in South Carolina. Ben is a former law enforcement officer and Jenni is a registered nurse, specializing in labor and delivery. They have three children, Rhys, Zack, and Eric and have parented 40 children through foster care. In 2022, the Tice family said goodbye to a foster daughter, Lily, they had raised for 27 months. Shortly before Lily was reunified with her biological family, God moved two girls into the Tice’s home, ages 15 and 11. Those girls opened Ben and Jenni’s eyes to what older children experience when placed in foster care. This new knowledge inspired them to start a nonprofit to serve vulnerable children and youth and name it after their foster daughter, Lily. And with that, Lily Pad: A Soft Place To Land was born.
You are a child of God. You are wonderfully made, dearly loved, and precious in His sight.
- Psalm 139
You inspired all of this. We will love you forever. - Mama
MEET THE REST OF OUR TEAM!
OUR TEAM IS FULL OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES THAT HAVE THE SAME HEART TO SERVE VULNERABLE CHILDREN. THEY EACH BRING THEIR OWN UNIQUE LEARNED AND LIVED EXPERIENCES RELATED TO SOCIAL SERVICES, VULNERABLE CHILDREN & FAMILIES, FOSTER CARE, AND/OR ADOPTION.
Jonathan and Cara Grubb have lived in the Upstate and Midlands of South Carolina for the last 20 years. The Grubb family recently relocated to Farmington Hills, MI. Jonathan is a Controller for a healthcare services organization. Cara has a background in interior design and cares for their kids and home. Jonathan is an adoptee. He and Cara were foster parents in Greenville County, SC for 3.5 years and are also adoptive parents. They have been married for 17 years and have 3 children.
Jonathan Grubb, Treasurer
Cara Grubb, Creative Director
“I love you. You are special. You are important, and you matter. Don’t ever forget that.”
Anna Claire Butler, Secretary
Anna Claire is the Lead Student Services Program Coordinator for Clemson University in their College of Behavioral, Social, and Health Sciences. Prior to Clemson, she served as a school counselor for South Carolina public schools. She is a South Carolina native, Clemson Alumni, and a mom of two children.
“People often tell me that I’m amazing or a hero for fostering [while single]. While I’d like to think I am that special, I actually just answered what I was called into. Not everyone is called to foster or adopt, but everyone can be a part of this journey. We are all called to be a part of this village!”
Sarah Steele is a foster and adoptive mother. She has served other children as a guardian ad litem and she formerly worked as a caseworker for department of social services.
Sarah Steele Schwab
Emmanuel Daniel
Emmanuel and his wife were instrumental in the installation of two Lily Pad locations in York County, York County DSS and Midlands Adoption Services Rock Hill. They now, alongside a volunteer group from their church, continue to maintain those two locations. Emmanuel is a business owner, and active in his community by serving on the board of his HOA and Vice President of the PTO at his children’s school.
“I am willing to help support the mission of Lily Pad as we seek to make a difference in communities throughout the Upstate and all of South Carolina. I desire to see the local community surround and support some of the most vulnerable individuals in what is one of the most difficult times they may have had to face.”
Stephanie’s career in high school public education has made her aware of the needs of the vulnerable children she interacts with daily. She graduated with a Master’s degree from Clemson University and a Doctorate from Mercer University. In 2023, Stephanie officially became a mother when she adopted her two daughters from the South Carolina foster care system.
Stephanie Rees, Ph.D., NBCT
Frank Condon
Frank is a foster/adoptive/biological father. He has fostered 25 children. Frank started his career in law enforcement. He has since founded and is the CEO of DevObal Technologies Inc. in Simpsonville, South Carolina. With his personal and professional experience, he understands what it takes to love others and meet them where they are at.
“I believe that God is omnipotent. Jesus is His Son, and we are called to LOVE others. I believe this is the foundation of our lives as believers. I am thankful that God has shown me a passion for these children, case workers, and the families who support these vulnerable children.”
“Partnering with Lily Pad has given me a glimpse of how God is allowing volunteers like me to be the hands and feet of Jesus as we demonstrate God’s love to children and youth.” - Paige Johnson
“Before June 2022, I always believed that the only options to help children in foster care were through being a foster parent or purchasing Christmas gifts for an anonymous child or youth; I feel confident that I cannot be the only one with that perception. What I have come to learn through volunteering with Lily Pad is that there are so many other ways that we, as a community, can support children and families experiencing trauma within the foster care system.”
Paige has a Masters in Special Education-Learning Disabilities and an Educational Specialist Degree in Elementary Administration. She is a wife, mother to three children including a daughter with special needs, and selflessly gives of her time outside her home to volunteer with Lily Pad. Paige was instrumental in bringing a Lily Pad space to Greenwood County SCDSS. She continues to volunteer and support Lily Pad in the midlands of South Carolina by laying groundwork for community-based volunteer teams and seeking out possible fundraising opportunities.
Laurel Shaler
As a counselor, professor, social worker, speaker, and writer, Dr. Laurel Shaler’s goal is to live out the words of Isaiah 61:1-3…To proclaim good news to the poor, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, to release prisoners from darkness, to comfort all who mourn, and to bestow joy!
In order to help others, Laurel earned her Masters in Social Work from Florida State University, her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University, and a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Liberty University. She is a Licensed Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor and National Certified Counselor. Laurel is a Professor at Liberty University, where she helps direct the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counselor program. She is the author of “Reclaiming Sanity: Hope and Healing for Trauma, Stress, and Overwhelming Life Events," "Relational Reset: Unlearning the Habits that Hold You Back”, and "Loving Adopted Children Well: A 5 Love Languages Approach" (co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman).
Laurel, her husband Nick, and their three precious children (two of whom came to their family through traditional adoption and one by embryo adoption) live in the deep south. Laurel enjoys spending time with family and friends, being involved in church activities & ministries, and volunteer work. Learn more at www.drlaurelshaler.com or connect with Laurel on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DrLaurelShaler).
