Donor Spotlight

In this monthly feature, we will be shining the spotlight on one of our donors. They will share their journey with the work — how it has impacted their life and why they choose to donate.

Frieda Utley has been a Life Member and donor of Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E. for 38 years. After reading There is a River: The Story of Edgar Cayce by Thomas Sugrue in the fifth grade, Frieda felt that Edgar Cayce was family. What really drew her to the Cayce work was the passion of the people who believed in him and his work and how they continued to share his work with the world. Frieda’s favorite philosophies are “Mind is the Builder, and the Physical is the Result.” Frieda had shared that her dream was to sell her home in North Carolina and move to Virginia Beach to volunteer at the A.R.E. This year she was able to make that dream come true and has been volunteering at the A.R.E. 

Joy Scott has been inspired by study of the Cayce readings for more than 40 years. She estimates that she has been to more than 100 A.R.E. programs – all of them excellent! A highlight of her growth was working at the ARE Clinic with Dr. Gladys and Bill McGarey. She has been a study group member for four decades, is a Life Member, is currently the ARE Field contact for Los Angeles, and was recently elected to the A.R.E. Board of Trustees. Joy lives in Los Angeles, California where she owns and operates a public relations agency, and enjoys the company and love of her husband Michael, her two sons Jason and Kasey, and her dog Blaze.

August’s Donor Spotlight is Bruce Shelton of Virginia Beach, VA. Bruce has been a member of the A.R.E. for over fifty years and is a Life Member. In 1962, Bruce was working as a roofer. While working on a house, he noticed a building that piqued his curiosity. He asked his co-worker “What is that place?” His co-worker answered, “That’s the healing place!” To this day, Bruce continues to apply the Cayce Work in his daily life. For Bruce, Cayce’s readings on reincarnation and karma were life-changing and put things into perspective for him.

April’s spotlight is on M.K. Welsch. M.K. is a 40-year student of the Edgar Cayce readings and an accomplished writer who spent the majority of her professional career in the not-for-profit world, helping dedicated people engender positive change in the world. Her extensive background in that field ranges from working for a national environmental organization to public television stations. A lifelong spiritual seeker, she has served on the Board of Trustees for the A.R.E.

March’s Donor Spotlight is on TONI ROMANO of Virginia Beach, VA. Toni has been involved with the A.R.E. since at least 1983 when she moved to Chicago and found a Study Group on a friend’s recommendation. Toni has been involved with this Work on many levels. She even worked at headquarters as the Outreach Coordinator from 2000-2008. After retirement, she joined the Glad Helpers as a volunteer. Toni has been a Life Member since 1992 and is a member of the Edgar Cayce Legacy Society.

Donna has been involved with the A.R.E. since at least 1968, a donor since at least 2006. She has been a Life Member since 1979, a member of ECLS (Legacy society), and a Golden Circle donor annually since 2006. She has said that she was always spiritually searching for more in life. “Divine discontent” she has called it. And once she found the Cayce readings, she knew this was Truth. Meditation, dream work and learning more about Oneness helped her through some life challenges.

January’s Donor Spotlight is on DON CARROLL of Colorado. Don has been involved with the A.R.E. since at least 1996 and donor since 2005. He has been a Life Member since 2007, a former Board Member, a member of the Edgar Cayce Legacy Society, acted as an A.R.E. tour leader and participant, an author of metaphysical topics as well as ancient culture symbolism.