“Praise be to… the Father of compassion…who comforts us in all our trouble, so that we can comfort those in any trouble.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Meet Our Founders Erin & Scott
For Erin and Scott Calkins, The Climb is more than a book or an organization—it is the testimony of their shared journey. Married since their days at the University of Illinois, they have navigated life’s highest peaks and darkest valleys side-by-side. When their own family was thrust into the isolating reality of addiction and mental illness, they realized how desperately parents need community, practical structure, and spiritual grounding. Out of their family's struggle grew a united, faith-driven passion: to ensure that no mother or father ever has to climb this mountain alone. Together, they founded this organization to offer the unwavering hope, financial grace, and tangible support they once searched for themselves.
Meet Our Co-Founder: Erin Maggio Calkins, JD, CDFA®
Erin Calkins is a passionate advocate for families, combining her extensive professional expertise with a deeply personal calling. As a Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor at Baird Private Wealth Management, Erin has spent nearly two decades helping clients navigate complex life transitions. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and her Juris Doctor, graduating cum laude, from Creighton School of Law. She later became a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®)—a background that uniquely equips her to guide parents through the heavy financial strains that often accompany a family crisis.
Beyond her career in wealth management, Erin has a profound track record of community leadership and nonprofit service. She has served as Chair of the Board for both the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois and Wesley Willows, and previously served on the board for the Pregnancy Care Center.
Today, Erin’s most meaningful work is born out of her own family’s arduous journey. Alongside her husband, Scott, Erin co-authored The Climb, a Christ-centered guidebook designed to bring hope, structure, and community to parents supporting a child through mental illness or addiction. Recognizing the immense toll this journey takes, Erin helped found this 501(c)(3) to ensure that no parent has to walk the valley alone—spiritually, emotionally, or financially.
Meet Our Co-Founder: Scott Calkins, J.D.
Scott Calkins is a dedicated advocate, author, and co-founder who brings a lifetime of professional problem-solving and deep, faith-driven compassion to his work with families in crisis. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Scott earned his Juris Doctor from Creighton University School of Law. He spent the majority of his professional career as a highly respected attorney, ultimately retiring from Reno & Zahm LLP in Rockford, Illinois. Throughout his decades in the legal field, Scott developed a reputation for his steady guidance, strategic thinking, and steadfast commitment to his clients during some of their most challenging moments.
Today, Scott has channeled his professional expertise and personal experiences into a new, profoundly impactful mission. Alongside his wife, Erin, he co-authored The Climb, a Christ-centered guidebook born out of their family’s own arduous journey through the valley of addiction and mental illness. Understanding firsthand the overwhelming isolation, spiritual doubt, and emotional exhaustion that parents face, Scott helped establish this 501(c)(3) nonprofit to ensure that others do not have to navigate the mountain alone.
Scott’s heart for service is rooted in his Christian faith and a humble recognition of God’s abundance in his life. His vision for the organization is to provide practical structure, deeply rooted spiritual encouragement, and genuine community for parents fighting for their children's well-being.
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