Family’s road trip is driven by philanthropy

In his 25 years as a financial planner in Phoenix, Gregg Murset noticed two things his successful clients all had in common: They worked hard and they were smart with their money.

Hoping to instill those values in his own children, Murset set out with his wife Kami and their six kids on a 10,000-mile road trip. They’re calling it the “Working Across America Tour,” and it involves doing odd jobs for charities along the way with the goal of teaching philanthropic values.

The family was in Burbank Thursday on the western portion of the tour doing some chores and visiting residents at Casa de la Providencia, a low-income independent living facility operated by United Cerebral Palsy of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.

“It really is great what they’re teaching their kids,” said Ron Cohen, president and chief executive officer of United Cerebral Palsy. “It’s something we need to teach our kids today who are so wired.”

At Providencia, the Mursets helped residents clean and tidy a common area, and then visited the apartment of resident Nick Klein, where they washed windows and helped tidy up the living room.

“It helps a lot,” said Klein, who gets around with the assistance of a wheelchair.

Klein moved into his apartment at the 18-unit complex in 2006, he said. Before that, he was living on the couch in a one-bedroom apartment with his sister in Los Feliz.

His apartment at Providencia has a number of features designed specifically for residents with developmental disabilities, such as keyless entry for those who may not be able to hold a key or turn a knob, and large bathrooms with roll-in showers for wheelchair users.

“It’s better than where I used to live,” said Klein.

For Sierra Murset, 15, the opportunity to meet people like Klein and help them out has been a rewarding part of the trip. Thursday was her first time visiting a place like Providencia, she said, but the family has done work at Ronald McDonald House and the homes of families where children are disabled or ill.

“I think helping all these people has made me want to do more in my community,” Sierra said. “I don’t think you have to go across the country to help people.”

The work is a “natural extension” of another effort Gregg Murset started and is promoting on the family’s tour — a smartphone app called My Job Chart. He said it’s a tool to help parents to teach kids about hard work, money management skills and social responsibility.

“It’s kind of like finance 101,” Murset said.

The Apple and Android app works a bit like an old-fashioned chore list, “it’s just in your pocket now,” Murset said. In the app, parents create chores and give them a point value, then assign them to their children.

Children earn points for completing the assignments, points they can save in the app or redeem for cash from their parents — a penny per point — for spending or sharing. For example, 1,000 points earned for chores at Providencia could be spent as a $10 donation to United Cerebral Palsy.

Taking a break from cleaning windows at Klein’s apartment, Zach Murset, 16, said the work the family’s been doing is “the little stuff [that] builds up” for those like a woman with muscular dystrophy and a broken arm they recently helped move. The road trip has “opened his eyes” to simple ways to help out, he said.

“It’s easier to see those opportunities,” Zach said. “And [easier] to do them.”