When my litter sister died unexpectedly in 2024, I learned how quickly life can change. 11 months later, when I lost my dad to cancer, I learned that even when you know a loss may be coming, you are truly never ready for it.
Grief makes you think about legacy differently. I wanted both of them to be honored in a way that felt true to who they were. We didn’t know right away what that tribute should look like, and we didn’t have to. My hometown community foundation made that step so much easier for us. They listened, gave us time, and allowed us to build tributes that genuinely felt like “them.”
As Executive Director of Wichita County Community Foundation, I have the privilege of helping families explore what that looks like for their loved ones. A community foundation can help you honor a loved one by supporting something they cared about: a local organization, community project, or a cause that reflects the way they lived. For some families, that could mean creating a memorial or scholarship funds and for others, it could mean making a gift in someone’s memory to an existing fund.
When someone comes to us hoping to honor a loved one, they don’t need to arrive with it all figured out. They can come with stories, an idea, or just the desire to do something meaningful. A person’s legacy is so much more than a fund bearing their name, but for those who want to give in their loved one’s memory, the foundation can help turn that intention into a lasting impact.
A fund or a gift cannot take away the pain of losing someone, but it can offer one way to carry their love and values forward. I’m grateful that, through my work, I can help other families find ways to honor the people they carry with them.
If you are thinking about honoring someone you love, I’d be glad to hear their story and help you and explore what that could look like.
Wichita County Community Foundation 