Donor Stories

Remember the ones you love

Though it was during the Great Depression and resources were tight, Garrett's* parents longed for a child. After 10 years of marriage, they were in the process of adopting a child when his mother found out she was pregnant. They were overjoyed when Garrett was born and longed for more children but finances hindered their family's growth. A generous and loving couple, they assisted their niece and nephew during these tough economic times, sacrificing much for the three children in their lives. And, more than 70 years later, Garrett wants to memorialize the parents who provided him with such warmth, caring, nurturing and love.

And, as he does, he'll be changing the lives of thousands of other children who aren't quite so lucky. The children who don't know where their next meal is coming from, those who wonder which bed they'll be sleeping in each night. The ones who hope their nightmares of abuse will end, who long for a loving family to care for them as Garrett's cared for him.

So, to honor his parents, Garrett created an endowment in their name with the CHS Foundation to better the lives of children today and in the future, requesting only that the funds remain in his community.

"I was very fortunate with very fine parents," Garrett says. "They were excellent parents, and I can't think of many better places to spend my resources than to help children."

While Garrett doesn't like public recognition, he believes creating this endowment is a great way to pay tribute to the people who were so influential in his life, and he thinks it's simply logical and sensible to put his resources toward children to help them become productive and to give them hope for a sense of normality.

"Child abuse is societal - we need to fix it," he says. "I hope lives will change, and CHS is the expert on how to use my resources. My role is to provide the resources to accomplish what [CHS] does best."

*Donor has requested anonymity