Sarah Alison Shufro Mandelkern Fund (Sarah's Fund)

When Cathy Shufro thinks about her daughter Sarah, she remembers many wonderful things, not the least of which is a little girl with a bright smile and a love of reading. Sarah Alison Shufro Mandelkern passed away in May 2001 at the age of 6.

"Sarah loved books from the time that she was very small. Sarah and I had great times reading together. When she got sick, a stream of wonderful family and friends spent time reading to her. It was very revitalizing for her. Sarah loved stories," recalls Cathy.

"I turned to The Community Foundation in hopes of honoring my daughter and creating some good out of the tragedy of her death. I knew about The Community Foundation because a fund had been established to honor our beloved pediatrician, Morris Wessel, when he retired," she noted. Cathy called The Foundation which answered her questions regarding the parameters for establishing a fund - a way in which the memory of Sarah could live on. The end result was the creation of "Sarah's Fund" established, "to support programs that encourage the joy of reading for young people, reflecting Sarah's love of books and stories."

There are many creative ways to give to The Community Founda­tion. And for Cathy Shufro, that was an important point. "My daughter's fund was established with gifts made in her memory. It wasn't necessary for me to start the Fund with one lump sum. The Fund has grown as gifts have come in over time. As a donor advisor, I was able to make my first distribution from the fund in 2002.

Seeing the donation bring joy to others was gratifying," said Cathy. The first grant recipient of the Fund was All Our Kin, a childhood education collaborative that trains parents on state assistance to become child care providers while providing high-quality care for their own children.