Meet Our Donors
Many projects and programs have been made possible through generous gifts to Kendal affiliates. We thank all our planned-gift donors for their generous support. Here are some of their stories.
Windmuller Legacy Benefits Kendal at Ithaca
Betsey Roberts tells the story with satisfaction in her voice—even though the interview is at seven A.M.! Her parents thrived at Kendal; they discovered that they had more resources than they would need, and the intersection enabled them to become philanthropists in their later years. Betsey said she and her brother Tom were surprised—and pleased—to discover a listing of small but regular charitable gifts her mother had quietly made to more than one hundred organizations!
Ruth H. and John P. Windmuller were founding residents at Kendal. Health concerns made the new community up on the hill a welcome option, and life at Kendal proved just the right choice for them. They had lived in Ithaca nearly 50 years, and had many friends there. John had built the kind of professional reputation that later would earn him the honor of the John P.Windmuller Chair in International and Comparative Labor, established in Nov. 2008. Ruth raised two children, managed their home, and took the lead in community life.
Ruth and John knew each other as teenagers; both were Holocaust survivors aboard the famous SS St. Louis that sailed from Hamburg, Germany on May 13, 1939 but was turned away from port in Havana and Miami, so it returned to Europe and both children went to a children's home in France where they met. Sailing on different decks of the same ship, they did not know each other until they both landed at the French home!
Decades later Ruth observed Kendal's full range of care as John's health required first assisted living and then skilled care. Gratitude for the quality of his personal care and the relationships that went along with it motivated Ruth. She endowed the Windmuller Classical Concert Fund in John's memory. Through her estate, Ruth made a generous bequest to the Rainy Day Fund.
And her children are following suit. Betsey and Tom gave Ruth's car to the community, and have planted trees in memory of their parents. Betsey observed that her mother wanted other people to have the same Kendal experience as she and John did; planting trees is a statement about someone else sitting under trees they did not plant, just as they inherited in our time the shade of someone else's labor.
What passion did Ruth exhibit in her later years? Betsey answers without hesitation—Ruth was a staunch advocate for Kendal's residents and employees -- and their rights. She knew first-hand that the staff are key to the experience of residents. And how in keeping with John's career in labor relations!
Now one of several second generation philanthropists to Kendal, Betsey looks forward to a future when she will leave Southern California for Ithaca, to take up residence at Kendal. There are friends waiting for her at Kendal, among both staff and residents. Friendships just happen when you start spending time at Kendal, she says.
To learn more, please call or write:
Cheryl Wade, Executive Director, Kendal Charitable Funds, at 610-335-1223
Huntly and Ginia Allison, Kendal at Hanover
Huntly and Ginia Allison met on a train to the Poconos on a Travel Agents Weekend.
The following weekend Ginia said “Yes” and that was sixty years ago. They raised their family in Longmeadow, Mass. but after retirement moved north to Quechee, Vermont, to the house where they spent part of the summer. About nine years ago, they moved to Kendal to the apartment they love with a view from the balcony of both New Hampshire and Vermont.
Ginia and Huntly have supported Kendal at Hanover in many ways. They represent Kendal to the Hanover community with active involvement in educational and cultural organizations. Huntly is the “very model” of a Dartmouth alumnus and has been President of the DCUV (Dartmouth Club of the Upper Valley). Ginia has chaired many community organizations, has twice been President of the Friends of Hopkins Center and the Hood Museum of Art, and next year will be the President of the Hanover Rotary Club. At Kendal Ginia has been Chair of the Residents Council and is currently a resident member of the Kendal at Hanover Board of Directors.
They are grateful that Kendal continues to plan so well for the future. In Huntly's words,” One of the things we have done personally in planning for OUR future is to make Kendal the beneficiary of a CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY. This has three advantages: IT INCREASES OUR INCOME- IT PROTECTS OUR CHILDREN – AND IT PROVIDES SUBSTANTIAL TAX BENEFITS. Our children all agree with our decision to do this, as it means that they will never have to worry about taking care of us. I suspect a Gift Annuity at Kendal would be a great idea for many.”
To learn more, please call or write:
Cheryl Wade, Executive Director, Kendal Charitable Funds, at 610-335-1223
Frank Conant, Lathrop Communities
“My wife stepped out of the parked car and promptly fell to the snowy sidewalk. ‘I’ve broken my hip,’ she exclaimed. Because she had long been a nurse, I knew her diagnosis was remarkably correct.”
And so began for Frank and Ruby Conant a transition from their beloved home to the Lathrop community then under construction in Northhampton. Nine years later they jumped at the opportunity to live at the Inn in Easthampton to take better advantage of the wonderful services they could use, including a nurse.
“Ruby is gone now and though I have reached the age of 90, I continue to live alone at the Inn. For medical questions I have a nurse practioner and if I need more services I can turn to our new support services.”
As an early member of the Philanthropy Committee Frank felt it important to provide for the needs of the community. As a committee member he encourages residents to donate funds not only for community priorities but also for the Residents’ Assistance Fund. As an early advocate for a charitable gift annuity program, Frank decided to demonstrate his confidence by entering into a contract with Lathrop.
To learn more, please call or write:
Cheryl Wade, Executive Director, Kendal Charitable Funds, at 610-335-1223
Lisa and Harry Colt, Lathrop Communities
When Lisa and Harry Colt moved to Lathrop five years ago, there was no doubt that they would be active members of the community. Long-time residents of Dedham, Massachusetts, Lisa had been an art instructor at the Noble and Greenough School while Harry, a Harvard graduate, had spent his career in non-profit management. Upon moving to Easthampton Harry was asked to chair the new Gifts and Bequests Committee and charitable gift annuities were soon made available to Lathrop residents.
“We get information about annuities from several organizations. Most of them offer the same rates, as set by the American Council on Gift Annuities. Lisa and I decided what was most important was to have our annuity with Lathrop. While there are many other worthy organizations, our life at Lathrop made us want to provide for our community here.”
A charitable gift annuity can provide the security of a fixed income, guaranteed for life and backed by all of Kendal’s assets. Rates are highly competitive and follow the guidelines recommended by the American Council on Gift Annuities. Most importantly, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that your gift will provide future support for a community of friends and neighbors.
Would you like to explore, in confidence, the benefits of a charitable gift annuity? If so, please contact:
Cheryl Wade, Executive Director, Kendal Charitable Funds, at 610-335-1223
