Giving Matters Newsletter - Winter 2019

WINTER 2019

Above: After a horrific car accident in 2013, Jake Mitchell, 80, recovered with the help of
Presbyterian Manor and Salina Family YMCA. Now, through his trust, he plans to give back to
each organization at the end of his life. Right: Mitchell started his 32-year career as a welder at
Salina Manufacturing in 1967.

‘My Glass is Half Full’

No matter what challenge life throws his way, Jake to make that work?”
Mitchell always looks on the bright side. A lifelong
Salinan, Jake was born with hearing loss. Growing up, he During his working years,
didn’t want hearing aids because he didn’t want to be Jake also did a lot of “hobby”
different from other kids. Instead, he learned to read lips welding. Known around town for his
to get by. abilities, he took on tricky side jobs others didn’t want to
do. Jake still spends time in the shop, recently welding
After high school, he discovered a passion for autobody an urn that will one day hold his remains.
and fender repair, particularly welding. He attended
trade school in Kansas City for a year, then settled into a Because his hearing interfered with his balance, Jake
career at Salina Manufacturing (now K-Tron), where he never rode a bike as a kid. But in his early 20s, he found
worked from 1967 to 1999. He enjoyed the challenge a bike and taught himself to ride. Jake said he had
and precision welding required. always been a heavy young man, but as he biked back
and forth between home and work, he lost over 100
“We did a lot of the work by hand, before computers. pounds. This sparked a lifelong love for cycling and
I’m kind of glad I missed the computer era,” he said. “I staying in shape.
would dream about things, wondering, how am I going
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 

Why It Matters

By John Quinley, GSCF Board Member

President, Land Pride, a division of Great Plains Manufacturing

I’ve never wanted to live anywhere but Salina. Salina importance
has always had what I’ve wanted in my life from a of fostering
community. Most importantly, I know we have people a healthy
in our community who care; they strive to bring joy, community, now
comfort, convenience, and necessities to as many and into the future.
people as possible. I know this because, like many, I’ve A healthy community
experienced so much of it while living here all my life. means a sustaining
community, and these attributes will give young
Learning and experiencing this ‘spirit of giving’ can start people the reason to call Salina home and invest in its
at a young age. Throughout our lives, my wife Mary future for generations to come.
and I have had great mentors who instilled in us the
importance of giving our time, talent, and treasure. As our community grows and prospers, knowing we
We’ve strived to impress these three community- have an organization like GSCF to provide guidance
building habits on our two adult children, who also and pathways to a better tomorrow, is a wonderful
enjoy Salina and have no intentions of leaving. Now, benefit for everyone.
they are experiencing what it means to be active
members of our community.

Twenty years ago, the Greater Salina Community
Foundation was established to help people to invest
their treasure in our community, either by supporting
various existing agencies or by establishing new funds
for varied specific interests. In these short twenty years,
GSCF has grown to be a wonderful partner to so many
generous people.

Those who give to GSCF are as varied as the
organizations they support, but they all have one
thing in common. Each of these individuals sees the

New Funds Save the Date

The following new funds were established Mark your calendars for Match Madness 2020! It will
between July 1 and November 30, 2019: be held on Thursday, March 19, 2020, 7 a.m. to
7 p.m., at the Salina Fieldhouse. You won’t want to
• Shirley M. Drawbaugh Designated Fund miss Salina’s favorite 24-hour giving extravaganza!
• Elizabeth, Harry & McDowell Steele

Donor Advised Fund
• Tom & Denise Peebles Donor Advised Fund
• St. John’s Military School Historical Museum

Organization Fund
• St. John’s Military School Scholarship Fund

in Memory of Tom Orton

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Above: Over 150 community members gathered to celebrate the community foundation’s
20th anniversary in November. Right: Katy Kitchen, director of regional affiliates (left), visits
with guest Debbi Robinson (right).

Thank You for 20 Years!

This fall marked the community foundation’s 20th executive director,
anniversary! A community celebration was held Friday, shared that, since
November 8 at 638 Events. Over 150 community 1999, the foundation has
members attended to enjoy a social hour with hors granted over $100 million to
d’oeuvres from Relish, dessert bites from Bravo Sliders charity on behalf of its fundholders.
N Bites, and live music by 16-year-old singer/songwriter With 14 regional affiliates, GSCF has close to $250
Sadie Ward. million in assets. Martin expressed her gratitude to the
community for supporting the foundation.
Guests heard remarks from founding board member
Pete Peterson, who noted that GSCF has grown to “Thank you to everyone who has made the community
become the largest community foundation in the state foundation such a success! We would not be here
of Kansas. Paula Fried, board president and founding without the generosity of our donors, the hard work
donor, spoke next. Fried thanked all past and current of our nonprofits, and the support of our professional
board and staff members who have helped GSCF grow advisors, all working together to make our community
and evolve since 1999. Jessica Martin, president and a better place,” said Martin.

“Thank you to everyone who has made the community foundation such a
success! We would not be here without the generosity of our donors, the
hard work of our nonprofits, and the support of our professional advisors,

all working together to make our community a better place.”

- Jessica Martin, President & Executive Director

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 COVER STORY CONTINUED

“My glass is half full. That’s the way I look at it.”

- Jake Mitchell, who is leaving a gift through his trust to support local charities

“After I retired, I knew I had to do something or my body The biggest challenge of Jake’s life came on September
was going to run down,” he said. “So I started riding the 23, 2013. He had just gotten gas and merged on to the
bike more.” He and his friends would often ride 25-30 interstate, headed to buy an air filter for his furnace. “I
miles at a time. Jake, who just turned 80, now prefers see this car come up over the hill—fast—in my rearview
exercising indoors, so he spends his mornings at the mirror,” he said. “I thought, oh no, this isn’t good. Then, I
YMCA. He sold his bikes and used the money to start a just kind of braced for a collision.”
college fund for his friend’s daughter.
Jake said his truck rolled multiple times, but luckily the
Everybody doors stayed shut and he stayed inside. “If it had ejected
Has a Gift me, it probably would have killed me,” he said.

Through your will or trust, you can leave a gift The next three weeks were spent in the ICU with a
that impacts our community far beyond your feeding tube. As someone who likes to keep busy,
lifetime. Every day, people just like you leave being cooped up in the hospital was not exactly Jake’s
incredibly meaningful marks on our world idea of a good time. He did rehab at the Presbyterian
through these types of gifts. The process is Manor, where his positivity and persistence carried him
simple and the impact of your generosity through. “I made it work,” he said. “I did rehab a couple
will live on for generations to come. times a day. I was quite weak so it took a long time to
recover. Eventually, I got strong enough to drive again.”
Your professional
advisor will help you When he returned to his home on a half-acre of ground,
document your charitable Jake realized it was too much for him to take care of by
wishes in your will. himself. “The Manor was great during my rehab,” Jake
said. “So I moved out there, and I’ve been out there five
The community years.”
foundation will take
special care to honor Jake wanted to give back to the organizations that
your wishes and protect helped him after his accident. When Jake learned about
your gift’s value. the Greater Salina Community Foundation, he “thought
it was pretty cool.” His attorney and financial planner
Your favorite helped him set up his trust so a portion of it will be
organizations used to establish a fund at the community foundation
will receive annual support to benefit three charities: New Community Christian
from your gift, forever. Church, Presbyterian Manor and the Salina Family
YMCA. He likes the idea that they will be able to count
To learn more about leaving a gift on money coming from his fund every year.
in your will to support causes you
are passionate about, contact your “My recovery is why I am leaving money to the Manor
professional advisor or give us a and to the Y. It basically saved my life, I think, because of
call at 785-823-1800. the shape I was in before I got hurt. Then it was my goal
to get back to that shape,” he said. “The Y means a great
deal to me, for helping kids and for what it does for the
community. I think it’s great. It’s something Salina really
needs, and we’d miss it if we didn’t have it.”

It’s his generous, positive spirit that keeps Jake
motivated every day. “Life is good, I like my life,” Jake
said. “My glass is half full. That’s the way I look at it.”

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Thanks to a community foundation grant, Catholic Charities was able to help a client
in need (pictured, right) pay for surgery and help him keep his eyesight.

The Gift of Sight

Due to a steady increase in the number of monthly time that he was almost
applications, the Catholic Charities Disability Assistance legally blind. Although
Fund was almost depleted by October of last year. This he had Medicare to assist
program aids clients with disabilities with disability- with necessary cataract removal
related expenses that are not covered by other procedure, insurance required his portion be paid
sources. Even with the shortage of funds, applications before surgery.
continued to come in. The agency’s only option would
be to stop helping these individuals until the fund was This gentleman thought he would just have to accept
replenished in February. That meant people in need going blind at only 58 years of age. However, he was
would go without help for up to four months. referred to Catholic Charities and was approved to
receive $300 he desperately needed to pay his portion
Last year, on Giving Tuesday, the Greater Salina of the cataract procedure. Catholic Charities said they
Community Foundation awarded $5,000 to support would not have been able to provide him with this life-
this program and fill the funding gap. Thanks to this changing assistance without the grant funding from
grant funding, Catholic Charities was able to continue the community foundation. The next time he came to
to help, which was especially life-changing for one Catholic Charities, he simply said, “Look! I can see!”
man. He had cataracts, which had gotten so bad over

UPCOMING GSCF GRANT DEADLINE SATURDAY

Online grant applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, FEB. 15
February 15, 2020. This cycle will include grants from the Dane G. Hansen
Community Grant Fund, Kansas Health Foundation Fund, Fund for Early 5
Childhood Care, Education & Development and the L.P. “Pat” Mullen Fund.

Thanks to a grant from the L.P. “Pat” Mullen Fund, area students will have the opportunity to attend Spring
Break Art Camp at the Salina Art Center. The camp will feature grafitti artist Peyton Scott Russell from
Minneapolis, Minnesota. The grant will help reduce financial barriers for students who wish to attend.

Celebrating #GivingTuesday

Created in 2012, Giving Tuesday is all Meanwhile, other community foundation
about doing good and transforming staff and board members toured the
communities. Over the past seven community, celebrating generosity and
years, this idea has grown into a global delivering “good news” to 11 different
movement that inspires hundreds of community grant recipients.
millions of people to give, collaborate and
celebrate generosity. This year, the Greater
Salina Community Foundation celebrated
in two special ways.

In partnership with Rocking M Media Altrusa International Foundation of Salina received
and Mokas Coffee, the foundation hosted a $250 grant from the Dane G. Hansen Community
Coffee and Christmas Cards to kick off the Grant Fund to provide duffel bags for children in
annual holiday card program. Community foster care through Saint Francis Ministries.
members had the opportunity to donate
$20 or more to any fund at the community
foundation in honor of a friend, co-worker
or family member. The foundation then
sent Christmas cards to all the honorees,
announcing the gifts made in their name.

#UNSELFIE

To celebrate Giving Tuesday, staff of Rocking M Media, Mokas Coffee and the
Greater Salina Community Foundation shared why giving matters to them.

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7 Ways to Give Back & Help Our Community

The start of a new year (and a new decade) is upon us! This is a great time to get inspired and set new
goals. Perhaps one of those goals will focus on getting more involved the community or finding new
ways to give back. As you dream big and make plans for 2020, consider how you and your family can
serve the community together! Here are some ideas to help you get started:

#1. Donate Your Time #5. Participate in Fundraisers
and Charity Events

#2. Help a Child in Need #6. Volunteer at the
Local Senior Center

#3. Support Your Local Farmers #7. Organize a
Community Clean-Up

#4. Do a Random Act of Kindness for a Neighbor or Someone in Need

Merry Christmas and Happy
New Year from our community
foundation family to yours! We are
so blessed to serve this wonderful
community every day. Wishing all
of you a joyful holiday season!

Back row, L-R: Rita Northup, Angela Kerner,
Meredith Frazier, Jessica Martin, Susan Weis,
Megan Robl

Front Row, L-R: Natalie Wood, Jessica
Fuller, Brandee Mayginnes, Katy Kitchen

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119 W Iron Ave, 8th Floor • PO Box 2876
Salina, KS 67402-2876
785-823-1800 • www.gscf.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Giving Back is the New Black

Paula Fried, Brandon Cheeks During the holiday season, there gift to support
Chairperson Ryan Commerford is no shortage of ways to spend two charities
Rob Freelove money, and the deals on Black that helped
Brandy Felzien, Maggie Hemmer Friday and Cyber Monday continue restore him
Secretary-Treasurer Johnny Keopraseuth to improve every year. However, back to health
Lee Legleiter what if we all chose to give back after a horrific
Larry Fief, Pete Peterson instead? What would that look like? car accident,
Past Chairperson John Quinley or through a
Guy Walker On December 3rd, many people grant to help a man see who had
Bryan Herwig, Barb Young (including us) celebrated Giving come to terms that he would be
Chairman-Elect Tuesday, a global generosity blind at 58. It can be seen in how
movement that encourages people we teach the next generation.
Gail Boyer, to give back to their communities
Grants & Scholarships through time, talent and treasure. In whatever form it is, we believe
Committee Chair that “Giving Back is the New Black.”
Although this is a great day to give
Bobby Richardson, back, we are lucky to help people Jessica Martin,
Finance Committee Chair give back every day, not just one
day a year. GSCF President & Executive Director
Karen Black Loren Young
Giving back can take many forms. It
FOUNDATION STAFF Kora Copas, can be seen through a man’s estate
Staff Accountant
Jessica Martin, Our mission is to help people invest in meaningful ways to make a
President & Executive Director Angela Kerner, difference in the community by building permanent endowment
Affiliate Operations
Susan Weis, Coordinator funds and meeting charitable community needs.
Director of Finance
Jessica Fuller,
Katy Kitchen, Grants & Scholarships
Director of Regional Affiliates Coordinator

Brandee Mayginnes, Natalie Wood,
Director of Grants Grants & Scholarships
& Scholarships Coordinator

Megan Robl, Meredith Frazier,
Director of Marketing Marketing & Communications
& Communications Coordinator

Rita Northup,
Executive Assistant