Residents Craft their Legacies Through Front Porch Communities Foundation

June Stand wanted to make sure her estate benefitted a cause that mattered to her. She lived at Spring Lake Village in Santa Rosa for nearly 10 years before her death last year. As her health declined, she wanted to make sure her will and trust were set up to have the most impact. June was friends with Jack and Deyea Harper at Spring Lake Village, and Jack, who had a career in banking, assisted June with her finances near the end of her life. June enjoyed her life at the community and asked Jack to help include Spring Lake Village as a beneficiary of her trust.

“I remember June as a kind and caring person who truly loved Spring Lake Village and believed in the mission of the Front Porch Communities Foundation’s “Circle of Friends” to support residents who outlive their resources,” Jack said. “The gift from her estate will help others not as fortunate as her, and that meant a lot to June.”

Many people think that writing a will is only for the very rich, but anyone with a family, home, or assets of any kind should have one. For many donors, an estate gift or bequest enables them to make a larger gift after death than their finances would allow them to do during their life.

Patty Trever, a Walnut Village resident, has had a distinguished career in the U.S. Foreign Service, traveling and living in places like Africa, Kuwait and East Germany, but the love of her current home, Walnut Village in Anaheim, has prompted her to leave a legacy by naming Walnut Village as a beneficiary in her estate plan.

“I was very active in the Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Virginia and now here in Southern California,” Patty said. “My faith has instilled in me the importance of service to others. I have a very strong belief that God created us and wants us to share what we have with other people who may not have had all the blessings that we have had.”

Through a charitable trust, Patty and her husband have chosen to leave 25% of their estate to Walnut Village, where she has lived since 2016. She served on the community’s Resident Council for two years, which gave her the opportunity to understand the values held by Front Porch’s original philanthropic partner, California Lutheran Homes and Community Services, and its successor, Front Porch Communities Foundation.

“We really enjoy life here at Walnut Village and all of the opportunities it gives us,” Patty said. “Through my experience, I realize the impact philanthropic donations can make in improving lives, not only here at Walnut Village but in the greater community.”

Bonus content: Read about Sunny View donor Bruce Watts’ legacy gift to his community.

At the heart of the Front Porch mission is creating community. The engaging communities that residents and staff have built have an enormous impact on people’s lives. Many residents want a way to show their gratitude and appreciation for their community by leaving a legacy gift in their will or trust through the Front Porch Communities Foundation. For information on leaving a legacy gift in your will or trust, contact Katharine Miller, Front Porch Communities Foundation executive director, at  kamiller@frontporch.net or 818.254.4096.