A Northwest-based charity has received a $1 million gift to establish an endowment.
Interfaith Community Services, which celebrates its 25-year anniversary this year, was given the donation by longtime volunteer Ed Jenkins and his wife Kay.
"I think that well-run non-profit organizations not only need but deserve endowments," Ed Jenkins said.
Jenkins and his wife retired to the Catalina Foothills in 2002, after a long career as a senior partner with an international accounting firm. The couple originally hails from Michigan, but Ed's work put them in Chicago for most of his career.
Ed said that after retirement he wanted something to occupy his time.
"I was looking for something to do and my wife was happy to have me out of the house," he said.
Ed began answering phones and working the front desk at Interfaith Community Services, 2820 W. Ina Road, in 2003 and soon realized he could feel good about giving his time to an organization.
"It wasn't long until I realized what a special organization they are," he said. Today, Ed Jenkins serves as the ICS board president.
The endowment the Jenkins' gift will establish comes in two parts.
The first is an outright cash pledge of $250,000. The remaining $750,000 will sit in an account and will be used to match, dollar-for-dollar, additional donations to Interfaith Community Services.
"I felt that ICS met all the criteria to support an endowment, and needs one," Ed said.
Endowment funds will go to help operate the charity's normal, day-to-day services. Ed said he preferred to have it that way as opposed to locking the money into a narrow mandate.
"Our ambitious goal is to reach $2.5 million for our 25th anniversary year in cash gifts, pledges, and quantifiable planned gifts for the endowment," said ICS Executive Director Bonnie Kampa. "Over the past months, we have been quietly working on this campaign and are pleased to announce that we are already halfway towards this goal."
For the last 25 years, ICS has helped seniors, the disabled and families with financial needs in Pima County work toward stability and independence. With more than 600 volunteers and support from 51 faith communities and the community at large, ICS operates a food bank, provides emergency financial assistance, mobile meals, transportation for medical appointments, shopping, home repairs, home visits, in-home health and safety assessments, referrals and advocacy. In 2009, the group provided nearly 50,000 services to more than 36,000 individuals.
"These are very tough times, of course they're especially tough for the clients we serve," Ed said.
Despite the difficult times, and that the group has seen an explosion in the numbers of people in need of service, Ed points out that food donations to ICS have remained strong.
"We're receiving more food than ever," he said.
He notes with some pride that the group's food bank has not run dry during these times of increased demand.
Ed Jenkins is 74 years old. He and his wife have four children and eight grandchildren.
Ed's role in ICS has grown significantly since 2003, but he still shows up every Monday at 9 a.m. to answer the phone.
As he said when he was presented with Albion College's Meritorious Service Award in 2007: "Public service is an important part of a full life. It's a win-win situation. Society benefits from your contribution, but you gain even more."
