Mike & Betty Noling

The award winning restaurant, bouchon santa barbara hosted United Way’s 20th Annual Heritage Club Luncheon on Wednesday, June 8, 2005. 38 Heritage Club members and guests were honored for leaving their legacy to this community, during this extraordinary wine country dining experience which was specially preparerd by Chef Josh Brown and his staff.

An elegant lunch of plum-glazed salmon, pomegranate-glazed chicken or braised short rib was served as honorees shared their stories and their personal commitments to the ongoing success of Santa Barbara County’s United Way. It was a lovely setting in which to meet the newest members of the Heritage Club, and to reminisce with those who have been members for many years.

Our thanks to Mitchell Sjerven and his staff for hosting this very special luncheon, and our sincerest gratitude to Partnervest Financial Group LLC and Business First National Bank for generously underwriting the luncheon.

Judy Goodbody with Frank Kelly as he celebrates his 91st birthday

The Heritage Club is made up of forward-thinking individuals who have chosen to leave their legacy to their community as part of their overall estate plan. Through wisely planned gifts, they have extended their United Way support for generations to come. Their gifts come in many forms, including Charitable Remainder Trusts, Gift Annuities, Philanthropic Funds, Pooled Income Funds, Bequests, and gifts of Retirement Accounts or Life Insurance policies.

l-r Mike Bergquist, Tim Gamble, Marilyn Anticouni

United Way’s Endowment and Gift Planning Services Program, with the advise of a premier group of volunteer estate and financial planning professionals, offers a variety of techniques which are individually tailored to the philanthropic desires of our donors. These gifts are invested in at least one of six Endowment Funds, which provide a solid foundation of perpetual support for Santa Barbara County’s United Way. These endowments insure the future of United Way’s unique and innovative programs which benefit the neediest people in our community.

After her welcoming comments, Diane Doiron, Chair of the Endowment and Gift Planning Services Committee invited the Heritage Club members to share their United Way experiences.  Judy Goodbody introduced her husband, John Stampe, as they shared their story as the newest Heritage Club members.  “It has been a long-time goal of ours to leave a legacy to this community.  Naming United Way as a beneficiary of my retirement account provides us the opportunity to carry on our philanthropic goals long after we are gone, by endowing our annual giving.”     

Merrilyn & Earl Damitz

Earl Damitz was introduced by his wife Merrilyn, who spoke of her pride in the work that he had done over the past 23 years to establish United Way’s Endowment Program.  As the first chairman of the Santa Barbara County’s United Way Endowment/Gift Planning Services Committee, Earl blazed the trail by implementing planned giving techniques that were  eventually adopted by the National United Way of America.  As a CPA, Earl recruited some of Santa Barbara’s most knowledgeable estate  planning professionals to assist him on his committee.  Earl and Merrilyn were among the first to make the commitment to leave their legacy as Heritage Club members, and the couple’s dedication to the innovative programs of Santa Barbara County’s United Way remains strong. “It has done so much good for United Way and all the wonderful people.”

l-r Kent Englert & Paul Didier

Paul Didier, United Way’s President and CEO shared some recent successes and the vision of Santa Barbara County’s United Way. Responding to the needs of this community, United Way has developed and launched several multi-agency collaboratives to address these issues. Paul spoke about the 2-1-1 information referral and counseling hotline and internet database, which will be operational in July for all of Santa Barbara County. Fun in the Sun, the summer enrichment program which was developed in 1997 by United Way in response to concerns about youth crime, unites 26 public and private agencies to teach homeless and poverty-level children the basic character and academic values that will help them succeed in life.

Paul told the story of Marissa, who began her participation in Fun in the Sun when she was 11. At that time, her grades were suffering as a product of her impoverished life. Over the years Marissa benefited from these programs, and this year, at age 16, she will work as a paid Fun in the Sun counselor. More than 2,000 children and their families have benefited from this program, but there are 2,700 more local children who are on a waiting list who could benefit from this unique program.

Heritage Highlight News

Santa Barbara County’s United Way 320 E. Gutierrez St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 965-8591x120 Fax: (805) 962-3461 Website: www.unitedwaysb.org For more information: Judy Goodbody, CFRE, Certified Tax Specialist, Gift Planning Services Officer Email: jgoodbody@unitedwaysb.org

For information about the Fun in the Sun Endowment, or free Fun in the Sun DVD, please contact Judy Goodbody.