Richmond Jewish Foundation (RJF) hosted its inaugural “Latkes & Legacy Drive-Thru” event on Sunday, Dec. 18, in appreciation of community LIFE & LEGACY donors.
Local donors who have established legacy commitments to support future generations of Jewish Richmond were invited to pick-up special “to-go” boxes of homemade latkes and applesauce, to enjoy the first night of Hanukkah.
Planned by RJF Legacy Board Chair, Katie Roeper and LIFE & LEGACY Director, Lauren Plotkin, the event was a hit, with more than 80 legacy donors participating in the “Drive-Thru.” Donors were excited as they picked-up a box of homemade latkes and applesauce and were personally greeted and thanked by committee members from LIFE & LEGACY partner organizations and RJF Board members.
“Preparing the food was a labor of love and appreciation,” said Roeper.
A day of chopping, mixing, and frying was made possible by community volunteers. Joining Plotkin and Roeper in the kitchen, were Nancy Belleman, Renate Forssmann-Falck, Chris Greenberg and Katy Yoffy.
The all-day endeavor yielded nearly 700 homemade latkes and over 25 pounds of fresh applesauce, all made from scratch in the Weinstein JCC kosher kitchen.
The “To-Go” boxes were assembled with ingredient cards and a thank you and distributed by LIFE & LEGACY volunteers Rob Davidson, Sheryl Luebke, Bev Koerin and Beth Meixner, and RJF Board members, Ron Felmus, Frances Goldman, and Ann Macheras.
Based on the incredibly positive response from donors, RJF and LIFE & LEGACY partner organizations look forward to making “Latkes & Legacy Drive-Thru” an annual event.
Created by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, LIFE & LEGACY strives to inspire and motivate donors to make legacy commitments that will sustain vibrant Jewish communities for years to come. While the program’s endowment-building vision stretches across the United States and Canada, its goal is to provide future financial stability to Jewish communities and is designed to be implemented locally.
Since RJF launched LIFE & LEGACY in Richmond, six years ago, almost 400 donors have promised to create more than 540 legacy gifts to support our community.
These future gifts are estimated to provide a projected $20.5 million in endowments for Jewish Richmond, ensuring organizations and congregations continue providing impactful programs and services during both calm and turbulent times.
LIFE & LEGACY provides community partners the tools and resources to successfully build and sustain legacy programs.
With the support of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, RJF is proud and honored to continue this vitally important initiative over the next four years. Current LIFE & LEGACY participating partners include Congregation Beth Ahabah, Congregation Or Ami, Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, Jewish Family Services, Keneseth Beth Israel, Temple Beth-El and Weinstein JCC.
RJF is committed to growing LIFE & LEGACY and providing continued guidance, training and incentives for Richmond’s Jewish organizations and congregations to further integrate legacy giving into their institutions.
Through LIFE & LEGACY, partners have collectively been awarded more than $230,000 through incentive grants over the last 5 five years related to annual program goals. Ultimately, the goal of LIFE & LEGACY is to foster a long-term culture of philanthropy in our community that will benefit Jewish Richmond for generations to come.
To learn how you can be part of securing Richmond’s Jewish future. please contact RJF Legacy Director Lauren Plotkin: lauren@rjfoundation.org or (804) 545-8624.
