Who we are

My dad died of cancer. I was eight years old. 

While he was already sick, and weakened from chemo, he built a pond in our backyard. There he was, slowly, but purposefully, shoveling a hole. There was no stopping him; my mom tried. 

When asked why, he replied that my mom had always wanted a pond, and while he’d be gone soon, the pond would be there to bring her, and us, joy. 

And it has. 

During the three decades since his death, the pond has served as a favorite backdrop for family photos, a favorite spot to sit and catch up, and a favorite spot to read.

It has nurtured our lives, and has created and sustained new life (the hours spent watching tadpoles turn into frogs!). 

It was a small gesture, but it was impactful, and it inspired the mission of this foundation. 

It’s not just one thing, or one cause.

We identify a need, a way to meet it, and a way to make a difference. 

Just like my dad’s gesture, it’s not necessarily about the size of a gesture, but about the size of its impact, and that’s the ethos we operate under. 

Kristina Yates

President & Executive Chairperson