Friendship Center Annual Legacy Award Luncheon

The Friendship Center Montecito held its annual Legacy Society Award Luncheon on Wednesday, May 28, at the University Club. This annual event has returned from its lockdown-related hiatus. The organization honors those who have committed to allocate funding via their estate to support the FC endowment.

FC Board Finance Chair and Legacy Leadership Committee member, Jeffrey Krutzsch,chaired the event and welcomed the guests. He introduced the Legacy Leadership Committee Chair Cyder Sinclair, Estate Attorney at Mullen & Henzell Jay Beckerman, retired CEO SB United Way and Financial Planner Paul Didier, Financial Planner at Duran Capital Management and board member for the FC and Montecito Association Jacqueline Duran, retired CEO SB Museum of Natural History Karl Hutterer, Elder Law Attorney SB Estate Planning & Elder Law Julianna Malis; retired FC bookkeeper Craig Markson; and fiduciary at Quinn Fiduciary Services Tamara Skov.

Legacy Liaison and former FC Executive Director of 38 years, Heidi Holly introduced and presented the Legacy Society Award to Mary Walsh.Walsh was first executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association in the 1980s, served on the FC board. She currently resides at Wood Glen, where she is active on their committees. Receiving flowers and a plaque, Walsh blushed and spoke of her time at FC and her belief in its work.

Speaking about the use of the Legacy Society’s funding was FC Executive Director Kathryn Westland. She pointed out the funds serve to keep the FC open for seven hours daily, whereas most care centers close at 2 pm or do half-day service. The funds will be used for the future of the Friendship Center, which is planning to have many satellite centers across Santa Barbara and Ventura counties to serve the growing population of seniors with safe and dignified care. One such center recently opened in Carpinteria. Examples of sites that may be put to this use are commercial vacancies and community centers in churches. Westland asked that anyone in the community with knowledge of a prospective location contact her and her team.

Didier and Sinclair speaking separately both added their support of planned gifts for philanthropy in estate planning – whereby one donates to the Friendship Center to further its work serving the needs of both compromised seniors and their dedicated caregivers. The event concluded with hugs, and guests received a mini-potted plant decorated by FC members to take home.

411: www.friendshipcentersb.org