Nourishing Creativity, Connection, and Community
“If you do something that is truly for the greater good, and put it out there in the universe, it is virtually impossible to fail.” Joanne Valentine’s confidence in everyone’s ability to leave behind something better is infectious — and her family and friends are fully on board.
A self-described “wrangler of people” Joanne has always worked at creating bonds around developing solutions. Especially passionate about feeding the hungry, she decided to create the Hungry Heart Fund with the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley. “I always had food to eat, and I was always concerned for those who did not. I just couldn’t imagine not being able to feed my kids,” Joanne explained.
While Joanne had considered opening her own nonprofit or private foundation, advice from her accountant and a friend who already had a donor advised fund with the Community Foundations led her to realize this could be her most efficient path to reaching her charitable goals. “I picked up the phone and my fund was established within days,” she said, praising the ease and simplicity of her experience.
Not one to sit tight and wait, Joanne both provided her own funding, and then reached out to friends and family who had encouraged her to pursue this passion project. She didn’t just ask for contributions, she came up with creative ways to give to her fund, including shopping at estate sales, reselling items, and donating the proceeds to the Hungry Heart Fund. Her daughter, Laura Sobel, painted watercolors around the time of Joanne’s birthday and her friend and family bought them. Those profits also went into her fund.
As Joanne puts it, “Everyone wants to be involved in doing good, they just don’t know how. If you give them options for how they can participate, they will, and the circle grows.” Laura remembers feeling good as a child when someone called her a “helper” as she assisted her mother in her many volunteer efforts. That feeling still directs her and her siblings in their own pursuits. Inspired by her mother’s example, Laura, a certified Zumba instructor, came up with her most recent endeavor, Dance for a Difference, which combines her love of dance with raising money for a variety of charities. When her mother suggested Second Chance Foods, a food rescue and transformation organization, as a featured nonprofit, Laura was more than happy to oblige.
“Martha (Elder, Executive Director) came and danced with us. I asked her to speak briefly about her organization, and then conversations started about volunteering and subsequently, donations increased. This has become a model for me.” Joanne shares “I raised my kids with no food waste, and I am passionate about this. Martha took what I envisioned and is managing this remarkable organization.” Joanne doesn’t speak about legacy in terms of herself, but more so in terms of her family, places like Second Chance Foods, and the community. “A legacy of kindness and giving will live on even when you are no longer here. It is such a gift and I’m glad my kids understand so that the next generation will have role models to emulate. What we do today does matter for the future.”
