Volunteer leaves $500,000 to Community Foundation

June 18, 2004, Ottawa Citizen, pg. E8
by Michael Prentice

Reprinted with permission

Ann Louise Pearson, who devoted her life to helping immigrants feel at home in Canada, has left more than $500,000 to the Community Foundation of Ottawa to continue her work. Ms. Pearson died in November 2002 at age 68. She spent many years assisting immigrants to integrate into society while working for the Ottawa YM-YWCA.

"She was much loved, and devoted her life to working to help newcomers to Canada," says Barbara McInnes, president of the community foundation. The charitable organization has already received $500,000 from Ms. Pearson's estate and expects to get as much as $40,000 more.

Nancy Miller, Ms. Pearson's cousin, wrote in a recent letter to Ms. McInnes: "It was really fulfilling and exciting to know that she had chosen the community foundation so that the spirit and actions she was committed to can continue to be supported." Added Ms. Miller: "Ann brought me into volunteer work back in 1967 or 1968, and through the years it led to amazing opportunities to work with people in that capacity and in community-based employment." Ms. Pearson asked that her bequest be directed toward community housing and supporting the integration of immigrants and refugees into the community.

By far the largest gift handed out by the Community Foundation last year was $1.5 million to Beth Medrash Govoha, a Jewish learning institution. The money came from a donation, believed to be more than $10 million, made to the foundation several years ago by an Ottawa man whose identity has never been disclosed. The foundation raises funds and distributes the profit made by investing these funds. Usually gifts are made according to the wishes of donors, but some donors leave it to the foundation to give to the neediest causes.

Biggest donation to the foundation last year was from a woman, said to have lived "a rather modest life," who died leaving the foundation $2.5 million. Of that sum, $2 million was included in total donations of $4.9 million received by the foundation last year. The foundation says the woman chose to remain anonymous, even in death.

Among new charitable funds set up by the foundation last year were those in the names of the Beyrouti family, Ann Brigden, Edward J. Brower, Howard and Jane Hart, Susan Jermyn. James Kenney, Kelvin Kirk, David Luck and Maurice Roy, Reg and Nancy Naish, Diane Perry, the Segard-Hutchinson family, Marion and Norman Takeuchi, the Uhthoff family, Marc and Joanne Villemaire, and the Scott and Mary Ellin Wilson family.