The Fragility of Living...The Longevity of Giving

A little girl, once nearly blind, shrieks with delight at the pop-up picture book she can read with her new glasses. A brain-injured fifth-grade boy entertains the crowd with his talented drum-playing at a special summer camp. And a handsome teenager who lost his leg in a car accident walks proudly across the stage on his new prosthetic to accept his high school diploma. In these small but miraculous moments, the generosity of a community can be felt.

Though he died in 2006, his legacy of giving back - quietly and steadfastly - to the community he loved, lives on in The Alex Quaglino Family Fund. Established by his sons, Matthew and Stephen, this donor-advised fund helps hundreds of children with special needs, like the ones described here, through the efforts of Jack's Helping Hand, a local nonprofit.

"When Dad died, we went to the Community Foundation to handle his fund," said son Matthew Quaglino. "It's such a great vehicle for managing charitable contributions. Simple, effective, and direct. I hope it goes on forever."

Alex Quaglino would be reluctant to have his name in the limelight. "We are just a fortunate family helping those less fortunate," says Matthew Quaglino. "By doing that in the name of our late father Alex, we can sustain the values he held about the importance of community into the future."