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Gerald & Barbara Morrow Family Endowment Fund

Established 2010

Barbara & Gerald Morrow
Barbara & Gerald Morrow

The Gerald and Barbara Morrow Family Endowment Fund provides income for the Community Foundation’s discretionary grantmaking program.

Barbara Biever Morrow (1930-2013) was born in Aurora. Her family heritage of civic service in Aurora, through the Biever Furniture Company, dates back to the company’s founding in 1881.

Following her graduation from Northwestern University, she had a gratifying career as a third grade teacher at Freeman Elementary School.

She was recognized for her achievements by West Aurora School District 129 with the “Golden Apple Award.”

Gerald Morrow (1924-2014) was a CPA and graduate of the University of Illinois.  He served as treasurer of the City of Aurora for eight years.

He was honored by election as president of the Illinois Municipal Finance Officers and as chairman of an Illinois CPA Society committee charged with rewriting the State of Illinois’ municipal accounting standards.

Mr. Morrow then served as treasurer of the Wadsworth Golf Construction Company for over thirty-five years. He later was elected to a four-year term as auditor for Kane County.

He also was an instructor for evening advanced accounting classes at Aurora University, president of the Aurora Kiwanis Club and an active participant in United Way.

During World War II, Mr. Morrow served his country as an Army Paratroop demolition specialist with the First Allied Airborne in Europe.

YEP has made me realize the importance of being involved in my community, and how to make a difference. There are a lot of problems in the world but if we can do everything that we can to help the world will become a better place. YEP has helped me realize this and encouraged me to help more people in the future.

Madi Porter

YEP Member

YEP was a great experience to have in high school. I became a more confident person, someone with a lot more perspective. Coming from a small school, YEP allowed me to branch out into my community, meet students from other schools, and learn about their backgrounds. I made some great friends and still keep in touch with them today.

Abby Vagnoni

YEP Alumni

Education is important to us. We support causes that touch our lives and align with our values. We believe in paying it forward. We are here for a short time,, and it is the next generation that will take on what we leave behind.

Michelle Emanuel

Donor and Past Scholarship Recipient

I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Zari Foundation Scholarship and the Community Foundation in supporting my education. I am majoring in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institue of Technology. In my spare time, I volunteer on campus, in the community and I’m also the principal violist in the symphony orchestra. I hope to make an impact on the next chapter of space exploration by eventually working at a groundbreaking aerospace company such as SpaceX or NASA.

Taytum Newell

Albert M. Zari Scholarship Recipient

Being a part of the Community Foundation scholarship committee is the highlight of my year. For many, a scholarship from the CFFRV is the reason they are able to continue reaching for their dreams and changing the future of our world. I hope each recipients knows just how inspirational they are to those of us who are lucky enough to read their stories.

Jessica Breugelmans

Scholarship Committee Member and Board Member

Give your gift of time and see what it means to the people you impact. Helping others is what life is all about.

Neal Ormond

Donor & Fund Advisor

Grant funds from the Community Foundation helped provide updated technology. These upgrades were transformative. By creating new time saving processes, it turned us into a more efficient organization.

Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry

Grantee

Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

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