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Marie Wilkinson Endowment Fund

Established 2006

Marie Wilkinson
Marie Wilkinson

This unrestricted fund was created to honor Marie Wilkinson.

Marie Wilkinson (1909-2010) devoted her life to causes that advance the dignity of all people in the City of Aurora.

She established the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry and later the Marie Wilkinson Child Care Center.

She was responsible for the formation of the Aurora Human Relations Commission in 1964, an organization she chaired for over thirty years. Her influence was so far-reaching that a park was named in her honor.

Mrs. Wilkinson was born in the French Quarter of New Orleans and educated at Straight University (now Dillard University). She moved to Aurora in her early 20s.

Her husband Charles Wilkinson was a successful businessman who provided unfailing support to his wife.

He died in 1995. The couple had two children.

The legacy of Mrs. Wilkinson is profound in its simplicity. She shared everything she had with others, expecting nothing in return. Marie Wilkinson lived the Golden Rule.

To learn more about her extraordinary life, please see the following articles.

The Beacon-News, August 14, 2010
The Beacon-News, August 15, 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

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