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James Stern Family Foundation Fund
James and Valerie Stern’s children are clearly at the center of their lives. “Our daughter Brooke is 7 and Michael is 9, and they will keep a parent busy!” said James. Valerie volunteers a tremendous amount of time at Palm City Elementary, and James serves as
a Cub Scout Leader.
Through their experiences volunteering in Martin County, they have seen so many children who have so little, or are neglected and not given the opportunities that they deserve.
When the Sterns sought a way to support children in their community, they turned to the Community Foundation. “I was on the board of the Dunbar Association in Hobe Sound for a couple years and came to an event at the Community Foundation. Back then I did not realize how your organization was able to provide for all these charities—I was just grateful you supported Dunbar. Your name was always in the back of my mind, and I looked up your organization online and decided that was the place to establish our family’s fund.”
“My wife and I decided to give what we could and hope to give more as the financial markets firm up,” said James, who is Vice President at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Stuart. “I have heard so many negative things about people in finance over the last year and felt strongly that I had to lead by example. There are a lot of wonderful people in the industry who care deeply about their clients.”
Through his family’s fund, James hopes to make a difference in the lives of children right in his own backyard. ”If I can help a few children catch even the slightest break, then this gift will be paid back a thousandfold to me and my family emotionally.”
“I know there are children in need everywhere, but if I can start where I live and make a difference—and if everyone did that in their own community—I think it would be a better country and world.”
The Stern Family Foundation Fund represents the essence of a community foundation—providing a way to care for one another right here in our own communities.
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"My decision to make a donation to the Community Foundation came down to trust. I knew that my dollars would be used to serve the community under the able stewardship of foundation staff."
Chris Locke
CPA, Boca Raton
