By Diane Touchette and Bryan Foye, long time Wakefield Qc residents.
When we updated our Will, we expected to focus on practical matters—our loved ones, our home, our belongings, and making sure everything was in order. We also found ourselves asking a different question: What kind of difference do we want to keep making even after we’re gone?
For us, the answer was easy. We want to continue helping our community.
That’s why we’ve chosen to leave a gift in our Will to the Wakefield Community Emergency Fund (WCEF). The Fund provides confidential emergency assistance to local individuals and families facing unexpected hardship, helping with life’s basic necessities when they need it most. Run entirely by volunteers, the WCEF offers neighbours a helping hand with dignity, compassion, and respect.
We’ve been fortunate in life, and we know that not everyone enjoys the same security. Leaving a legacy gift is our way of giving something back to the community that has given us so much. It allows our values to live on by helping neighbours we may never meet but whose lives can be made a little easier, thanks to the Wakefield Community Emergency Fund.
One of the wonderful things about legacy giving is that it’s not just for the wealthy. Any gift, large or small, can become part of something that lasts far beyond our own lifetime. It’s simply a way of turning gratitude into generosity.
And yes, we enjoy imagining ourselves as helpful neighbourhood spirits—helping families through difficult times. It’s our favourite kind of activism: quietly making a difference from beyond the grave, with no meetings or late-night emails required.
If our story inspires even one person to consider leaving a gift in their Will to a cause they care about, we’ll be delighted. A legacy gift is more than a financial contribution—it’s a final act of kindness and a lasting investment in the future of a community you love.
Cheers,
Diane and Bryan