At every Foundation board meeting, one person faithfully taps away in the corner, only breaking her silence occasionally to ask a clarifying question. As the Foundation’s recording secretary, Helene Lowry wants to be sure she gets the details right. She’s been doing just that since she first imagined creating the Foundation in the early 2000s.

It was while sitting on the Board of Directors of the Peterborough Affordable Housing Foundation (PAHF) that the idea for the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough first emerged. “Funding for the PAHF came from the municipal government and when that ran out, the Foundation needed to re-think its direction,” she says. “Fellow board member John Martyn and I were fascinated by the idea of a donor-funded Community Foundation and formed a steering committee to investigate this possibility.” 

In 2008 the Peterborough Affordable Housing Foundation changed its charter to become the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough. The advantage of a Community Foundation is that its broad mandate allows it to address the many issues facing the City and County of Peterborough by supporting the organizations doing the front-line work. Donors to the Foundation are invited to direct their funds towards the organizations and causes that most resonate with them, and no gift is too small. Indeed, all funds are pooled and amplified to maximize their impact.

Helene is an excellent example of what is possible when a person uses their expertise, passion, and vision to help make their community a better place. We’re tremendously grateful to Helene for her fourteen years of service to the Community Foundation she helped create.