- Legacy Giving Stories
A painting by Steven Strauss, graciously shared by Joan Barnes.
The Extend Our Happiness Fund assists people with food, weight, and body-image issues and/or eating disorders.
Joan Barnes and Steve Strauss z”l married in 1996. The caring couple established this fund in honor of their union and the happiness it brought them.
A longtime JFCS friend and a former member of our Board of Directors, Joan had recovered from a life-limiting and -threatening eating disorder. Their Named Endowment Fund was dedicated to helping others struggling with these same issues.
Within a year of their wedding, Steve began to experience strokes, which became increasingly serious over the course of a few years. Eventually, his capacity was so limited that he was moved into a care facility in 2001. Over the years, until his death in 2012, his love of community, music, language, and art continued to bring him pleasure and delight, and Joan and Steve’s love for one another remained constant.
Joan created this Legacy of Loving Kindness page in his honor.
Shared from the Heart
One of Steve’s favorite punning jokes: “Turn around,” he would often say to people. Then, when they had complied, he would add, “It’s nice to see your back!”
If you would like to establish a Named Endowment Fund, please contact [email protected] or 415-449-3858.