One person can make a big difference. Muriel H. Marshall Fund enhances life for older adults in Genesee County
Just ask the leaders of the various agencies in Genesee County that continue to benefit as a result of the generosity of the late Roxanne Marshall, a school librarian and daughter of Batavia businessman Arthur H. Marshall Jr., who established the fund just prior to her death in 1997 in honor of her mother, Muriel.
Earlier this week, three members of the fund’s planning team – Bonnie Wallace, Jay Gsell and Pam Whitmore – along with Jennifer Leonard, chief executive officer of the Rochester Area Community Foundation, made a presentation to the Genesee County Legislature’s Human Services Committee at the Old County Courthouse.
The RACF oversees the fund that started with an initial gift of $7.9 million and now has a current value of $10.9 million. Considering that more than $9 million has been distributed in grants during that time, the fund is doing remarkably well, Gsell said.
“The fund is now distributing $500,000 per year for unduplicated services for seniors (over the age of 60) in Genesee County,” the former county manager reported.
Services provided to older adults by the fund include transportation through the Genesee County Office for the Aging and Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, Inc., financial management through Lifespan of Greater Rochester, handyman through PathStone Corp., home visitation through Catholic Charities, volunteerism through RSVP of Genesee County and library visits through Richmond Memorial Library.
Wallace, a former RACF employee and current Marshall Fund team chair, said all adults 60 and over are eligible to receive these services regardless of their income. She said the Office for the Aging acts as the administrative hub -- coordinating referrals, case management, volunteer support and special programs.
In January 2020, the planning team initiated the Ask Marshall campaign (www.askmarshall.net) that connects Geneseeans to the activities and resources in the area.
“The money is the least of what’s happening in Genesee County … we need to get people into the programs,” Wallace said, adding that continued enhancement of the website is the foundation’s “next big push.”
Whitmore, who served as OFA director for 18 years, said all of the services add up to putting “new meaning to life” for the recipients.
“A little kindness goes a long way,” she said. “The Marshall Fund is a very special gift to Genesee County. It provides an extra layer of service that brings that quality of life.”
Emphasizing that nothing compares to the fund across New York State, Whitmore said that "it’s just as important for caregivers to know about this as it is for the older adults.”
Leonard said Roxanne Marshall’s gift was the largest single gift to the RACF at that time and it is thriving 25 years later.
When added to money already allocated by the county and other sources, the fund’s contributions make “a wonderful partnership,” she said.
Goals of the planning team are to identify non-medical needs and opportunities for older adults in Genesee County, determine funding priorities and possibilities that are responsive to local needs, shape grantmaking strategies that meet the criteria of the fund, and provide for appropriate community input and reporting.
Other members of the Marshall Fund planning team are Ray Chaya, Richard Iannello, Peggy Lamb, Mary Ann Silvernail, Ruth Spink, Lynda Taylor, Diana Fox and Patricia Campbell.
For more information, call (585) 815-7979 or send an email to askmarshall@co.genesee.ny.us.
Photo: Bonnie Wallace, Marshall Fund planning team chair, speaks at Monday's Human Services Committee meeting. Photo by Mike Pettinella.
