John and Ailene Pugno

Despite chapters in their lives lived in other cities, John and Ailene Pugno always felt the pull of their hometowns. John’s parents both experienced poverty while growing up and wanted something different for their own children. Moving to Fremont brought them opportunities in a small, close-knit community. “My dad coached here and started a business,” said John. “My parents were part of the fabric of the community. I always felt like part of the town. My heart was always here.”

Ailene grew up in Newaygo, close to the Muskegon River and close enough to school and the library that she could walk there. “I’ve moved away a couple times, but I’ve always come back,” she said.

Now living between their two hometowns, John and Ailene are creating two funds through their estate plan to permanently support their community. One fund will be dedicated to environmental causes and is inspired by a love of the Muskegon River. The other will support Newaygo’s library and Love INC.

“If someone has to fight to save these resources someday, they’ll have a place to come for a grant,” said John.

“There are so many people who need help,” said Ailene. “We wanted to do something local and something that would last.”

Tom and Char TenBrink

Tom and Char TenBrink love a good adventure. It started with a belated honeymoon trip to Niagara Falls. When Char mentioned on the trip that she had never been to Washington DC, they got back in the car and kept driving until they got there. They’ve since visited almost every state and love heading “down the road less traveled,” said Char. “You run into the most unexpected things. It’s so much fun.”

“We get to a stop sign and I say, ‘Right or left?’” said Tom.

Wherever they venture, Newaygo County still always lures them home. Both grew up here and spent most of their careers with Gerber. Their love of the area prompted them to begin thinking about other ways to give back. They started talking about creating a scholarship at the Community Foundation someday through their estate plan. However, after learning about the Community Foundation’s build-a-fund program, they decided to use it to start their scholarship now.

“We could set it up the way we want and see how it works,” said Char. “Having grown up in the area seeing the good things the Community Foundation has done, how it has grown, and the outreach it has—it seemed like a good place to give back and it keeps it local.”

They ultimately hope their scholarship will help a wide range of students train for good jobs and achieve their dreams.

“I’m excited to get it started,” said Tom. “I’m looking forward to being able to help somebody.”

Randy and Shari Paulsen

Randy and Shari Paulsen and their two sons all attended Fremont High School (FHS). Both boys were involved in athletics and spent hours practicing. “They wouldn’t come home,” Randy said with a laugh.

“They had so much fun and found something they excelled at with sports,” said Shari. “It was an incentive to keep their grades up and it’s such a big factor in socialization in school.”

“We understand what it means for kids,” said Randy.

That’s why he and Shari created a fund at the Community Foundation to support FHS and its athletics programs. They’re especially focused on students who want to get involved but can’t afford to play.

“My vision would be that any kid that wants to play a sport doesn’t have to worry about how to pay for it,” said Randy.

In addition to their fund, the Paulsens have included the Community Foundation in their estate plan and are now members of the Our Next 75 donor group.

“We chose to give through the Community Foundation because you see what the funds can do in the community,” said Shari. “We want to make sure our grandkids have the same opportunities or better than we have had. We want to make this the best community possible for them.”

Mark Ramsey and Lola Harmon-Ramsey

According to Lola Harmon-Ramsey, her family has “been here forever.” Lola grew up in Fremont and graduated from Fremont High School. After several years in Lansing and Grand Rapids, she and her husband Mark Ramsey—an Oklahoma transplant—decided they wanted their own children to grow up in Newaygo County too.

“We like the safety and sense of community,” said Mark. “People look out for each other.”

In addition to building a family here, Mark and Lola started a small recycling business with a trailer Mark made by hand. Today, Cart-Right Recycling handles hundreds of tons of recyclables each year.

Despite the busy schedules that come with owning a business and raising a family, Mark and Lola are still passionate about being involved in the community. Lola currently serves as a trustee on the Community Foundation’s board.

“My parents taught me to be active and engaged,” said Lola. “Newaygo County keeps investing in us, so that’s what we do in return.”

When she and Mark heard about the Our Next 75 donor group at the Community Foundation, they jumped at the chance to further invest in Newaygo County’s future.

“When I heard about it, I thought ‘We can do that,’” said Lola. “For the first time, I thought maybe I can be a philanthropist. It’s important to me to show my peers that you don’t have to have a lot of money. You just have to show up, you have to care. Your investment doesn’t have to be huge, but it does make a difference.”

Dawn Williams

At 15, Dawn Williams was the Hair Station’s first receptionist. Today, she is the Fremont salon’s owner.

“I like the customers and the women I work with,” she said. “I don’t feel like it’s work.”

In recognition of the community’s support of her business and knowing how difficult it can be to start out as a stylist, Dawn began to think of ways to help graduating cosmetologists from the Newaygo County Career-Tech Center. When she and her daughter Morgan heard about the build-a-fund program at the Community Foundation, it seemed like the perfect fit.

“I was surprised that you don’t have to have hundreds of thousands of dollars to start a fund,” said Dawn. “The Community Foundation made it easy for us.”

Along with staff and clients, they created the Hair Station Fund and an annual award that will help new cosmetologists pay for expensive state tests and equipment like scissors and clippers that most salons do not provide.

“It’s a huge hurdle when you’re just starting out,” said Morgan. “We’re hoping this can help offset that.”

In addition to creating a fund, Dawn added the Community Foundation to her estate plan and became the very first member of the Our Next 75 donor group.

“I remember times when I needed help and didn’t have anyone to turn to,” said Dawn. “So I’ve always felt strongly about giving back. I think if everyone was a little more giving, the world would be a better place.”

“It’s like a domino effect,” said Morgan. “If you’ve been helped, you want to help someone else.”

Bob and Susanne Jordan

Susanne Jordan’s family traveled every summer when she was growing up. On Sundays—no matter where they were—they found a church to attend. In one small town, the church they chose was holding a clothing drive. When Susanne’s family left, her father got back in the car in his undershirt, having quietly donated the shirt he was wearing.

“I remember thinking, ‘Wow, he literally just gave the shirt off his back,’” said Susanne. “That impulsive act of generosity really made an impact on me.”

Early experiences watching their parents give deeply influenced both Susanne and Bob Jordan. They continued that mission in their lives together. “We’ve always had a heart for people who needed a helping hand,” said Susanne.

This was even reflected in the career paths they chose: social work for Susanne and philanthropy for Bob. Bob was on staff at the Community Foundation for over 17 years and came back after retirement to serve on the Investment Committee.

“Working with donors is humbling,” said Bob. “There are so many people who live modest lives but give so much. There are a lot of generous people in Newaygo County.”

Though the Jordans moved to Holland after retiring, they are still committed to the community where they lived, worked, and raised their children. They have supported a variety of local causes through their donor advised fund and are the newest members of Our Next 75.

“We have a family history in this community,” said Susanne. “Even though we don’t live here anymore, we want it to be vibrant and successful for years to come.”

Stuart and Kay Stone

When Stuart Stone was in eighth grade, he transferred from a country school to Grant Public Schools in town. He wanted to be in band but found himself behind other students who already had a year or two of experience.

“My eighth-grade band teacher took me under his wing,” said Stuart. “He spent his prep hour first semester teaching me to play so I could join the band.”

The teacher—later a founder of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp—had a profound impact on Stuart. He helped foster a love of the arts that Stuart shares with his wife Kay and their children and grandchildren.

When Stuart and Kay created a scholarship, they decided it should be awarded to Grant graduates who had been involved in the arts in high school. It was a way to celebrate a shared family interest while also helping local students achieve their post-secondary goals.

The Stones chose the Community Foundation for their scholarship because, after years of working and volunteering in Newaygo County, they were familiar with its work and reputation.

“They spend money to the best advantage of the community,” said Stuart. “From the time we knew about it, we never had any doubts that was the best place to do it.”

It was also one more way for them to give back to the community they have called home their whole lives.

“We give because we’ve been given so much,” said Kay. “We’ve been blessed. The community has given so much to us so now we can give back. We can make a difference.”

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Story Category: Our Next 75