Donor Stories

A Seed of Giving, A Harvest of Grace

Fred and Karen Bersch Family Fund

Simple things often have a meaningful impact on our lives: a sincere smile; a warm dinner. Something as simple as a loaf of bread can make a very real difference. The Bersch family helps provide that through the Fred and Karen Bersch Family Fund with the Catholic Community Foundation.

Throughout his life, Fred Bersch has encountered many people of simple means who freely share their abundance. They share their love, compassion and charity, often putting service ahead of their personal needs. These people have helped him understand that we often have enough without openly admitting it. Sometimes we believe that success will come when we have just a little more. Unfortunately, when we continuously seek to have more we never get around to having enough to share. Our faith requires us to substitute "have" with "give."

With that in mind, the Bersches decided to establish a donor advised fund with The Catholic Community Foundation. The small economic sacrifice associated with giving a financial legacy early in life seemed like a natural step towards fulfilling their personal commitment to service.

The Bersch family is not new to giving. Paul and Katie, snug in their stroller, became fixtures at Habitat for Humanity work sites. Nine-year-old Peter began asking to work at shelters and food pantries before he was six. The Fred and Karen Bersch Family Fund is an extension of their own faith, and an expression of unity with the Catholic community in support of charitable giving. Fred has explained the importance of this idea, but more importantly, he has demonstrated it.

In its first year, the fund was able to make small grants to four organizations. This year, the Bersch family hopes to expand the number and size of the grants as they continue to add resources to the fund. Fred is pleased to know that the fund will continue to change lives well beyond his ability to contribute personally.