Nancy and Tom Bollay - Estate Gift

Tom and I were first introduced to CALM almost 30 years ago through a friend who worked there as a therapist. She would talk about CALM and the work they were doing to help children who had been abused. On one occasion I saw one of her previous clients run up to her and hug her, tell her how happy she was and how well she was doing; she had graduated from high school, was studying at Santa Barbara City College and in a healthy relationship. Over the years I learned more about CALM and was honored when I was asked to join the board in 2004. I served on the board for 12 years, two of those as President. CALM continued to grow during that time and evolved with the needs of the community. I have stayed involved with CALM because it has proven to be a professional, well-run organization that is in touch with the community and structures its programs to best meet the needs of the most vulnerable. CALM has undergone a considerable amount of growth and change in the last several years, and all of those have been very strategic, carefully studied and carried out. Their ability to move quickly and responsibly, and come up with innovative solutions, has been especially evident during COVID.

Our first donation to CALM was from the proceeds of an award from a sandcastle contest that we entered with our friends in the early 1990's. Over the years, that has grown to decades of annual giving, and 15 years ago, Tom and I decided to include CALM in our estate plan. We have designated CALM to get a percentage of our estate (through our retirement account) when we are both gone. We have six wonderful nieces and great nieces but have no children of our own; it is important to us both to support children in our own community. Through our annual giving and our legacy commitment, we know that local children will be helped and given the strongest possible start to life so they may go on to lead lives to their fullest potential.