The Peckhams sit in their home

The Peckhams

The Peckhams live by the motto that you make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.

Mary Pat Oliker sits in a chair

Mary Pat Oliker

Central New York has been Mary Pat’s home for 50 years. It is where she met her husband, where their careers flourished and where they discovered a shared commitment to the many nonprofit and charitable organizations making a difference in their community.

Mary Mathews poses with her dog

Mary Mathews

Mary’s parents were always great role models for her. They provided support to the community in so many ways, and she felt it was important to do the same.

Anne Lloyd

Anne Lloyd

As a single mother of two young boys, there were times when Anne Lloyd struggled to feed her family. She now feels a strong desire to help others by giving back to the same community that so greatly impacted her.

The Linns pose with their dogs

The Linns

Bob and Zalie have great compassion for the community’s four-legged friends. They contribute their time and make donations to a whole host of animal charities.

Richard Levy

Richard Levy

Richard Levy's life changed forever when he was forced to flee Nazi Germany as a young, Jewish boy. Now his legacy will carry on in support of causes that resonate with his life experiences.

Joyce Homan stands in front of her painting

Joyce Homan

Joyce Homan is an artist, activist, and philanthropist who lives, works and gives in Central New York. Joyce and her late husband, Ray, lived through The Great Depression and therefore viewed material goods as secondary to compassion and experience.

The Hezels

The Hezels

Growing up in large families with modest means, as they both did respectively, in the city of Buffalo and the village of Marathon, Richard and Janice’s tightly-knit families rarely lacked for what they truly needed.

Barb Genton

Barbara Genton

When Barb was growing up in Syracuse in the 1950s, she observed her parents participating in civic and religious organizations while balancing work and home responsibilities.

Linda Hartsock and her son

Linda Hartsock

For Linda Hartsock, it has been gratifying to live in Central New York and to engage in community revitalization. She has worked hard to instill the importance of community in her three sons.