We are saddened by the loss of Lois Schaffer, a former friend and employee of the Community Foundation, who recently passed away. During her time at the Community Foundation in the 1990s, she served as a program officer who championed the importance of quality childcare. She was also a founding member of the Women’s Fund of Central New York, an affiliate fund of the Community Foundation.
Former CNYCF president and CEO, Peggy Ogden, remembered much of Lois’s meaningful work: “The success of many of the Community Foundation’s most important and impactful programs—The Leadership Classroom, the Child Care Initiative, and the Women’s Fund—is due to the leadership skills and loving guidance of Lois Schaffer. The Community Foundation was blessed to have her as its first dedicated program officer; her compassion and collegiality set the tone for grantmaking that is inclusive and welcoming to all.”
Additionally, Lois and her husband Mike helped to establish Congregation Beth Sholom and traveled to Bolivia and Peru, establishing three dental clinics for orphaned children. It is no wonder that she received the 2004 Post-Standard Person of Achievement award.
We are grateful to spend a moment remembering such a thoughtful and caring human whose paths crossed ours over many decades.
