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Establishing a Gift Annuity and Helping Children

'They made it easier than booking an airline ticket.'

Henry ChurchSo much good has been done across the nation by folks from working families in small communities around Winston-Salem. One such example is a gift by Henry Church that stands to benefit children all over the country through the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma.

Church, an artist speaking from his home full of colorful paintings and photography—his own and that of many others—grew up in Wilkesboro, N.C. His mother worked in a hosiery mill, and his dad was in the trucking business. His beloved late wife, Lyn, was also from Wilkesboro, where her mother worked as a bookkeeper for Lowes Foods and her dad worked for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

Church started his career with the original Lowe's as what he termed a "jack of all trades," during which time he designed by hand the well-known Lowe's Home Improvement logo. After about 25 years, he moved on to establish Freedom Graphics with his wife.

"She was a great manager and accountant, and, ultimately, a super grandma—truly one of the world's greatest grandmothers, so it was clear when we talked about our estate planning that anything to do with children, well, she wanted to help out," Church said.

'In the end, I want the gift to work for the beneficiary, the Childress Institute. The gift is established as a CGA. I like the income, the tax benefit and helping the Institute.'

After Lyn Church's passing, her husband wanted to continue her interest in helping children through her belief in the work of the Childress Institute. "Trauma is the greatest killer of children," Church said, "and I wanted, through the assets we accumulated, to have an impact on bettering the outcomes for injured children."

Based at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, the Childress Institute is focused on research, education and advocacy to discover and promote the best ways to prevent and treat severe injuries in children throughout the United States.

"The primary drive behind my gift was to help the Childress Institute. As an extra benefit, there is a tax advantage on the income received from the gift as a charitable gift annuity (CGA). In the end, I want the gift to work for the beneficiary, the Childress Institute. The gift is established as a CGA. I like the income, the tax benefit and helping the Institute.

Church appreciated the ease with which he was able to establish the CGA, saying, "Working with the folks at the philanthropy office on setting up a charitable gift annuity—well, they made it easier than booking an airline ticket."

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