Generous donors unite in a legacy of love

Louise Sperber was an old-school firebrand: a college athlete, avid skier, girls' field hockey and lacrosse coach and a respected Pennsylvania public high school teacher for 33 years. She traveled across the country on a motorcycle later in life and remains an inspiration to many, even after her sudden death at age 78 in March 2017.

Louise will always be a treasure to Children International. Her generosity, worldviews and rallying, determined, inviting approach to life mirror the personality and purpose of our organization.

The Sperber, Neal and Zinni families personify Children International's vision of bringing people together to end poverty for good. Thanks to their generosity, children in the La Colmena community of Quito, Ecuador, will, in fall 2021, open the doors to a new safe haven where they can learn, dream and build better lives.

In 2018, Children International's longtime friend, supporter and champion for children Louise Sperber bequeathed nearly $1.35 million to the organization for constructing community centers. Part of her estate gift provided the initial investment needed to build, operate and maintain a new center in Quito. Houston-based supporters Ron and Mary Neal and Ed and Sue Zinni partnered to match Louise's gift, which will cover the remaining construction costs and sustain operations for one year after the center opens.

These gifts are a legacy of love for the children and youth in La Colmena, where the situation had become urgent. Young people there face instability, violence and cramped conditions at home, and the place that should be their oasis — our Children International community center — was unstable as well.

Over the years, we've invested in emergency repairs and improvements to keep the center functioning; but flooding and sinking land had made the center virtually unusable. The children of La Colmena needed a new community center, and a generous group of donors came together to make it possible.

As a teacher, Louise believed deeply that all children should have a place to learn and grow, and a team of committed mentors to help them reach their full potential. Her legacy will live on in Quito's newest community center, which will bear her name. (Room naming rights are still available.)

To learn about ways to turn your support into your own legacy of love for children, contact Dianna Stelter at dstelter@children.org or 816-943-3834 or visit us online.