Stories

Honoring a legacy of belonging

New fund supports families of people living with disabilities

Marcia Marcaccio believed in the power of community. In a long life, she experienced both segregation as a woman with Down Syndrome, and an integrated life with the support of family, church, work and community. She chose her own path, defying expectations, and had a fulfilling and valuable career as an educational assistant.

“My aunt wanted everyone to have the kind of support she had from family and community.”

Marcia, who passed away in March 2021, was a tireless advocate for equality, services and resources to help families and communities surround and support their members who live with disabilities. She and her sister Donna travelled and lectured on the importance of inclusion and belonging for people with all kinds of challenges.

Donna and her daughter Joselin are furthering that extraordinary legacy through the Marcia Marcaccio Trust Fund at HCF. The fund will focus especially on respite care — an essential support for both family and individual — that is often hard to access.

“My aunt wanted everyone to have the kind of support she had from family and community,” says Joselin. “This fund is something she would have loved.”

Setting up the fund in honour of Marcia was simple, Donna says. Her career in community services has given her a “great admiration for the role and value of Hamilton Community Foundation,” so HCF was a natural fit, and the donor-advised fund option gives her family the ongoing participation she wants in the fund’s decisions.

While providing practical help to families, carrying on Marcia’s message of designing support that honours the affected person’s wishes, inclusion, and meaningful life in community is also a key goal of the fund.

“We deeply miss Marcia,” says Donna, “and I hope that we continue to hear what she was trying to teach us.”

Excerpt from 2023-24 annual report