When Nelson Henderson said, "The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit," he could well have been speaking about establishing a fund at the Licking County Foundation.   

Susie Dudgeon and her three children like to be on the go. But the ramp they were using to leave their Heath home was showing its age. The slope of the ramp and the holes that had to be patched with plywood made the ramp slippery and somewhat dangerous. Susie's son Trey, 10, uses a wheelchair, and pushing him up a steep ramp was difficult for Susie, who has a foot injury.

Susie reached out to Kim Burke, Trey's service coordinator at the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities, to ask for suggestions. Kim connected the family with support for a new ramp thanks to the Licking County Foundation's Thomas M. Kier Memorial Fund. The ramp was completed in October of 2020 – just in time to make winter weather safer for the family.

The Thomas M. Kier Memorial Fund was established by Mrs. William Huffman as a memorial to her late son, Thomas M. Kier, a lifelong resident of Granville and a Newark businessman. Grants from this Field of Interest Fund address specific community needs, among them the needs of children with vision or mobility challenges including those related to developmental disabilities. The fund has helped countless individuals and families like Susie Dudgeon and her children through support of the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Mrs. Huffman planted the tree so that families with children who need extra supports could take some comfort in the shade.