Sarah Bekker: a world traveler, a giving spirit

Spring 2014
A message from Habitat’s CEO
The spirit
to serve
By Jonathan Reckford
“Sarah had a warm-spirited wish to be of
help to people.” That is how one friend
spoke of Sarah Bekker in this issue of
Legacies. That one sentence led me to consider how so many Habitat for Humanity
supporters are similar. As different as our
families, our cultures, our customs and our
daily lives are, we share a very common
spirit.
Sarah was a world traveler who encountered many different people and opportunities. With her husband, Sarah worked in
Southeast Asia in the State Department
for many years. She was known as both a
quiet American and as someone who was
extremely outgoing. She discreetly helped
scores of people on a personal level and
threw grand Fourth of July parties at her
home overlooking the Potomac River in
Washington D.C. Her interests in Asia and
love for Burma and Thailand enabled her
to have a rich life. Just like her parents and
grandparents, who were generous whether
they had a lot or a little, Sarah had a warm
spirit, and her kindness will change lives for
generations to come.
The other story in this issue focuses on
Habitat’s Aging in Place initiative and our
partnership with AARP to help seniors
continued on Page 2
Sarah
Bekker:
a world
traveler,
a giving
spirit
By Lurma Rackley
B
orn on April
28, 1923, in
Meade County,
Kentucky, Sarah McInteer
Bekker became a world
traveler and a leading
authority on the people
and cultures of Burma
and Thailand. Bekker
died on April 1, 2013,
leaving generous gifts to
Habitat for Humanity
and other organizations
Sarah Bekker
whose work advances a
better world.
She also left a home in Roslyn,
Virginia, across the Potomac River from
Washington, D.C., filled with a vast
collection of Asian art, artifacts, books
and more. Her nephew, Richard McInteer,
described thousands of precious items
that he will donate according to his aunt’s
wishes. Her husband, Konrad Bekker, died
30 years earlier; yet, Sarah continued to
return to Southeast Asia to chronicle and
promote a region the Bekkers fell in love
with during the 20 years they worked in the
Foreign Service for the State Department.
Reporter Rosemary Mayne-Wilson
wrote about the Bekkers in the May 12,
1971, article entitled “Best-Liked Diplomats
in Town,” which appeared in the Englishlanguage newspaper, The Bangkok World:
“‘For a start, they know more about
Thailand than anyone else. Secondly, they
are devastatingly modest. And third, they
are quiet Americans, never forcing their
viewpoint on anyone else, or forming hasty
judgments.’ That statement was made by
an Asian-based foreign correspondent. He
was describing the economic counsellor of
the American Embassy, Dr. Konrad Bekker,
continued on Page 2
Spirit to serve...
continued from Page 1
Bekker...
continued from Page 1
afford renovations, upgrades and ramps
that make it feasible for them to stay in their
homes. I think your heart will be warmed by
these short accounts of families who, true
to Habitat’s founding principles, just needed
a hand up to stay in the homes and the
neighborhoods they love.
and his wife, Sarah. The correspondent
was well qualified in making this
statement, for he has met an army of
diplomats in his time.”
Such respect for the Bekkers was
“universal,” McInteer said. “Everyone I
talk to who knew Sarah always says, ‘I
just loved Sarah.’ She was an extremely
outgoing person who really loved people,
and everybody wanted to be around her.”
Although he did not know of all
her charitable giving before she died,
McInteer said he was not surprised by her
generosity.
“Sarah and her brother, my father,
grew up with parents and grandparents
who loved and respected people from
all walks of life. Whether the family had
a lot or had very little, they were very
generous,” McInteer said.
“Until my wife and I started handling
her affairs after she died, we were in the
dark that she gave so much of her own
finances. A great deal of the giving was
focused toward helping people who were
facing challenges in the world; sometimes
in the United States, but more frequently
through the various international
charities.”
Because Bekker was so well-read and
well-traveled, she may have witnessed
Habitat’s work in communities around
the world. She had been a long-time
donor to Habitat before her legacy gift.
Bekker received her Bachelor of Arts
degree from the University of Kentucky
in 1944, and two years later, a master’s
degree from the University of Minnesota.
She earned her doctorate from George
Washington University in 1964.
She spent her professional life as an
author, lecturer, and consultant in Asian
Studies; and as a study leader for tours
to Burma and Thailand organized by the
Smithsonian Institution. Bekker wrote
scholarly papers and magazine articles on
Burmese and Thai customs, art, folklore,
religion and history. She also donated
art prodigiously, even establishing The
Konrad and Sarah Bekker Collection
By adding a ramp, rewiring, weatherizing
and doing other remodeling and repair
work, Habitat is helping seniors be comfortable and safe in their own homes. This
initiative has brought out the best of Habitat
and emphasizes the importance of our
model. Read on page 3 about Renee Flihan,
a retired nurse who lauded the opportunity
to pay back the local Habitat affiliate for
painting and landscaping her home. “If you
get everything for free, you don’t appreciate
things,” she said. You also will see a photo
of Jane Madrid, who at 86, was participating in the efforts to improve her home. That
is an admirable and determined spirit.
I am proud to say that in countries around
the world, Habitat for Humanity supporters
are filled with a warm-spirited wish to be
the hands and feet of Jesus.
Blessings,
Jonathan T.M. Reckford
2 LEGACIES
Sarah Bekker with her husband, Dr. Konrad
Bekker.
of Burmese Art at Northern Illinois
University.
She left ceramics and a file cabinet full
of carefully labeled slides to the archives
of the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M.
Sackler Gallery, the two national museums
of Asian art at the Smithsonian.
Louise Cort, curator for ceramics at
the galleries, recalls spending time with
Bekker.
“Sarah hosted marvelous Fourth of
July parties at her home overlooking the
Potomac with a view of the Capitol, the
White House, the Washington Monument
and the Lincoln Memorial. She was an
unassuming, down-home person, despite
living in that amazing apartment. She
could tell great stories about her Southeast
Asian experiences; and she enjoyed
entertaining friends and chatting away.”
Cort said that after Bekker’s death, her
friends learned that she had helped scores
of people on a personal level, such as
paying for a woman from Burma to bring
her daughter to the U.S. and helping the
two of them complete their educations.
Bekker also paid for the college education
of the son of a woman who worked in her
building, and helped them find a place to
live.
“Sarah had a warm-spirited wish to be
of help to people,” Cort said.
Bekker’s gifts of beauty and opportunity will be a blessing to generations to
come.
Lurma Rackley is a writing/editing
manager for Habitat for Humanity
International’s Resource Development
Communications department.
An aging trend
T
World War II veteran Bill Brown is
happy at home.
A simple ramp and a remodeled
bathroom has allowed Bill Brown,
92, and his wife, Maxine, 94, to
continue living in the Placentia,
California, house they have called
home for 53 years. Of the work
done by Habitat for Humanity of
Orange County, Brown said, “We
couldn’t ask for anything more.”
he number of Americans age 65 and
older is expected to double over the next
25 years, to more than 71 million. The
overwhelming majority of people say they want to
grow old in their homes — or “age in place.”
Habitat for Humanity launched its Aging in
Place initiative to help seniors afford renovations,
upgrades and ramps that make it feasible for them
to stay in their homes. Aging in Place, with pilot
funding from the AARP, goes beyond the physical
home repairs to intervene in other issues elderly
residents might face, such as isolation, hunger and
lack of transportation.
Habitat recognizes that older residents are the
bedrock of their communities and an essential
component to the success of the Neighborhood
Revitalization Initiative that Habitat for Humanity
International undertakes with affiliates nationwide.
NRI and Aging in Place work with residents of
all ages to strengthen their communities through
public and private partnerships.
According to the AARP, at least 19 million
American households of people 50 and older live in
unaffordable or inadequate housing. Many of them
have to cope with inaccessible bathrooms, steep
staircases, narrow halls or dated electrical systems.
Simple modifications, such as installing grab bars
and railings, improving lighting, and repairing
hazards that might cause tripping and falling go a
long way toward protecting seniors in their homes.
Habitat has helped thousands of elderly
homeowners age in place over the years.
Proud Habitat partner Renee
Flihan lives at home with
her dog, Molly.
Millie Jackson stands on
the porch of her upgraded
home in Macon, Georgia.
Renee Flihan, 74, is grateful
for her newly painted home
in Sun City, California. Flihan
is repaying Habitat for
Humanity Inland Valley over
time for the painting and
some landscaping. “If you
get everything for free,” said
the retired nurse, “you don’t
appreciate things.”
“My husband has had
several strokes, and he
can’t walk,” Jackson said.
Jackson, age 63, used to
worry about the house
catching on fire. “Now that
the wiring has been fixed, I
can sleep at night. Habitat
did me a God-sent favor.”
Homeowner Huley Bryant (right)
poses outside his home with a
Habitat volunteer.
Huley Bryant, 75, has lived in his
home in Charlotte, North Carolina,
for 37 years. A military veteran,
Bryant put in community service
hours at the Habitat for Humanity
ReStore as his contribution toward
work that made his home safe
again. Extensive repairs on his
home were completed through
a Habitat initiative for veterans
funded by Home Depot.
Homeowner Jane Madrid prepares a
window of her home for painting.
Jane Madrid’s home was one of 15
that volunteers renovated as part of
the 30th Annual Jimmy & Rosalynn
Carter Work Project in Denver,
Colorado, in October 2013. They also
built 11 new townhomes in the same
neighborhood. Madrid, who turned
86 in March 2014, can now remain
comfortable in her own home and
revitalized community.
Habitat for Humanity
Legacy Society
T
he Habitat for Humanity Legacy
Society recognizes the importance of legacy gifts in eradicating
poverty housing.
To become a member of the
Habitat for Humanity Legacy Society,
you must plan to benefit Habitat for
Humanity after your lifetime —
whether in the form of a bequest,
annuity or other planned giving
arrangement — and notify Habitat
of your plans.
Join the Legacy Society today!
Just contact the Planned Giving
department at 800-422-4828, ext. 6750,
or at [email protected].
Contact us
There are several ways you can find out
more information about planned giving:
Write: Planned Giving department
Habitat for Humanity International
121 Habitat St.
Americus, GA 31709-3498
Call: 800-422-4828, ext. 6750
Email: [email protected]
Web: habitat.org/support — and then
click on “Get more information on
planned giving.”
Habitat for Humanity International
is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian
organization. Seeking to put God’s love
into action, Habitat for Humanity brings
people together to build homes, communities and hope.
Easy Planned Giving Ideas
By Ann Wilson
Many Habitat for Humanity donors want to ensure plans to continue building simple,
decent Habitat homes beyond their lifetimes, but they are reluctant to do so because
they think planned giving is difficult and complicated. Fortunately, there are several
simple, direct options for effective planned giving.
Leaving a gift for Habitat for Humanity International can be as easy as meeting
with your attorney to discuss bequests through your will. Or, you can contact Habitat’s
Planned Giving department to set up a Charitable Gift Annuity that can pay an income
for life and generate tax benefits for you while still providing funds to help Habitat
families after your lifetime.
Even easier, it is often possible to name Habitat as beneficiary for retirement plans,
commercial annuities and life insurance policies, and in many states, transfer-on-death
provisions can be added to savings and brokerage accounts. A wealth of information
about these ideas can be found on the Habitat planned giving web pages at
http://gftpln.org/Home.do?orgId=901.
We encourage you to contact us in the Planned Giving department if you have
more questions. As always, if you are contemplating changes to your estate plans, it is
important to consult your personal advisors. Imagine how great it would feel to know
that your legacy plans can help ensure Habitat’s mission for generations to come.
For more information, please call me at 404-979-5906 or email [email protected].
Ann Wilson is a development officer in Planned Giving for Habitat for Humanity.
* The information in this publication is not intended as legal or tax advice. For legal or tax advice,
please consult an attorney or tax professional. Figures cited in examples are for hypothetical
purposes only and are subject to change. References to income tax apply to federal taxes only.
Individual state taxes, estate taxes and/or state law may impact your results.
Your gift is very much appreciated and fully deductible as a charitable contribution. A copy of our latest financial report may be obtained by writing to Habitat for Humanity
International, 121 Habitat Street, Americus, GA 31709, 800-422-4828. If you are a resident of one of these states, you may obtain financial information directly from the
state agency: MARYLAND – For the cost of copies and postage, Office of the Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401. PENNSYLVANIA – The official registration
and financial information of Habitat for Humanity International may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 800-732-0999.
Registration does not imply endorsement. WASHINGTON – Charities Division, Office of the Secretary of State, State of Washington, Olympia, WA 98504-0422, 800-332-4483.
WEST VIRGINIA – Residents may obtain a summary of the registration and financial documents from the Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, WV 25305. Registration
with any of these state agencies does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by any state.