Life has been good to Jennifer Krach, a Los Gatos mother of three.
Her former husband was involved with two startup companies during the heady dot-com days in Silicon Valley. But she knows those days are gone, and now, many hardworking and well-meaning people are struggling just to survive.
So Krach has offered a $100,000 challenge grant to United Way’s Open Arms campaign. That’s right — she’s willing to part with $100,000 for charity as a push to get people to part with a little of their own cash, too.
“It’s truly inspiring to see a private person like Jennifer step up with such an incredible gift,” said Carole Leigh Hutton, president and chief executive of United Way Silicon Valley, which hopes to raise awareness that the need for help has grown dramatically while donations have dropped significantly during these turbulent economic times. “By creating a challenge grant, she’s not only making a personal impact but she’s giving others the opportunity and incentive to do the same.”
Krach earmarked her donation to benefit United Way’s Emergency Assistance Network, which tries to prevent homelessness by offering emergency assistance to families and individuals facing eviction, hunger and loss of heat and electricity because they can’t afford to pay their bills. United Way, eight partner agencies and seven law enforcement departments make up the network, serving as a lifeline for families and individuals in crisis.
For every dollar someone else gives to the Emergency Assistance Network, Krach will match it dollar for dollar, up to $100,000.
“If families lose their housing, it takes five times the effort and finances to put them back on their feet again,” Krach said. “It’s horrible to feel helpless, and I’d like to try help some families from hitting rock bottom.”
Giving rental assistance in an emergency is a lot cheaper than trying to find housing for families who have lost everything, she said.
“We are all in this together,” Krach said. “It isn’t good for the families and it isn’t good for our community to have people losing their homes.”
The United Way helped launch the Open Arms campaign last month with a coalition of community organizations to try to inspire people to do what they can at a time when so many are doing worse. Krach’s donation is the largest to United Way so far as part of the Open Arms campaign.
“We’ve been talking a lot lately about the need for people with the means to make even a small donation to open up their arms to their neighbors in the community and give,” Hutton said, adding that people can give now and know their donation will be twice as much because of Krach’s matching grant: A $10 donation will result in $20 of aid, a $50 donation will double to $100.
“These funds can help keep children warm and fed this winter,” Hutton said.
A native of Southern California who has lived in Silicon Valley for 21 years, Krach said she started her philanthropic efforts years ago by donating to local schools, Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross. She and one of her teenage sons worked with Habitat for Humanity in Honduras in 2003, and her daughter worked in 2004 with Opportunity International, a microlending program to help individuals start their own small businesses in the Philippines and Costa Rica. Krach also supports the Ocean Foundation, which is dedicated to research and sustainable development in the ocean and coastal habitats.
“My parents made us very aware we were fortunate,” she said. Then, “we were smack in the middle of the middle class but we always felt we had all the opportunities in the world.”
Now, “I’m very aware that my resources are a lot more than some other people. I’m sure a lot of people are doing things to help but we need to do more.”
When she read a story in the Mercury News about the huge growth in local requests for help, at the same time donations have dropped so dramatically, Krach said she was inspired to see how she could help in Silicon Valley.
“I can’t employ people but I can do something about the donations,” Krach said. “There’s nothing like putting your money where your mouth is.”
Krach said she knows people who don’t follow current events, especially locally, and don’t worry much about their neighbors — next door or in the community.
“I just think, ‘Oh my God, how can you not care about what’s going on?’ ”
if you’re interested
For more information on United Way’s Open Arms campaign and the Emergency Assistance Network, go to www.uwsv.org or www.211scc.org.
Contact Linda Goldston at lgoldston@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5862.
