A Box of Silver Dollars: A Testimonial by George Chames

George and Mary Chames

"I have a gift for you." These six words, softly spoken to me by my Uncle George, changed my life forever. This gentle man who had come to this country from Greece, established a successful restaurant business and helped raise me, proudly held out a simple metal box. As I opened the container he said, "I am giving you this to start you off in life and to help you care for your mother."

I barely heard his words as the light streamed over the glimmering pile of silver dollars. He had slowly put aside these hard-earned coins with the intention of helping someone who needed it – my mother and me.

Over the years I have come to realize the true gift given to me on my graduation night. Although the coins were greatly needed and appreciated, it was not the money that was precious – it was the value learned in the act of giving. I remember the gleam of happiness in my uncle's eyes as he handed me the box, I hear the words he spoke to me in his modest sitting room, and I now know what his true gift was.

That simple, generous gesture helped mold the values that my wife and I would like to pass on to our family and community. As a result, I have been volunteering with the IRMH Auxiliary for more than ten years and my wife, Mary, has been very supportive of those efforts. I enjoy the work, the friendships and the personal rewards that volunteering offers. However, like many of our friends, we are reaching the years when additional considerations are in order. It is time to think about estate planning.

Since Jeff Susi, CEO of IRMH, is often accessible during my volunteering hours, I asked him of his thoughts on the subject, and he recommended that I spend some time with Murray Fournie. Murray is the Indian River Hospital Foundation Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving. He has a wealth of information regarding wills and bequests, gift annuities, tax-related issues, and a host of other donation tools.

Over a cup of coffee, Murray and I discussed the wide range of options available, the implications of each of the choices, and what would be most comfortable for my wife and me. We talked about growing close to a number of people whom my wife and I would like to help, how we might assist IRMH in continuing their valuable community services and how to balance the two. Our estate is modest compared to some of our neighbors, but we are determined to make the biggest difference for our friends and for the hospital.

By openly discussing the values we wish to pass along, who we want as beneficiaries (having no children of our own) and properly documenting those wishes, I came away with some clear thoughts of which direction to take. I narrowed the options to 1) outright gifts to people and organizations, 2) donations of income to people that would eventually be passed on as principal to the hospital, and 3) using testamentary gift annuities that would provide income for our heirs.

The Hospital Foundation has provided my wife and me with the box in which to place our precious "silver coins" and to change others' lives.