Mary Jean Brestle Loveday was a Woodsfield native who had a lifelong passion for sharing her love of reading with the children she met. She was never without a book to slip into gifts for nieces, nephews or friends or to put in the hands of little strangers. She believed children should be encouraged to love books and value reading and, in her low-key way, acted on that belief throughout her adult life.
When Amos Loveday and his daughter, Amy, were considering how to honor Mary Jean’s legacy, memories of her shopping for just the right children’s book and of her countless trips to the library with her grandson often came to mind. As Amos observed, “A gift that would carry forward Mary Jean’s love of children and reading just seemed natural.”
Because he knew the importance of sustainability in making a lasting difference over time, Amos decided to give to an endowed fund. And through conversations with the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, he learned about the I’m a Child of Appalachia® Fund.
Amos was pleased that the fund provides opportunities for the children of Appalachia and that its early – and continued – focus is on books, reading and educators. Through FAO, Amos made a gift to the I’m a Child of Appalachia® Fund and created a fund in Mary Jane’s name to continue making a difference in the future: the Mary Jean Brestle Loveday Legacy Fund.
I was doubly pleased to contribute to FAO. Given that Mary Jean and I both grew up in eastern Ohio, I felt it was only right that we invest in that region and FAO. The work the Foundation does is so important for that part of the state, which both Mary Jean and I often referred to as 'down-home.'
Examples of the impact provided through I’m a Child of Appalachia® and related funds include:
- Expanding bright spots such as mobile vision clinics, through which our region’s K-12 students receive free eye exams and free glasses
- Helping to address the region’s internet connectivity challenges
- Contributing to FAO’s first Pillar Fellowship awarded to Kari Gunter-Seymour, Ohio’s poet laureate
- Connecting the region’s educators with First Book, which provides those who serve children in Appalachian Ohio with free and low-cost books and resources
- Responding to emergency needs