Each donation builds Gleaner scholarships

“Give me five minutes with a person’s checkbook,” evangelist Billy Graham often said, “and I will tell you where their heart is.”

Former Gleaner Life President Frank Dick didn’t just talk about Gleaner scholarships; in his heart he believed they prepare our future leaders. How do we know? After he passed away at age 96 on Labor Day 2022, a check was delivered to the Gleaner Scholarship Foundation from Frank’s estate for $63,089.

That was just a fraction of what Frank and Shirley Dick gave to the foundation over their lifetimes as a way of giving back. Frank often credited his own career opportunities after World War II to the “G.I. Bill” funding his college education. “When you receive resources, you share them because no one makes it without someone else helping them,” Frank stated in his biography. He helped by reestablishing Gleaner scholarships in 1979 and creating the Gleaner Scholarship Foundation in 1991. Frank and Shirley enlisted other generous donations over the years from various Gleaners including Charles and Margaret Banner, Leonard and Margaret Davis, Frederick and Evelyn Fountain and Dale Viers.

More than 3,000 Gleaner scholarships have been awarded to both traditional and non-traditional students since the scholarships began. In 2022, a total of 99 scholarships were presented and each provided $2,500. (The 2023 scholarship application window was open from Dec. 1, 2022, until this Feb. 1.) These scholarships are one of the benefits that members — and many parents — appreciate.

Building onto that foundation continues today. Like those who came before us, we need a certain amount of courage and faith to contribute to a future we ourselves may not see. Yet generations of Gleaners have built educational bridges to help other generations succeed.

Every contribution makes a difference. To learn more about how your charitable donation or estate planning can help the Gleaner Scholarship Foundation assist today’s youth, contact Gleaner Life Insurance Society’s Community Engagement Department at scholarships@gleanerlife.org. Students can apply for scholarships at gleanerlife.org/scholarships.