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Robert & Patricia Michels Family Endowment Fund

Established 2002

Robert & Patricia Michels
Robert & Patricia Michels

Lifelong residents of Aurora, Robert and Patricia Michels established the R.N. & P.M. Michels Family Advisory Fund in 2002.

The fund became an endowment in 2009 to support the religious and educational efforts of Aurora Catholic schools in Aurora, Illinois through The Aurora Catholic Education Foundation.

Robert Michels (1922-2008) was a graduate of Marmion Academy.

He attended Purdue University for two years and then served as a flight instructor in the United States Air Force during World War II.

In 1946, he joined his father in the coal and oil business.  Three years later, they created the Michels Lumber Company.  Robert Michels owned and operated the business until 1994.

He was active in the Serra Club, Lion’s Club and the Knights of Columbus.

He and Patricia Raspiller were married in 1944.

Mrs. Michels (1924-2017) was a graduate of Madonna High School. She was a member of the St. Anne’s Society of Holy Angels Church and the Serra Club.

Mr. and Mrs. Michels attended Catholic grade and high schools, as did their nine children.  Their fund is a testament to their belief in and support of Catholic education.

Grant funds from the Community Foundation helped provide updated technology. These upgrades were transformative. By creating new time saving processes, it turned us into a more efficient organization.

Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry

Grantee

Give your gift of time and see what it means to the people you impact. Helping others is what life is all about.

Neal Ormond

Donor & Fund Advisor

YEP has made me realize the importance of being involved in my community, and how to make a difference. There are a lot of problems in the world but if we can do everything that we can to help the world will become a better place. YEP has helped me realize this and encouraged me to help more people in the future.

Madi Porter

YEP Member

I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Zari Foundation Scholarship and the Community Foundation in supporting my education. I am majoring in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institue of Technology. In my spare time, I volunteer on campus, in the community and I’m also the principal violist in the symphony orchestra. I hope to make an impact on the next chapter of space exploration by eventually working at a groundbreaking aerospace company such as SpaceX or NASA.

Taytum Newell

Albert M. Zari Scholarship Recipient

YEP was a great experience to have in high school. I became a more confident person, someone with a lot more perspective. Coming from a small school, YEP allowed me to branch out into my community, meet students from other schools, and learn about their backgrounds. I made some great friends and still keep in touch with them today.

Abby Vagnoni

YEP Alumni

Education is important to us. We support causes that touch our lives and align with our values. We believe in paying it forward. We are here for a short time,, and it is the next generation that will take on what we leave behind.

Michelle Emanuel

Donor and Past Scholarship Recipient

Being a part of the Community Foundation scholarship committee is the highlight of my year. For many, a scholarship from the CFFRV is the reason they are able to continue reaching for their dreams and changing the future of our world. I hope each recipients knows just how inspirational they are to those of us who are lucky enough to read their stories.

Jessica Breugelmans

Scholarship Committee Member and Board Member

Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

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