Our Stories

Doing Good Together

When Jonathan and Donna Galucki, who own Playback Now, attended the Community Foundation’s inaugural Good2Give Celebration in 2016, they didn’t know what to expect. They were there as representatives of the Norcross Cooperative Ministry, since Donna was on staff as their Faith Community Nurse. “That was the first…

The Production of all Productions

Aurora Theatre’s story began in a converted hardware store in Downtown Duluth - written by two people with a tireless passion for theatre and a insatiable desire to impact their community. Today, 22 years later, life partners Anthony Rodriguez and Ann-Carol Pence have led Aurora Theatre to become…

Why Give?

Why do people give? For some, it’s to support something that’s personally impacted them, such as cancer. For others, it’s because they want to give back to their community. We decided to ask some of our fundholders that very question, as well as who they give to. Here’s…

A Lifetime of Giving

[Story update: Barbara Howard passed away on November 7, 2019 but the legacy she left behind will continue for generations. One of the ways she did that was through becoming a founding member of our Legacy Society. By including the Community Foundation in her will, her giving -…

Building a Legacy of Giving

Construction's in his blood. Ron Garrard grew up in the family construction business and decided to make it his career, founding Garrard Group in 1993. But his real passion lies in building a dynamic organization. "I love watching our people grow - and being in a position to bring…

A Canine for Gwinnett’s K-9

When Gwinnett County Police Major John Strickland received a call telling him a citizen wanted to donate money to purchase a dog for the K-9 unit, he wasn't quite sure what to do. It was the first time something like this had happened in his unit. It wasn't…