August is Make-a-Will Month, a national initiative encouraging people to focus on something profoundly important: creating or updating their will.
A will is one of the most important legal documents you can arrange for your family. A will is not just for the wealthy or the elderly – everyone needs one. That is because wills do more than just name who gets your money and property.
With a will, you can nominate guardians for your minor children, name caretakers for your pets, leave instructions for digital assets, specify your funeral arrangements, and more. A will can also save your loved ones the time, money and stress of lengthy, expensive probate court proceedings.
Writing or updating a will can be easy and affordable.
Guidance is available from lawyers, plus many online resources are available with free or low-cost options that can be customized for your circumstances, including FreeWill.com, Trust&Will.com, Quicken WillMaker, and LegalZoom.com.
Just make sure the document you create is legally binding in your state, get it properly notarized, and give a copy to your loved ones.
Make-a-Will Month is the perfect time to create or revise your will and leave a lasting legacy to the Church in the Diocese of Charlotte. A gift to your parish, school, ministries such as Catholic Charities, the diocese, or the diocesan foundation, enables you to make a difference for generations to come.
One such example is Barbara Parker, a parishioner of St. Jude Parish in Sapphire. Parker split her time between Sapphire and Tampa, and after her death, the Sapphire parish received a check totaling more than $130,000 as part of the settlement of her estate.
Part of the funds established the Barbara Parker Memorial Endowment Fund to provide for the parish’s future needs, while the remaining amount supports the parish’s current needs.
Gifts like Parker’s show just how meaningful having a church home can be to someone, said Jim Kelley, diocesan development director.
“A number of parishioners become actively involved in parish ministry. Others, while less involved, still attend Mass regularly and provide financial support to their parish. Barbara decided to remember her church in Sapphire in her estate plans even though she spent most of her time in Tampa. She obviously had a special love for St. Jude Church.”
— Some information provided by FreeWill.
Plan ahead
Interested in making a planned gift or setting up an endowment to benefit Catholic Charities, your parish or Catholic school?
You can make a gift through the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation by leaving a bequest in a will, a beneficiary designation from a retirement plan, a trust or annuity, or a gift of real estate, life insurance, cash or securities.
For details, contact Gina Rhodes at 704-370-3364 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..