Foothill Unity Center Receives Posthumous Gift

On Nov. 4, 2018 longtime Arcadia resident Shirley Meade passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 89.

Prior to her passing, Meade prepared a generous gift to Foothill Unity Center in support of the capital campaign of their Monrovia location. Foothill Unity Center is honoring her enduring legacy in the eponymous naming of the Family Reception Center.

Meade spent many years working in the banking industry and was an active member of several clubs and organizations. She nurtured her passions for traveling, sewing, reading and music throughout her life. Meade was also committed to financially supporting her community.

Foothill Unity Center was founded in 1980 as an emergency food pantry, operating out of a church closet in Monrovia, to assist the low-income, disadvantaged and underserved. In the 1990’s, having outgrown the church closet and moved around a couple of times, the organization landed at the previous site in Monrovia, slowly expanding the service area to nearby cities. In 2004, the Center opened a second site in Pasadena. In 2018, Foothill Unity Center moved into a significantly larger facility at 790 W. Chestnut in Monrovia, with the launch of its capital campaign two years earlier.

“Foothill Unity Center is eternally grateful to the estate of Ms. Meade for their very generous donation,” the group released in a statement. “With the support of the estate, Foothill Unity Center will be able to realize their dream of owning their own facility outright. Once the capital campaign is completed, the Center can dedicate fundraising efforts exclusively in support of their, social, health, homeless, food, and job development services.”

For more information visit foothillunitycenter.org.