Joyce Baldi endowment for the support of Blessed Sacrament School Faculty
This Designated Fund was started in October of 2024 by Jeff Baldi (Joyce’s husband) and Erich Struckmeyer (Joyce’s son). The purpose of the Fund is to provide annual grants to Blessed Sacrament School to be distributed at the discretion of BSS Administrators as an annual bonus for BSS Faculty (full-time & part-time classroom teachers). This bonus each year is to be considered as over and above the budgeted payroll.
Jeff Baldi and Erich Struckmeyer approached the Morton Community Foundation with a heartfelt idea to establish an endowment fund that would honor the remarkable contributions of their wife and mother, Joyce Baldi. Joyce had been married and was blessed with two children when her marriage began to falter, ultimately leading to separation and, unfortunately, divorce. In search of a fresh start and a better life for her family, she moved to Morton with her son and daughter. Although she was trained professionally as a radiology technologist, Joyce had made the difficult decision to pause her career and dedicate her time to raising her children. Now, as a devoted single mother, she returned to work in her field, yet found that her income was insufficient to fully support her family on her own.
In her quest for community and belonging, Joyce became actively involved with Blessed Sacrament Church, where she formed a meaningful connection with Father Finnell. Recognizing her unwavering commitment to providing a quality education for her children at Blessed Sacrament School, Father Finnell ensured that the church would cover their tuition costs, alleviating some of the financial burden she faced. Through her participation in a Cursillo, Joyce made a particular connection that eventually led to an unexpected date with the man who would become her loving husband, Jeff Baldi. Together, they have now enjoyed a joyful marriage for over 32 wonderful years.
In the year 2024, Jeff Baldi, now a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, felt a profound desire to honor Joyce for her years of dedicated service supporting military families, as well as her committed volunteer work at the Family Readiness Center. Meanwhile, Erich Struckmeyer, Joyce's son, sought to express his heartfelt gratitude for her strength, resilience, and determination as a single mother during their formative years in Morton. This endowment fund will provide an annual grant to Blessed Sacrament School, to be distributed as a bonus for each member of the outstanding classroom teaching staff—an act of recognition for the unwavering support that Joyce and her children, Erich and Kari, received many years ago.
As a permanent endowment held at the Morton Community Foundation, this fund allows anyone who wishes to come together in support of this cause to contribute, enabling it to grow and ultimately create larger grants over time in order to benefit the dedicated and passionate teachers at Blessed Sacrament School. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to this meaningful endowment fund, please click the button below for online donations. Alternatively, you can mail a check to 135 S 1st Avenue, Morton, IL 61550, to contribute directly.
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Are you a Caterpillar Employee or Retiree?
The Caterpillar Foundation is proud to offer the year-round Matching Gifts Program to support their employees, U.S. retirees and board of directors in their contributions to worthy causes. Eligible Caterpillar participants may request an annual total maximum 1:1 match of $10,000 USD each calendar year to eligible charities to which contributions are tax deductible. The Morton Community Foundation is an eligible charity. So, if you are an eligible Caterpillar participant, you may submit any donations to this fund for an equivalent match, up to your total maximum of $10,000 per year. CLICK HERE to link to the Caterpillar Foundation’s Matching Gift website.