Hollis Rainbows of Hope Fund

A Family Birthday Celebration Becomes a Gift to the Community … Forever!

We are sure many of you (most of you) know Amy Hollis, the tireless and kind Executive Director of the Shoreline Soup Kitchen and Pantries. Those who know her admire her joy, dedication, and her love of community. You may not have met her husband, though. It is no surprise when we say … the same can be said about Scott. Together their kindness and goodwill truly know no bounds.

Scott and Amy, with their daughters Katie and Sarah, began brainstorming meaningful ways to celebrate their 50th birthdays while navigating serious health challenges and a global pandemic. As a family, they knew they wanted to do something more than a party and balloons. That “something” became the Hollis Rainbows of Hope Fund to help support basic needs today and into the future. They wanted to celebrate their birthdays with an opportunity to have a lasting impact on our community.

We’ll let Amy and Scott tell their story about the Hollis Rainbows of Hope Fund in their own words.

(We just couldn’t compete with their eloquent statements.)

Amy explained, “I am always on the lookout for rainbows; rainbows of hope, rainbows of connection, rainbows of blessing. A rainbow contains seven colors and every color in-between, reflecting the beauty in the combination of all our efforts and all creation.”

Amy and Scott went on to say, “Our hope is that this unrestricted endowed fund will be able to adapt as needed to best serve the needs of the future. We are grateful for the leadership and vision at the Community Foundation that will continue to be a source of critical support in our region for years to come.

While we are closely involved with alleviating food insecurity and hunger, basic needs can be so much more than that, and in our region, there can be many barriers to adequate housing, social support, and more. Also, we know that the “basic need” of today may be different in the future.

The Community Foundation has the reputation of identifying the best ways to support basic needs in our community, so this unrestricted gift with a primary focus was the best way to let the right people do the work of effectively using our gift. Creating an endowed fund at CFMC was a win-win method of making a difference; we know the Foundation will apply their great skill to utilize our gift in the most effective ways possible in the community, while CFMC realizes the benefit of being able to support new organizations as needs change in the decades to come.”

Scott continued, “For Amy and me, sharing our resources in service to the community is a key element of our faith practice. We will continue to give time, energy, and money to serve the needs of others in the years ahead, but to mark our 50th birthday we wanted to ensure a lasting impact in this region.”

Amy closed by stating, “Our efforts are small, but they are filled with deep hope and gratitude.”

We at the Community Foundation of Middlesex County beg to differ, Amy and Scott. Your efforts are amazing and long lasting. Scott and Amy and their daughters, Katie and Sarah, are truly “Good People” Doing Great Things” – forever. We are humbled by your dedication to community and commitment to future generations.