HMH eNewsletter Spring 2016

Morgan Family Center 5401 Caroline Street | Houston, TX 77004 info@hmh.org

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Giving Today to Teach Tomorrow

If you see Betty Babendure at Holocaust Museum Houston, chances are that you will find her in her natural habitat: surrounded by school children. For the past two years, this former kindergarten teacher of 31 years has guided weekly tours of the Museum for children, tweens and teens. Babendure’s mission is to find engaging, age-appropriate ways to relate the history and lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides – events that are still incomprehensible to many adults – to younger generations. Even though Babendure first visited the Museum only a few years ago, she was moved to make a legacy commitment. Babendure was inspired to share more than her gift for teaching with the Museum. When she recently updated her will, she designated a portion of her estate to the Museum. Babendure was inspired by her fellow volunteers – people of all faiths who have come together to educate the next generation on the dangers of hatred, apathy and prejudice – and counts the diversity of the volunteer corps, staff, visitors and exhibits as one of the most special aspects of the Museum. “I’m in such awe of all that these volunteers have done, and I wanted to give something. I haven’t given a lot of thought to my legacy. I just made the change to my will, told my kids that this organization is important to me, and it was done.” Babendure went on to explain, “It was a simple thing to do. When you give so much to an organization, and you want it to go on into perpetuity, then you want to do something that will make a difference. This place has meaning. The survivors who are still telling their stories won’t be around long to share their experiences themselves. Their stories have to be told so these tragedies don’t keep happening.” Babendure’s gift will help ensure that the Museum’s lessons will be taught to generations of school children well into the future. To join the Museum’s Generation to Generation Legacy Society or for more information about planning gifts to the Museum, please call Stephanie Dugan, the Museum’s planned giving officer, at 713-527-1629 or email sdugan@hmh.org.

Betty Babendure