Legacy Society member Thomas Tomkiewicz’s first awareness of the American Red Cross began during World War II, when two of his older brothers served in the armed forces. The Red Cross provided them with valuable connections to family at home.
He continues to strongly support the services to the armed forces provided by the Red Cross. Thomas later began to give blood and has donated many times. More recently, he became aware of the opportunity to create a charitable gift annuity with the Red Cross – an opportunity that he has utilized 5 times so far.
Thomas likes the fact that his charitable gift annuities support the Red Cross mission, while providing payments to him for his lifetime, as well as tax advantages. As he is single, with no children, he feels that he can support charitable organizations in whose mission he believes, such as the Red Cross.
Thomas meets with colleagues at a senior center in his area every week to discuss current events. He has become quite the advocate for charitable gift annuities and has spread the word among friends he knows from the center.
Thomas says that as he grows older, he wants to continue to live as he wishes, and there are still many things he wants to do. The payments he receives from his charitable gift annuities help him to achieve these goals and allow him to appreciate the tax advantages of his gift.
The Red Cross can continue to support those in need both now and in the future because of donors like Thomas Tomkiewicz.