With Memorial Fund, Hope Reichbach's Work Continues

When , her family and friends were stunned and devastated. Despite their grief, those who were close to her quickly realized that keeping Hope's memory alive would be the way toward a better future.

"It happened almost immediately. Seeing all of Hope's friends I thought, 'What are we going to do to keep Hope's legacy going? Keep her work going?'" said her mother Ellen Meyers. "I never thought, 'Should we do something?'"

The idea for the fund came to Meyers and Hope's friends when they were sitting shiva.

The Hope Reichbach Memorial Fund was launched just over two months later. In partnership with the Brooklyn Community Foundation, the fund provides stipends to Brooklyn young adults taking unpaid summer internships in public service or community organizing.

Unpaid internships are the norm in many fields, and only certain students can afford to take them.

"That made it an unlevel playing field," said Meyers. "What about the kids whose families didn't have the where with all to support their kids?"

The fund will make it possible for those young adults to take unpaid internships, and not have to worry about making money during that time.

"It just felt right to everybody," said Meyers. "Everyone grabbed on to it and said it felt right in terms of Hope."

The fund will also partner awardees up with mentors - Hope's friends - with the goal of introducing to Brooklyn a new crop of young leaders working for the community.

In a letter to friends and supporters, the people behind the fund stated their goal:

"We will seek out young, driven and ambitious students, much like Hope, who do not have financial support, and bring them into our network through career development and mentorship."

The Brooklyn Community Foundation was happy to bring the fund - the first major memorial fund for the Foundation - into their mix.

"We absolutely wanted to work with the family to honor the memory and life of their daughter," said President Marilyn Gelber. "We were very honored to be asked to participate in this."

Gelber noted that in less than a month more than $35,000 has been donated to the fund, in donations ranging from $10 to $5,000. An original goal, she added, was to raise $50,000 by the end of the year.

"I think they're going to meet their goal," she said.

In the letter to friends and supporters, Hope's family and friends stated simply why the fund was important.

"Though Hope can’t live on, her values, compassion and drive will through this fund."