Three Generations of Giving

Buying gifts for Charles Young was never easy. After years of receiving cardigans and golf balls, he made a request of his family: instead of giving me a gift, make a donation to Zoe Empowers.

At first, his family was a bit suspicious. Charles was always private about his finances, and they had no idea about his charitable donations. However, they soon pieced it together. Charles attended Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, which had supported Zoe for many years.

Charles' daughter, Martha Heafner, says it was the empowerment model that attracted her father to the organization. "He heard the phrase 'do less for orphans,' and it made sense to him," Martha explained. "Instead of a handout, these young people were being given a hand-up."

In 2011, Charles partnered with his first group, Upendo Kawira, in Kenya. Unfortunately, he passed away before that group graduated, but he made arrangements in his estate plan to continue funding them. This deeply impacted the whole family, and as a result, they carried on his wishes long after the first group graduated. "Our whole family is brainwashed to be Duke fans and Zoe donors," expressed Anne Harrison, Charles' granddaughter.

Anne and Martha traveled to Kenya in 2024. Meeting the groups their family had partnered with over the years was a powerful experience that motivated them to encourage the younger generations of their family to keep supporting Zoe. Anne's kids are in their 20s, and she enjoys updating them on the progress of their groups. At a recent fundraising event at Apex United Methodist Church, Anne's 16-month-old granddaughter (and Martha's great-granddaughter), Saide, proudly wore a Zoe Empowers t-shirt.

When asked what inspires the family to support Zoe, Anne said, "I don't think there is any more impactful donation you can make than to Zoe Empowers. We give so little compared to what the youth put in, and they come out with so much."