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Haylee Bunner turned in her Inheritance of Hope volunteer application as soon as she could--the very day she turned 18. She had been waiting for the chance to serve families like hers for quite some time. Haylee, her brother Cameron, and their parents Matthew and Kim attended an Orlando Legacy Retreat® in May 2012. Kim passed away a little over a year later.

“I knew that volunteering was something my mom would have done had she been healed.“  Haylee describes Kim as someone who loved to help other people. “To know that her death gave me the ability to understand much of what these families are going through would have given her peace.”

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Strebe Family at their Legacy Retreat®

The Strebe family—Jon, Donna, Luke, Ryan, and Emma Kate—attended an Orlando Legacy Retreat^® in February 2014, shortly after Jon underwent a bone marrow transplant and thoracic surgery. At the time, he was battling stage 3 testicular cancer metastases to the lungs.  Donna remembers that the trip to Orlando came at a very emotional time.

“It had been a tough year, and the volunteers served from the bottom of their souls and blessed us. We said from that point forward we would serve as long as we were able.”

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Thanks to your continued support, Inheritance of Hope reached a new milestone at the Orlando Legacy Retreat^® in January - it marked our 300th family served!

The retreat also marked another record - 12 family members served returned as volunteers!

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This Miracle on 34th Street was just the beginning of a beautiful  partnership between Tony and Inheritance of Hope. Since that Legacy Retreat in 2015 he has continued to provide front row, VIP seating for Inheritance of Hope families at the Saks 5th Avenue Holiday Light Show each year. We are tremendously grateful for this man who has opened his heart to bless Inheritance of Hope families. 

The NYC 2015 New York City Legacy Retreat^® was a spectacular success! 18 families came to New York City and made memories together, laughed together, gleaned useful insights to help their families, and were inspired to leave lasting legacies. These things, in and of themselves, are not miracles. But, there were plenty of miracles dispersed among the streets of Manhattan as these families spent 4 days there.

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Inheritance of Hope has been blessed by many incredibly passionate and dedicated volunteers.  In fact, Inheritance of Hope’s mission of inspiring hope in young families facing the loss of a parent cannot be realized without them!  Our “Volunteer Spotlight” series is a way to celebrate these most selfless members of our Inheritance of Hope family. The Padgett sisters, Gabriella and Meredith, are great examples, serving at 5 Legacy Retreats® each.

How did you become involved with Inheritance of Hope (IoH)? 

Deric Milligan is our uncle so we have always known about Inheritance of Hope and have watched it grow. Before the May 2012 Legacy Retreat®

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Inheritance of Hope has been blessed by many incredibly passionate and dedicated volunteers.  In fact, Inheritance of Hope’s mission of inspiring hope in young families facing the loss of a parent cannot be realized without them!  Our “Volunteer Spotlight” series is a way to celebrate these most selfless members of our Inheritance of Hope family.

A Legacy’s Life-Changing Impact

I still remember that day. It was just a typical September afternoon with no cares in the world. Then came the news…

My dad came home from a regular eye check-up that turned out to be anything but normal. His optometrist found tumors wrapped around both of my dad’s eyes

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Volunteer Lara with Legacy Retreat family member.

Inheritance of Hope has been blessed by many incredibly passionate and dedicated volunteers.  In fact, Inheritance of Hope’s mission of inspiring hope in young families facing the loss of a parent cannot be realized without them!  Our “Volunteer Spotlight” series is a way to celebrate these most selfless members of our Inheritance of Hope family.

How did you learn of Inheritance of Hope (IoH)?

I was introduced to Inheritance of Hope through my boyfriend, Allen Milligan. His aunt and uncle, Kristen and Deric Milligan, are the co-founders of IoH.

What inspired you to join the IoH family?

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Kristen Milligan passed away  one year ago tomorrow. She was a truly amazing person and my very best friend. One of her favorite verses is found in James 1:2-4 and she referenced it often in her speaking engagements, books, and daily life. This is what it says in the modern day Message translation of the bible:

"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way."

Have you ever had told your kids you are going to be doing something really fun a few weeks or maybe months too soon?

If so you have been plagued with the constant questions:

"Is it time yet?"

"How many more days?"

"Are we there yet?"