The Garth Homer Foundation (GHF) in Victoria, British Columbia, has announced a bequest of C$34 million ($24.8 million) from the estate of Kathleen Sheret.

The gift follows another bequest from Sheret—a lifelong resident of Victoria who died in 2021 at the age of 105—who donated C$34 million to the Greater Victoria Eldercare Foundation in January.

Established in 1998, GHF supports programs for people with developmental disabilities primarily through the Garth Homer Society and the Garth Homer Centre, a care facility in the neighboring community of Saanich. The foundation is named after a local advocate for the needs of developmentally disabled people, who died in 1976. Sheret and Garth Homer met through work on shared social causes in the 1960s, after which Sheret became a supporter and mentor to Homer’s advocacy for people with diverse abilities.

“This incredible gift is truly transformational in the impact it will have on community-based care for our clients and others in need of support,” said GHF vice-chair Bruce Homer. “[It] will help the people of Greater Victoria better care for one another for generations to come.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Edwin Tan)