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The Kirkpatrick Family’s Legacy of Giving

Libby Kirkpatrick first got involved with Habitat Metro Denver around 2005, when she volunteered with a couple friends at Habitat’s newest ReStore. Libby showed up like clockwork every Thursday and would sweep the entire store from end to end. Soon, her son Taylor was volunteering on construction sites, and he joined Habitat’s Board of Directors in 2008.

As Libby and Taylor both became more involved, and witnessed how transformational homeownership is for families, the Kirkpatrick Family made their first transformational gift during the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project in 2013. Taylor fondly remembers working with his mother, shoulder-to-shoulder alongside the Carters, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.

“It was truly inspirational to enjoy Jimmy and Rosalynn’s company, witness their leadership and experience their wisdom. What a milestone event!”

Libby understood that not all children start their lives with the same opportunities and sense of security that every child deserves. By giving families a foundation to build upon and a sense of stability, they can be more productive in their own lives and in their communities.

“We love Habitat’s ‘hand up’ philosophy, which is why its mission was so appealing to my mom and our whole family,” Taylor shares. “It was always important to my mom for people to feel valued, and to be treated with dignity no matter their background or where they’re from, and to have a safe place to call home.”

Libby’s investment in Habitat’s mission continued throughout her life, and, sadly, culminated with another transformational donation at the time of her passing through a bequest in her will. Her legacy gift will impact families for generations to come as it helped support the building of 32 homes at Habitat’s Swansea Homes community at 43rd and Elizabeth Street in north Denver.

“My mother’s full name was Elizabeth, and we were purposeful when we chose to support the houses built on Elizabeth Street; it is subtle but meaningful, which is how she liked it!” Taylor recently shared. “We are proud and honored as a family that we are leaving, in quiet ways, a lasting legacy on the communities where we live and work through philanthropic support of organizations we love.”

Libby’s thoughtfulness and investment in Habitat’s mission is not only impacting homeowners, but her legacy gift also serves as an inspiration for her entire family.

“My mom encouraged her children and grandchildren to participate and learn the principles, responsibility, and gratification that comes from serving others,” Taylor said. “She felt that there was no better way to learn those values than to model the behavior herself.”

“My mom’s bequest to Habitat Metro Denver was a natural extension of her heart, to help families improve their lives for generations to come.”