A $1.8 million bequest to the Central New York Community Foundation will help support trauma recovery in Cayuga County.
The Central New York Community Foundation announced on Tuesday that, before passing away in 2024, Teresa Motz made a $1.8 million bequest to the foundation to establish the Hope and Healing Through Empowering Support Fund. The fund will go toward general Cayuga County grantmaking, with the foundation adding that preference will be given to projects that support residents recovering from traumatic life events.
The foundation said the fund will provide support to nonprofits that “serve individuals facing physical or psychological challenges as they rebuild their lives.”
The foundation said Motz was hard-working, courageous, and joyfully unconventional, believing that “life was meant with life was meant to be lived with purpose, joy, and connection.”
“She wanted to swaddle people in the comforts of home,” said her sister, Jean Bolte. “Whether assembling dish kits for individuals moving into independent housing or bringing dozens of pies to community meals, Teresa believed small, practical acts could preserve dignity and belonging.”
Motz was raised on a farm outside Cincinnati, according to the foundation. After earning her bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics, she earned her master’s degree from the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics and began working in the Fingerlakes region. The foundation said her work advanced endoscopic imaging and barcode scanning technologies currently used in healthcare, air travel, and commerce.
Later in life, the foundation said serious accidents altered Motz’s physical abilities, leading her to become an advocate for trauma awareness.
“The power of endowment ensures that Teresa’s compassion and creativity will continue to uplift others for generations,” said Pragya Murphy, director of development & impact investing for the Community Foundation. “Through the HAHTES Fund, her belief in the resilience and worth of every person will live on in meaningful, tangible ways.”
The foundation said the fund reflects Motz’s deeply held beliefs and will assist trauma-affected individuals across the county.
