While volunteering at All Souls’ reception desk, the late Leslie Russell Ford met a woman who asked for money to pay overdue utility bills. 

Requests for handouts are a regular occurrence at the church office, but this woman’s need was for dollars to lift her out of homelessness. She explained to Leslie that she had a chance for an apartment if she could pay her delinquent utility bills and make a deposit for her new electricity service.  She did not have the money. She was hoping the church would help.

Leslie was impressed by the woman’s genuine need and her desire for a new and productive life. She took the woman’s name and the address of the apartment-to-be. Upon her return home, Leslie called the utility company and, after many tries to get a live person on the line, found out how much the woman owed in back bills and the charge to connect her new service. Leslie wrote her personal check directly to the company for the substantial amount owed.

In a couple of days, Leslie followed up to make sure the power was connected and the woman was in her new home.         

Leslie said nothing of her generous gift. However, the plight of women who need help lifting themselves out of homelessness stayed with her and her parents, Diane and Bill Russell, also parishioners at All Souls.

Leslie was keenly supportive of the women guests at Room in the Inn, community-wide program for homeless women, in which All Souls takes part. 

After a long battle with the rare autoimmune disease, scleroderma, Leslie died in the fall of 2007. Memorial gifts have been used to establish the Leslie Russell Ford Fund, called Next Step, to aid women in transition to new and better lives.

Next Step Fund will be administered by Homeward Bound, which oversees the Room in the Inn program.  Other churches have expressed an interest in participating in this fund.

According to Diane Russell, this fund will help women who meet the criteria for independent living with needs such as utility deposits, first-month’s rent and basic household supplies.

 Those who wish to make a gift to the Next Step Fund are asked to make their checks payable to the Cathedral of All Souls and note Next Step Fund or LRF Memorial on the check. 

Nancy Marlowe