The Meredith Williams Foundation has funded a variety of projects in Downers Grove District 58 schools. From PE equipment and science equipment to a Career Day field trip and buddy benches, the Foundation has gifted thousands of dollars to District 58 schools and students.
The foundation is led by two retired District 58 teachers, Jim and Pam Williams, and is named in memory of their daughter Meredith Williams, who died suddenly in 2010.
Recently, Jim Williams published a second photography book, Wisdom from the Wilderness. It features 150 of Williams’ favorite photos alongside short essays about each image. Proceeds from the book will go entirely to the Meredith Williams Foundation, which benefits District 58 students and projects and other area programs.
The book is a way for the former teacher to continue to teach. “It’s a message book and an opportunity to tell children and families about the bond of nature and how important it is in our lives,” he said. The book is divided into 12 different themes; each with a short essay and photos from Williams’ 40-plus years of wilderness adventures. The book is available at Anderson’s Bookstore in Downers Grove and online at http://www.inwildlight.com/openning.asp
It is the second book that Williams has published. The first, High Altitude Paradise, was a 34-year vision quest to photograph all the lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park. That book sold out and prompted the work on Wisdom from the Wilderness.
To date, the Meredith Williams Foundation has funded 90+ projects. “The common thread is Downers Grove children and the areas of the arts, music, science and PE,” he said. Williams taught science for 30 years at O’Neill Junior High. Pam taught for 30 years at Hillcrest. Meredith Williams was a student at Fairmount, O’Neill, and Downers Grove South High School.
The Meredith Williams Foundation is a 5013(c) charitable organization. Building this foundation enables Pam and Jim to share their daughter’s spirit and loving nature with children of the Downers Grove area. www.meredithwilliamsfoundation.org