Fund Spotlight: Christopher P. Walker Foundation
From the time he was born, Christopher Walker was active and outgoing. His parents affectionately nicknamed him “Cricket” since he was their lucky charm and often kicked his feet like crickets do. He grew up in Modesto with his parents and older sister, attended Central Catholic High School, and eventually co-owned a timber company called Sylvan Forests.
One of his passions was engaging with children, especially after the birth of his niece and nephew. As he got more involved in their lives as a young adult, he realized not all children had loving families or access to the opportunities he did.
“He recognized that some children, unfortunately, did not have the basic needs for survival like shelter, food, and a supportive family,” said Jean Walker Lowell, Christopher’s mother. “He literally hoped to be able to help in some way – even if his efforts only helped one child.”
Sadly, Christopher never got the chance to fulfill that wish. Christopher’s life was tragically cut short in a car accident in 2001 – he was just 29 years old. To honor his memory and his dreams of helping underprivileged children, Christopher’s parents and friends established a private foundation to build and support Cricket’s House, a safe haven for abused, neglected, and at-risk children.
In 2015, the Christopher P. Walker Foundation board of directors made the decision to transfer the foundation’s assets to Stanislaus Community Foundation, designating it to support Cricket’s Hope, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children affected by trauma to become their best and most resilient selves. Cindy Schneider, CEO/Executive Director of Cricket’s Hope, shared, “Over the past several years the Christopher P. Walker Foundation has provided funds to send kids to camp. Since 2019, Cricket's Hope has sent 468 children to a one-week camp experience, and this funding has been instrumental in helping us reach our goal of sending 80 or so kids to camp each summer.”
Through a Designated Fund, Christopher’s family has created an enduring source of support for a cause that’s dear to their heart and ensured that his legacy lives on for generations to come. “Being able to continue to help the community, carry on Cricket’s legacy, and have this occur by handing over the responsibility of running the fund to a third party has been an ideal solution for the Christopher P. Walker Foundation,” Jean said. “We were happy to be able to find a partner that could continue to serve Stanislaus County with a similar mission that the Christopher P. Walker Foundation embraced.”
To learn more about opening a fund at SCF, contact Melissa Van Diepen at mvandiepen@stanislauscf.org.