The Legacy of Helen L. Rinker Ashley

Through a generous gift from her estate, Helen Rinker Ashley created sustainable pathways for the people of Voditsa to pursue their dreams and give back to their community.

How It All Began

Helen’s parents lived in the little village of Voditsa, Bulgaria until they emigrated to the U.S. around 1912-14. To pay tribute to her parents’ homeland, Helen bequeathed a portion of her estate to fund much-needed infrastructure and education projects in the village. Her generous gift created the Helen L. Rinker Ashley Fund, a donor advised fund managed by CAF America based on her initial vision.

Since its inception in 2010, the Helen L. Rinker Ashley Fund has made a profound impact on the lives of the people of Voditsa, which some 600 residents call home. Located a 175 mile drive east of the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, Voditsa is in one of the regions of Bulgaria that is most in need of improved infrastructure, educational resources, and financial support.

The Powerful Ties of Family

Though she lived her entire life in the U.S., Helen stayed closely connected to Bulgaria and Voditsa in particular. The memories of her niece Ann Lewis Schuh, niece Margarita Bobeva, and cousin Madeln Cholakova form an image of a woman who was strong-willed, passionate, generous of spirit, and committed to family – a woman who cared deeply about her ancestry and heritage.

During a trip to Bulgaria in 1974, she asked if the family needed support and if they would want to send one of Helen’s nieces to America to live with her. She also bestowed her relatives with generous gifts, Margarita says. “I still remember how she took off her wristwatch, an incredible watch, and gave it to my mother,” she recounts. “My mother wore it almost to her last days.”

Helen continued to demonstrate her generosity and a love of her cultural heritage through bringing a distant nephew to the U.S., covering nursing expenses for an elderly uncle from Bulgaria who was living alone in the U.S., and making charitable donations to assist the people of Voditsa and the region, often attempting to do so anonymously.

In 2002 a man who presented himself as “Uncle George” visited the hospital in Popovo, a larger town near Voditsa to inquire about their equipment needs. His visit came at a time when the hospital was experiencing one of its toughest years financially, according to its accountant. A donation of 45,000 Bulgarian Lev soon followed – it was a gift from Helen. Today the hospital entrance displays a plaque commemorating Helen’s much-welcome donation toward the purchase of new equipment.

Helen’s niece Margarita believes this gift was Helen’s way of thanking the hospital for its kindness to her. When Helen arrived for her 1974 visit with a broken arm, she went to the Popovo hospital to have the cast removed and to have other medical check-ups done. She expected a large bill, since her health insurance didn’t provide coverage in Bulgaria, but the staff cared for her at no charge.

“Every time I went to the hospital and saw the thank-you plate, something was shaking in me, my eyes filled with tears,” Margarita says. In 2003, Helen came to the aid of Voditsa again through the same Uncle George who had made the hospital donation. He asked the director of the elementary school what they needed, and two new computers arrived soon after. Ann Lewis Schuh remarked on her aunt’s generosity in an obituary she published on Ancestry.com in 2011, in which she stated: “She did a great thing by helping out the kids of Voditsa village. What a great legacy to leave behind.”

Making an Impact

In 2008, Helen’s lawyers contacted CAF America and explained her desire to provide financial support for improvement projects in Voditsa through her will. Together, they created a donor advised fund to be financed from the sale of her property and other assets upon her death. Helen passed in 2009 at the age of 93 and her estate was settled in 2011.

Through the program’s 14 years, the Helen L. Rinker Ashley Fund has provided over $1.15 million USD ($2.04 million BGN) toward critical projects in the two areas Helen specified as her priorities: infrastructure and education. Helen’s gift intended to improve the quality of life in Voditsa and make a difference where it was most needed.

Making these essential improvements possible required culturally significant and sensitive communication, coordination, and due diligence. CAF America first informed the village residents that the Fund had been established, with a representative traveling to Voditsa to make the formal announcement in person. Since the small village lacked a local nonprofit community, and to ensure all cross-border regulatory requirements were met, CAF America partnered with the BCause Foundation, a longtime partner and member of the CAF Global Network based in Bulgaria. Working together, BCause and CAF America ensured the Fund’s use and disbursement remained within regulatory compliance, with BCause managing the implementation of the improvement projects locally. CAF America advised village residents on the types of projects that could be financed by Helen’s fund – assuring the community’s needs were met, while working within regulatory constraints.

Supporting a Brighter Future Through Education

Staying true to Helen’s initial goals when creating her fund, education and educational infrastructure was a primary focus. Due to a declining population in the region, Voditsa’s Father Paisiy Primary School served as the primary school for the students of four nearby villages. However, while it played a key role in the economic success of the region, the school grounds were in need of significant repairs when Helen made her generous gift to the village. With funds from her bequest, major repairs were made to the school’s roof, plumbing, gymnasium, classrooms, and technological infrastructure. Additionally, an energy efficiency review was undertaken to help weatherize and insulate the classrooms. These much needed repairs were the first step in providing an environment for students to learn comfortably and with the latest technology.

Similar repairs and renovations were made to Voditsa’s kindergarten. Sections of the building were unsafe for children and teachers alike so work was completed to close off structurally unsound areas, replace floors, windows, plumbing, and play areas. With the help of local volunteers, the kindergarten’s outdoor playground was completely rebuilt and is now regularly maintained to ensure students have a safe space to learn and grow.

After completing repairs on the Father Paisiy Primary School and kindergarten, BCause, CAF America, and the community volunteers turned to focus on educational programs. To help support students’ development and set them up for success, English classes and STEM classes were held regularly. Additionally, extracurricular activities like the “Educational Adventure Academies”and the “Academy for Dreams” provided students the opportunity to connect outside of the classroom, participate in team building activities, and learn about how their skills and interests can help them become successful entrepreneurs.

In addition to funding programs and services for school aged children, the Helen L. Rinker Ashley Fund has supported continuing education classes for the people of Voditsa including English classes geared towards elderly residents, computer literacy classes, and a guest lecture series. These programs provided opportunities for the people of Voditsa to be able to better engage with the changing technological and social landscape of Bulgaria.

Rebuilding and Maintaining Vital Public Spaces

In a small village, public spaces play a vital role in the lives of the people of Voditsa. As the population declined and government funding for infrastructure decreased, these spaces fell into disrepair and left community members without places to connect. Helen recognized this need during her trips to Voditsa and conversation with friends and family. Through support from the Fund, BCause and local volunteers completed multiple renovations and maintenance projects on these spaces to make them places that community members can again enjoy.

By rebuilding and maintaining central meeting places like the community center and pensioners club, people of Voditsa and the surrounding communities are able to host town meetings and socialize. Updates to the community center’s meeting room, rehearsal room, and lobby have created a welcoming environment that is open to all and now plays host to youth meetings and cultural events. The renovations of these rooms also built display cases to showcase the community dance and singing awards, including those from the annual folk festival founded with support from the Helen L. Rinker Ashley Fund.

Renovating the deteriorating health center was another particular focus of the Fund’s work. The building, which used to be home to a full-time doctor living in the village, is now the site of part-time doctors and dentists who visit Voditsa on a rotating schedule. By replacing the doors and windows, insulating the building, and completing major work on the floor and roof, the health center is once again structurally safe for patients. These efforts also included installing air conditioners and weatherizing the building to ensure important equipment and medical materials are not subject to weather and the doctors can practice at all times of the year.

The Fund also supported rebuilding and maintaining the clock tower in the center of Voditsa, which was damaged in a 1986 earthquake. The clock tower was visible from around town however the four-sided mechanical clock had not worked consistently since the earthquake. With coordination from BCause, the building was renovated with major work done to strengthen the tower, replace windows, and repair the roof.

Continuing Helen Rinker Ashley’s Legacy

The Rinker Center for Entrepreneurship and Training

One of the most far-reaching initiatives enabled by the Fund was the creation of The Rinker Center for Entrepreneurship and Training, dedicated to promoting education and life-long learning while fostering entrepreneurship and business development across Bulgaria. Managed by BCause since its inception in 2014, the Rinker Center team has held 13 accelerator programs and financially supported 50 teams of entrepreneurs.

While the Helen L. Rinker Ashley Fund has completed its work, the Rinker Center has received significant financial support from the local and international business community to expand and continue their programs. In the coming years, the Center and its alumni network of entrepreneurs will continue to carry the name of their generous benefactor including the selected program graduates below:

The Future of Voditsa

It is a testament to the strength of family ties that Helen L. Rinker Ashley bequeathed a portion of her estate to fund a better way of life for the people of her parent’s village, thousands of miles from her own home. In the words of her niece, Madlen Cholakova, “Such is our family – for good or for bad, we can never break away and forget our roots, our origin.”

When Jessie Krafft, CAF America’s President and CEO, visited Voditsa in September 2024 to celebrate the close of the Fund, it was evident that the combined efforts of CAF America and BCause proved successful in putting Helen’s legacy gift to work for the village. In remembering her roots and paying tribute to her ancestry, Helen impacted the lives of the Voditsa residents and supported the village’s future prosperity.