SIDNEY – A new charitable fund will carry out good works in memory of a Sidney native who was a Sidney High School 1979 grad and former teacher.

The Lori Lee Bricker Clinehens Memorial Fund recently was established by her husband and children within the Community Foundation of Shelby County.

The fund will provide grants to charities recommended by her husband during his lifetime and then will transition to provide support to Sidney First United Methodist Church, Sidney City Elementary Schools and organizations serving single-parent families. Her family wants to keep her memory and giving spirit alive by supporting meaningful causes through the fund.

“Lori had a genuine concern for the well-being of others. From immediate family members to close friends to people she met for the first time, she was interested in them and their journey,” her husband, Brent Clinehens, of Maplewood, said. “Our family has faith this fund can be used to help lift people over hurdles that, at the time, may seem insurmountable. All of our talents and resources are gifts from God. We are simply directing some of those gifts to help others.”

Clinehens taught kindergarten at Sidney’s Northwood and Whittier schools and Pre-K at the YMCA. She was the mother of three and active at Sidney First United Methodist Church and the Greater Sidney Area Emmaus Community.

“A partnership with the Community Foundation will help us identify organizations that have a heart like Lori’s and provide them with monetary resources to support their mission,” Brent Clinehens said.

Gifts to the Lori Lee Bricker Clinehens Memorial Fund may be made through the Community Foundation’s website at commfoun.com and clicking the Donate button at the top right corner of the page, then following the prompts. Checks may be made payable to the Community Foundation of Shelby County with a memo line note indicating the Lori Lee Bricker Clinehens Memorial Fund.