Pear Tree Foundation - Samantha Joel and James Marchment

Honouring Resilience Across Four Generations, Building Resilience Today

Samantha Joel and James Marchment are not your typical big-time philanthropists. They’re young and early in their careers, and their fund is relatively small.

And they’re just fine with that. “It’s never too early to give back if you can. This is a great way to handle our giving, and over time the fund will grow and become self-sustaining. Meanwhile, it’s nice to do some good now,” explains Sam.

Sam and James created the fund when Sam’s mother, Bernadine Joel, died two years ago. “Bernardine was a brilliant person, very charismatic,” says James. “She was full of energy and joie de vivre.” She left home at 15, had Sam when she was 24, and then devoted herself to ensuring that her daughter had the advantages she didn’t. Today, Sam is a professor of psychology at Western University.

The fund also honors her grandmother, Marie Poirier, and great-grandmother, Alexandrine Poirier (Poirier is French for pear tree). All three women overcame daunting challenges to make good lives for their families. “I’m humbled when I think about the lack of opportunities that they had, compared to what I’ve had,” says Sam. “The cycle of poverty and intergenerational trauma is so hard to break. I want to pay it forward and help more families escape difficult circumstances.”

Samantha Joel’s grandmother Marie Poirier (left) and mother Bernadine Joel (right)

Sam and James have always been thoughtful about their philanthropy. Working with LCF, they’ve learned about smaller local charities that are having a real impact in the community. “The fund enables us to make donations more strategically,” says Sam. “We’re able to consolidate the money and invest a portion of it. And we get help from LCF about where to send the money to do the most good.”

Recent grants from the flow-through portion of the fund have focused on organizations working to prevent homelessness. “That’s important,” mentions James, whose brother struggled with homelessness and mental health issues. “Once someone ends up on the street, it’s difficult to get off the street, unless they’re given an opportunity to improve their life.”

To learn more about the Pear Tree Foundation, visit peartreefoundation.org