“It brings me joy.”
Ask Jeannie Harris why she gives and she’ll tell you it’s simple – it brings her joy. Ask her why she gives to the Fountain Hills Community Foundation and she’ll give you an equally simple answer.
“I have a great deal of trust in the Foundation that my donation will go to those they feel are well deserving of the financial assistance,” she said. “I am not a huge donor but as they say, every little bit helps.”
Jeannie and her husband, Howard, moved to Arizona after leaving Chicago in 1997. They moved to Sedona where they owned and operated the candy store “How Sweet It Is” in Tlaquepaque until a business opportunity brought them to Fountain Hills. Jeannie, who owned an art gallery in Chicago and Sedona for several years, opened the J Harris Health Insurance Agency in January 2013. Howard passed away in 2016 after a brief illness.
“I wouldn’t have the financial security that I have if it wasn’t for my business and the wonderful town of Fountain Hills which has supported me and my business for the past ten years,” she said. “People in this town step up to the plate when someone needs help. The Fountain Hills Community Foundation is just one more resource that also does this with the many volunteers that research and vet those that need a helping hand. This is very helpful for me as my business keeps me busy and I just don’t have the time to do it myself.”
In addition to the FHCF, Jeannie gives regularly to animal organizations and the PTO. She also loves to travel and says her adventures, like the trip to a school in Zimbabwe pictured above, help her appreciate the things that she has in life.
“I have a wonderful family, good friends, great health, and am financially secure,” she said. “I’m in a position for the first time in my life of being able to give back. It feels good to do that. It brings me joy.”