I am the younger brother of Kathy Scharbarth. When my sister was murdered there was a domino effect that had been set into place. All of a sudden my family was struck with mourning the loss of a loved one, custody issues over my niece, psychological challenges, financial hardship, the series of negative events goes on and on. However, there was one positive domino that our family will be forever grateful for and that was the community’s support of my family.
We received supportive letters, emails, phone calls, and texts from others. A food train had been organized to help with meals. Donations were made to support my niece. Pro Bono legal counsel was offered by a close family friend. The love and support we received gave us a leg to stand on and helped us survive. Our hearts were touched and we felt blessed to be surrounded by a supportive community. It inspired me to start Kathy’s Legacy Foundation to help others the same way the community helped my family. Today, I think Kathy would be proud of us. She was always one to ‘pay it forward’. Although she is gone, we continue to follow her example and help others the way our community helped us. – Michael Scharbarth
