Community
/ GIVING BACK
by Caroline Putman
Planned Giving Provides Peace of Mind While Supporting Your Causes for Years to Come IF YOU’VE BEEN TO a community event in Decatur in the last 20 years, you have probably seen local resident Arthur Ratliff taking photos. Arthur has lived in Decatur since 1987 and has recently retired from State Farm after 31 years as an insurance agent. He has been a supporter and dedicated volunteer photographer for Decatur Education Foundation (DEF) for many years, but he recently made a significant commitment: Ratliff has included DEF as a beneficiary in his estate. As a former insurance agent who has spent his career helping his clients with estate planning, Ratliff is hoping to inspire others to do the same by planning ahead to give back to the causes about which they care. His commitment to giving back to his community began in the 1990s where he volunteered alongside the Junior Achievement Program. “Junior Achievement taught economics to children and helped provide after school programs to middle and high schoolers,” Ratliff said. “We taught them how to apply for a job, what credit cards are, things like that.” 28
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