Bauman Family gift focuses on Mentorship and Peace Incubation

Peace has been an important value in the lives of Aden and Joanne Bauman and their sons Barry, who passed away in 2016, and Michael.  Lifelong members of the Elmira Mennonite Church, Aden and Joanne were fixtures in the community at their Arthur street jewelry store.    “Peace is a Mennonite thing,” observed Joanne. “Peace is important to our family, and our boys remember that their uncle Elias was a conscientious objector during WW II,” noted Aden.  

Michael, who now lives in Concord, California, has worked and volunteered at not-for-profits involved in peace and development work his entire life. He is now active with First Mennonite Church of San Francisco and a variety of other organizations. Barry was a teacher by profession and was involved in shaping and mentoring young people to have a passion for making the world a better place.  An active associate student at Grebel, he graduated with an Environmental Studies degree in 1992 from the University of Waterloo, and was very involved with the Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) program.

Recently the family gave a gift of $100,000 to support the efforts of emerging peacemakers at Conrad Grebel University College in the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement (CPA). “We are thrilled by this generous gift to help further develop our presence in the vibrant social entrepreneurship ecosystem at Waterloo,” said Grebel’s Interim President Jim Pankratz.

Half of this gift ($50,000) will establish the Barry Bauman Mentorship Fund in memory of Barry.  This gift reflects his values and helps to positively impact the lives of others. “He was always very conscientious, especially about the environment—whether it was growing organic asparagus or ensuring his house was well insulated,” noted Joanne. “Barry cared about his students—wanting to cultivate their skills and interests to make the world a better place. They appreciated learning from him, including through many memorable field trips to different cultural communities. Having a fund that focuses on mentoring young people reflects Barry’s values as a teacher.”

The Barry Bauman Mentorship Fund will be used to focus programming resources on developing mentor relationships for Epp Peace Incubator participants. “Over the past three years we have learned that making connections with the right mentors is an absolutely crucial ingredient in the success of a peace start-up,” said CPA Director Paul Heidebrecht. “These resources will be used to both deepen and expand this dimension of the Epp Peace Incubator, a program that is growing in ways we didn’t imagine would be possible.” Whether it is providing strategic advice, introducing new community partners, or helping engage government, there are no shortage of ways that mentors have contributed.  

Accessing capital to develop ideas is also critical at the early stages and the Peace Incubator Fund is a part of the CPA’s program that provides small seed funding for participants in the Frank and Helen Epp Peace Incubator.  This gift of $50,000 will magnify the impact by adding substantially more investment funds for start-ups in the CPA. 

“By matching all gifts up to $50,000, we are inviting others to join us in this endeavor,” said Michael.  “This gift is established so that the funds are released as donations come in to the Peace Incubator Fund.”  In this way, donors double their impact immediately to help emerging ventures in the Epp Peace Incubator develop. Early-stage—and risky—investments in areas like training, equipment, and pilot projects accelerates both learning and impact.

Interested supporters are invited to contact the Grebel’s Director of Advancement, Fred W. Martin for information on making contributions to this fund.  

An official announcement of this gift’s impact on the CPA’s Mentorship and Incubator programs will be made during the College’s Peace Week, September 17 to 23.

For more information, contact
Fred W. Martin
Director of Advancement
Conrad Grebel University College
519-885-0220 ext. 24381
fwmartin@uwaterloo.ca