Jonathon Drake, who was a staff member at the Institute on Disability for over 12 years, died suddenly in May of 2018. Jonathon worked tirelessly on behalf of youth with emotional and behavioral challenges. To keep the spirit of his work alive and in honor of his work, Jonathon’s family and friends have launched the Jonathon Drake Memorial Fund. This fund will be managed by the NH Charitable Foundation, with a goal to provide support to projects that will continue his work and support youth who are often disadvantaged and neglected to pursue their dreams and become the people they dream to become.
“We are hoping that this fund will honor Jonathon’s legacy of kindness, generosity, and unconditional belief that in every human being can achieve great things,” said JoAnne Malloy, Research Associate Professor at the IOD and Jonathon’s former project director. “This fund will allow Jonathon’s work to continue so that all youth can thrive.”
Jonathon Drake was a Project Director at the Institute on Disability’s Center for RENEW Implementation where he worked closely with youth with emotional and behavioral challenges and provided coaching and technical assistance to schools and mental health centers across New Hampshire.
The purpose of the Jonathon Drake Memorial Fund is to support exemplary practice at the individual, school, community, and systems levels so that all youth – especially those who face significant personal and emotional and/or behavioral challenges – can thrive. The system for accessing funds is still being developed, but possible projects funded by the Memorial Fund will include supporting school leaders, youth leadership development programs, and supporting youth interested in a helping career such as social work, education, or medicine.
To learn more and donate to the fund, please visit www.drakememorialfund.org.
