It is said that a house is only as strong as the foundation on which it is built. In that case, the Tri-State should feel good about its future because the philanthropic works that are the bedrock of the community.

The Foundation for the Tri-State Community, is an Ashland, Ky.-based organization dedicated to helping caring individuals get the most out of their charitable donations.

Since its inception in 1972, the Foundation has expanded from its origins as a group created solely to preserve the Paramount Theatre into a multi-million dollar organization that boasts more than $15 million in assets. But the FFTSC does so much to help the community that the impact is difficult to measure.

This organization’s track record has shown that you don’t have to be a millionaire or even overwhelmingly wealthy to make a difference.

All that is truly needed is a caring heart and an initial donation of $5,000. The more money donated, the farther it will go.

One local example is of Emma Edith Arundel, an Ironton woman who set aside $30,000 to spay female cats and cut down on the stray cat population.

Thirteen years after the fund was set up nearly $24,000 has been distributed and the account still has almost $40,000 in it.

Ms. Arundel passed away more than a decade ago but her legacy lives on in the form of all those animals she has helped and the families those animals have touched.

Making those dollars go that distance is exactly what the Foundation for the Tri-State Community is about.

Privately, those funds would never have lasted this long.

And the list of local philanthropists who want to make a difference goes on and on.

Without the Foundation these individuals would not be able to make the impact that they can.

While some may be impressed with the dollars it handles, the true measure of the Foundation is the lives it has changed.