Darlene Peters lived by the Biblical saying, 'when you give do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing'.

"What she gave was not for honours," her sister Trudie Neufeld explains. "But just to help people."

Before she passed in March of last year, Peters had designated funds in her will for the Winkler Community Foundation, specifically for health-related projects.

Of the many charities she supported during her life, Peters was especially drawn to health organizations family members received care from.

She especially was moved by the plight of people walking a difficult health journey in rural areas. It was the reason Peters specifically supported health education programs.

"So many times we have to go distances for health care, and sometimes people can't afford it," Neufeld says. "That's where the education came in."

"If you were struggling to know what to do if diagnosed with diabetes... education helps with the process so you don't feel like you're lost in a dark void, not knowing where to go or what to do."

The Darlene Peters bequest to the Winkler Community Foundation will leave a legacy of her generosity and belief in the need for rural healthcare.

"It's good to see people believe in the Winkler Community Foundation," WCF Finance Board Member Justin Funk explains. "People like Darlene believed in how the foundation works."

Interest on the funds will be granted back year after year, creating a lasting impact in the region.

The grants will support organizations like Salem Home, Heart and Stroke, Diabetes, Alzheimer and Cancer care, along with new initiatives in the community and surrounding area.

The WCF is also excited to give out more than $70,000 this spring in new scholarships.

The deadline to apply for the Gordon Wiebe Post-Secondary Scholarships is February 28.