Lucille Arnold (pictured, right) retired to Tuolumne County in 1972 after working as a teacher in San Jose. Inspired by a pine needle basket weaving demonstration at the Twain Harte Craft Faire, she learned the art and taught it for 16 years at Columbia College. Through her life’s experiences, Lucille knew that she wanted to do more for her community. She knew that there were children in our community that wanted to find a better path if only the support and financial aid were there for them.
Legacy Fund
The Lucille Arnold Fund annually awards grants and scholarships to help the youth that Lucille wanted to help the most.
Lucille Arnold came to the Sonora Area Foundation to establish a charitable fund through her estate that would provide grants for programs fulfilling her wishes – to help troubled youth in our community. The Lucille Arnold Fund provides grants for youth oriented programs and scholarships benefiting at-risk young people who wish to improve themselves. Over the years, Lucille’s fund has helped to support the YES Partnership, the Cal-Safe Program, the ATCAA Family Learning Center, Mentoring Works, teen suicide prevention, numerous students seeking a college education, and so much more.