Editor’s note: Xpress reached out to community members for their thoughts on the life and impact of Asheville native and longtime Xpress columnist Jerry Sternberg, who died Dec. 25.
BY APRIL BURGESS-JOHNSON
Jerry Sternberg was a force of nature. He had a presence as big as that cowboy hat that was always atop his head.
I met Jerry when I first came to Helpmate 12 years ago and learned about his decades of quiet support for our organization and many others in the community. I asked him once why he cared so much about Helpmate’s mission to end domestic violence. He told me that he was relentlessly bullied as a child and swore that if he ever had the chance, he would do everything in his power to make sure that no other person had to feel that way.
As a man who made his own success, he kept that promise to his younger self. When Jerry learned that Helpmate was in the process of expanding emergency shelter options so that domestic abuse survivors had a safe place to flee, he was quickly on board with the project, acting as the first individual benefactor to the project.
Jerry and his wonderful wife, Marlene, donated $1 million to jump-start Helpmate’s capital campaign. This gift was staggering in its impact and gave the organization the momentum it needed to launch what promises to be a thoughtful and successful campaign.
Jerry was a natural leader, doing so with wit and charm and by setting an example that others felt compelled to follow. His impact will endure for generations, and those of us who knew him will miss him greatly.
April Burgess-Johnson serves as the executive director for Helpmate, an organization that provides safety, shelter and support for survivors of domestic violence.
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