The Beginning…

In April 1993, the city of Evanston experienced a severe and damaging thunderstorm. When the rain ended, Forrest E. Powell Sr. went outside to clear his yard of debris. His son, Hecky, joined him. Together they worked to remove a fallen tree that had a three-branched trunk. Little did they know, that project was the last one they would complete together. Later that evening, Forrest passed away.

For the Powell family, the remaining tree branches serve as a reminder of Forrest’s belief in honest labor. It has become a symbol of the Forrest E. Powell Foundation, the nonprofit organization created by Hecky to honor his father. Each of the three branches are interconnected and represent Community, Family, and Spirituality—values rooted in the Powell family and cornerstones of the Foundation’s work.