Local service groups
An annual gift, with no strings
Once a year the board gives directly to local fire, ambulance and police departments, with no application and no conditions. From 2026 these gifts go to the departments serving one town, chosen by the board each year. We name them here once the gifts have been made.
There is no application
These organizations do not fill in forms for us, do not report back to us, and do not compete for our money. The board decides each year, records it in the minutes, and sends the gift.
They know what they need better than we do. A fire department that needs a thermal camera should not have to write an essay about it.
Who we give to
Previously supported
For years the foundation gave in Westchester County, New York, where Kyu’s family lived, and to two institutions tied directly to him — the youth center at Fort Bragg that carries his name, and the law school he left to enlist. We list them because they were part of his life and part of ours.
- New Castle Police DepartmentServing Chappaqua and the Town of New Castle, New York
- Chappaqua Fire DepartmentChappaqua, New York
- Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance CorpsChappaqua, New York
- Horace Greeley Scholarship FundChappaqua’s public high school
- Westchester Korean-American AssociationWestchester, New York
- Westchester Korean Church CouncilWestchester, New York
- Chay Youth CenterFort Bragg, North Carolina — named for Kyu
- Brooklyn Law SchoolHe put his law career on hold to enlist
What we give
We publish every gift, so anyone can see where the money went. The first gifts under this program have not been made yet. In December 2026 we are giving $1,000 each to a local fire department, a police department and an ambulance corps — $3,000 in total. This page lists them by name and amount once they are made.
If you are a service group
There is no application. We give meaningfully to a few organizations connected to Kyu Hyuk rather than a token amount to many.
If your department or organization had a connection to Kyu that we do not know about, we would genuinely like to hear it. Write to [email protected].
If you want to support this program
On the donate page you can tell us to put your gift toward local service groups. If you do, we are bound to spend it that way — all of it goes to the departments, and none of it can be moved to anything else.
You cannot direct a gift to one person — a particular firefighter, officer or student. The law does not allow it.