By Lisa Cohn

Growing up, my grandmother, Margaret Cohn, was an inspiration.

She always focused on the importance of giving back to the community–and was a formidable role model.

She is probably best known for being one of the secret founders of Planned Parenthood of Buffalo in 1931. “Birth control was definitely something you didn’t discuss in Buffalo in the 1930s, except behind closed doors,” she told the Buffalo News. Gramma and the other founders met in a Buffalo mansion with the doors locked for their first meetings.

In addition to her important role in Planned Parenthood, my grandmother was either a founding member of or volunteered  for many other organizations, including a home for unwed mothers,  Camp Lakeland, the Brandeis University Women’s Committee, Young Audiences, and Jewish Family Services.

In many ways, Gramma inspired our work donating to the Oregon Humane Society and teaching school kids all that we’ve learned about writing and publishing.

You can read more about such efforts here, in a story in Oregon Jewish Life about how she inspired me. The story begins on page 20:

http://www.ojlife.com/sites/default/files/issues/AHAH%20callback/OJL_Dec_LR.pdf

As always, email BashAndLucy@gmail.com with your thoughts!