What would you do with ten million dollars?
For Doris Buffett, the answer was easy: Give it away.
She spent the remainder of her lifetime doing exactly that and turned her inheritance into a legacy of helping others. One might think that it was only the money that made the difference, but by looking deeper into the lives she touched, it becomes apparent that there’s more to the story.
At once both heartwarming and heart-wrenching, Where the Light Gets In explores the alchemy of turning pain into purpose and finding beauty in the most painful and broken places. With concrete examples of people who have done it themselves and a call to action for others to try, this book features true stories of women forging new lives free from the power and control of intimate partner abuse. Each received a grant through Doris’s Women’s Independence Scholarship Program, but what’s most astonishing is that the true catalyst for change was a stranger’s belief in their potential. Where the Light Gets In is a roadmap for anyone looking to discover their own unique gifts (hint: the pain points the way) and how to use them to transform their lives and the lives of others.
It’s an exponential return on investment that has very little to do with money.
“WISP lovingly supported me all the way through my undergrad. Not only was the money very helpful for me, but I don’t know if I could have gotten through school without that extra help. All the loving support that you gave me personally and just those little extra bits of encouragement—the little books that you sent and the encouraging words. I think that my experience would have been very different without you all.”
Carrie
If enough people help other people, and those people help others, and on and on, you can have amazing results.
Doris Buffett (1928-2020)
Jill Tremlett Large – Author
Since joining the Women’s Independence Scholarship Program in 2003, Jill has been inspired by working with women who are achieving success despite seemingly insurmountable challenges. Jill was presented with her own opportunity to overcome impossible circumstances when, in 2009, she became a mother and a widow in the space of ten days. In the depth of the grief and turmoil that followed she made a vow to live life to the fullest, and in the process of doing so she discovered that by facing our deepest pain we equally increase our capacity for joy. Always one for a good story, she has often been asked if she is writing a book. Finally, the answer to that question is ‘yes’.
About WISP
The Women’s Independence Scholarship Program is the brainchild of Doris Eleanor Buffett and, for twenty-five years, has provided scholarships to survivors of intimate partner abuse solely through the benefit of her generosity and foresight. Doris was a no-nonsense, practical and pragmatic Midwesterner who staunchly believed in leveling the playing field and leveraged her personal fortune to do so. Since 1999, her gift of WISP has touched the lives of thousands of individuals, families and communities, rippling forward in countless ways and leaving a legacy of caring for others.
