2020 has been a really tough year, for so many reasons. The scourge of COVID-19 has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and caused a massive economic disruption that’s brought heartbreak and hardship to millions. In the US, the long struggle against racism and inequality has sparked protests that have brought tens of thousands onto the street. In California, Oregon, and Australia, enormous wildfires have destroyed thousands of acres and threatened communities.

And yet it’s also ...

In February 2018, Lael Melville ’82 and Randy Melville ’81 formed the Melville Family Foundation in southern Dallas, Texas. The organization addresses issues of food insecurity, economic instability, and educational inequity.

These issues are not new for Lael and Randy. On Randy’s side, he grew up in Trenton, New Jersey, and went to Princeton Day School, not far from the Princeton University campus. The experience made him aware of the drastic economic disparities in his commun...