06/11/2026
Today we celebrate a powerful legacy of mothers, daughters, and the values they pass forward with Jeanne Helphenstine’s family story.
Jeanne’s generosity is rooted in her family’s life on the Righetti Ranch, where her grandparents, Allan and Yolanda Righetti, Swiss Italian immigrants, had a dairy farm on 143 acres off Orcutt Road. Growing up surrounded by hard work, gratitude, and caring for neighbors, Jeanne learned a lesson that shaped everything that followed: no one should go hungry.
That belief became a shared calling between Jeanne and her mother, Barbara. Together, they embraced philanthropy as a way to care for their community. Jeanne encouraged her mother to make a charitable gift through the Foundation, recognizing both the tax benefits and the opportunity to create lasting local impact. They each opened their own Donor‑Advised Funds, turning giving into a meaningful family tradition. Every year, they explored local needs, discovered new causes, and supported the issues closest to their hearts, especially agriculture, food security, and the arts.
For Jeanne, that spirit of service continues through her work in real estate and her volunteer leadership, including her role on the Foundation’s Real Estate Foundation Board. As she learned more about the Community's needs, her giving deepened, becoming a way to strengthen nonprofits and invest in future generations.
Today, the Righetti family’s legacy is defined not just by land, but by the values passed down from generation and by the joy of using what you have to help others. A meaningful reminder of how generosity grows across generations.
