DONOR spotlight: from being Neighbors to being Neighborly - A Century of Hopkins Generosity

Charles & Jessie Hopkins

For Charles and Jessie Hopkins, "community" wasn't a concept, it was a literal map of their
lives. Jessie lived her entire life in the very same Hampton neighborhood where she was
born, in a home built by her father. Charles grew up just a little over a mile from Jessie, and in the same neighborhood of the original site of Hop’s Place, the family business started by Charles’s father and Uncle in 1922, where Charles worked for over 60 years. Both Charles and Jessie could walk to their neighborhood schools. They both attended Hampton High School. After graduating from Mary Washington College, Jessie returned to Hampton High School to teach business and typing. Charles joined the Navy after graduating from high school and married Jessie after he returned from his service in the Navy during World War II. They lived in the same house where Jessie was born for their entire married life!

---

Together, they spent 60 years of marriage proving that a life well-lived is measured by what you pour back into your family and neighbors. Today, their children and grandchildren are ensuring that the Hopkins name remains synonymous with "blessing" their neighbors on the Peninsula and beyond.

Hop's Place

Charles and Jessie with their children and grandchildren at Jessie's 75th birthday in 1992

​A Legacy Built on Service
Charles was the heartbeat of Hop’s Place, known as a fair businessman who treated his employees like family. While he kept the business going, Jessie spent decades as a schoolteacher, mother, and volunteer, planting seeds with knowledge and kindness to countless friends and family members. Their lives were a masterclass in quiet service.

From their pews at Central United Methodist Church to Charles’s work with the Hampton Host Lions Club and Jessie’s involvement in volunteering in the schools and in the community, they never missed an opportunity to show up for others. When Charles passed in 2006, followed shortly by Jessie, their children encouraged friends and family to continue to "share with someone the love of the Lord,” the same love Charles and Jessie lived out every day.​

Three Generations, One Mission
To preserve this spirit, their children, Charles and Esther, established the Charles and
Jessie Hopkins Charitable Fund with the Peninsula Community Foundation. Reflecting on
the decision to formalize their parents' generosity, Charles, Jr. notes:

"When they both died in 2006, their estate stipulated that a portion of their estate be given to charity. Larry Cumming recommended the Peninsula Community Foundation of Virginia. It has been a joy to continue their legacy of giving and to have helped so many people over the course of the last 20 years."

The "ripple effect" they hoped for has spread to many shores. The Hopkins children and
grandchildren have had involvement in deciding which philanthropic organizations receive donations from the Charles and Jessie Hopkins Charitable Fund. In addition, one of the Hopkins grandsons and his family, representing the third generation, have now established a Donor Advised Fund (DAF). The Hopkins family’s tradition of giving is not just a tribute to the past, but a promise to the future.

The Hopkins Generations: Legacy in Action

• First Generation (Charles & Jessie Hopkins): 80+ years of local business at Hop's Place; decades of involvement in schools, church and the community.
• Second Generation (Hopkins Children): Formed the Memorial DAF to centralize and formalize the family’s giving.
• Third Generation (Hopkins Grandson): Launched a DAF for his own family to continue the tradition of community investment for the future.

"Blessed, Blessed, Blessed!"
Charles was well known for saying, “We’ve been Blessed, Blessed, Blessed!” Charles and
Jessie expressed often, through their words and deeds, how grateful they were for all the
blessings in their lives. The Hopkins family story teaches us that philanthropy isn't reserved for the distant or wealthy, it is for anyone who feels "blessed." By using a Donor Advised Fund, the family has created a structure where children and grandchildren can sit at the same table, decide which local causes need help, and act as a unified force for good.

As the Hopkins family enters their second century of service to the community, they invite you to think about how you have been “Blessed, Blessed, Blessed” and the values that define your family—and how you might turn those blessings and values into a legacy that lasts forever.

What’s Your Family Legacy? Creating a family fund is simpler than you think. It’s a way to
honor those who came before us while teaching those who come after us what it means to be a neighbor.

Learn more about donor advised funds

​