20 Really Good People
For more than four decades, Julie Handley has been a steady force behind Downtown Ecumenical Services Council (DESC), blending faith, philanthropy and family into a life of service.
She first became aware of DESC in Sunday school at Riverside Presbyterian Church, where she heard DESC’s then-executive director Mary Spuhler describing the organization’s mission. Since joining DESC’s board in the early ‘80s, Handley has done a little bit of everything and now leads DESC’s $3.6 million capital campaign.
Handley’s deeply ingrained sense of service and responsibility is rooted in her upbringing. Growing up in Atlanta, she watched her father chair the United Way and her mother organize outreach to families in need.
“Outreach and caring for others were a big part of who we were,” said Handley.
Those lessons instilled in her a belief that service is not optional but required of us. She points to Matthew, chapter 25 – in which Jesus says that those who care for the sick, the hungry and the thirsty, are kind to strangers, clothe naked and visit the imprisoned are serving Him – as the verses that have guided her life.
Her professional path began in nursing before transitioning into nonprofit leadership. She was the third person ever hired by Sulzbacher, where she helped establish its health and dental clinics, and later became the first development director at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. Fundraising, she discovered, was not just about dollars but about listening to people’s dreams and helping them create legacies that make a difference.
Handley has brought that same energy to DESC. David Clark, the organization’s executive director, remembers his first impression of her during his own interview. She radiated encouragement and stood out for her presence of support.
“She is truly a God-fearing, people-loving, high energy woman. She brings light wherever she goes,” said Clark.
Part of Handley’s legacy is getting her family to join in the work. Her husband was very involved in the clothing ministry; one of her sons donned a cape as “Captain Underwear,” a mascot for DESC’s fundraisers. Another rallied his company for service days. Her grandchildren sold steel-toed boots at events, helping individuals in need step into new jobs. For Handley, DESC is a way to live out the values she inherited and pass them on.
“It has just been the best experience to help an agency that is touching so many lives,” said Handley.
In recent years, she has also taken up painting, enrolling in classes at FSCJ. She is especially fond of creating river scenes and angel-themed Christmas cards. One of her works will hang in DESC’s new building on Liberty Street. Art, she said, is a way to share with others – and if there’s been one thing that defines Handley’s life, it is sharing her time, treasure and talent with others.
