It became a quiet passion of Jim Patterson's life, donating to a non-profit organization just north of Huntsville with a mission toward helping children.
And in the aftermath of Patterson's unexpected passing on Monday, that passion is being amplified.
Mission Firefly created the Jim Patterson Memorial Benevolence Fund.
Patterson, a state legislator from Meridianville, died of a heart attack Monday at the age of 67.
"About three years ago, Jim donated some money to us with the purpose of serving the schools here in Madison county and specifically that money was to go to providing dental work, medical work and eye exams to kids who can't do it," said Zach Beaman, director of operations for Mission Firefly.
"Either their parents can't pay for it or there is some unrest in the home and they don't have anyone to take them there."
As Mission Firefly grew overall, that program to help underprivileged children failed to gain traction, Beaman said.
"The funny thing is, about a month ago, we had a board meeting and were going over budgets for the new year and someone said we need to get that project back up off the ground," Beaman said.
Now it has the name of a community pillar to attach to the effort.
Beaman said that after Patterson died, he got a called from Billy Taylor, the founder of Mission Firefly.
"Billy Taylor called me said let's start this fund (in Patterson's name)," Beaman said. "Let's really take this fund and run with it like Jim would have wanted us to."
The organization's push on social media has been strong, Beaman said.
"Your gifts will be used to continue good works that Jim quietly carried out over the years," is how the Mission Firefly website described the program. "He gave to so many so generously in ways that the right hand did not always know what the left hand was doing.
"More specifically these funds will go to provide for the needs of Madison County school students in need of clothing as well as medical and dental support."
Beaman said Mission Firefly was working within each elementary and middle school in the Madison County school system as well as two high schools. The schools that were targeted were ones that did not already have such a program already in place.
"Jim was always a big supporter of mission firefly but also was never one to wave a big flag and ask for the credit," Beaman said. "He was always really loving, always really humble and really just a joy to be around. We know that he's in a better place. We know that we can't control things like this but we want to be able to continue to carry on his legacy of serving the children of this community."
Mission Firefly is coordinating with HEALS, a Huntsville non-profit that, according to its website, is "dedicated to providing accessible quality, school-based primary health care for children through collaborative efforts with the Huntsville City/Madison County school systems and the medical community."
"Our organization was really started as an international missions organization and we still do that," Beaman said. "But when we got overseas, it made us turn around and look back at where we live. The first school we ever got involved with was Walnut Grove School (in New Market), which was less than two miles from the founder's house.
"It was kind of like an a-ha moment, like, wow, not only do we need to be serving around the world because that's what God tells us to do but we need to be serving in our back yard, too."