Meet Soumyo

Name:  Soumyo (Pronounced “Sho-mo”) Moitra

Age: 74

Family:  Wife, Sreoshi, and two children ages 32 and 34

Residence:  North Oakland

Ethnicity:  Indian/South Asian

Tell us about yourself?

I have known Pittsburgh for 47 years, first coming here as a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University. I have lived here continuously since 2008 when I moved back to take a position at CMU.

What do you value most about the county parks?

The Allegheny County Parks provide a venue for outdoor activities for everyone. From walking, to biking, to playing sports and having family picnics. The parks offer something for everyone.

What is your favorite thing to do in parks?

I regularly like to take walks in the parks. I also really enjoy forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku), which is the simple and therapeutic act of spending time in a forest, or in a park.

Tell me a story about how nature/parks changed your life?

As a child, I always enjoyed taking trips to the countryside with my parents. I grew up in Kolkata (Calcutta), India. We’d drive or take a train to visit the countryside for a day. I remember feeling that it was worthwhile to travel to seek out nature, including the woods and forests. The same is true of our county parks. I live in the city, but feel it worthwhile to travel to enjoy the county parks as well.

Why did you decide to leave a planned gift to the Allegheny County Parks Foundation and what do you hope to achieve through your gift?

I believe we should all help to protect our environment and natural ecological systems.

I am happy and fortunate to be in a position where I can leave a planned gift to Allegheny County Parks Foundation (among a few other organizations).

It is my hope that the county parks continue providing access to the many incredible natural resources and recreational facilities that they do now, so many people can benefit now and into the future.

Do you have any advice for people considering making a planned gift to the Allegheny County Parks Foundation?

I think it is important, when considering a planned gift, to think beyond your own children and family, and consider how others can benefit as well.

Every single one of us benefits from our parks. And every single one of us should give back to help protect our natural environment in some way that is meaningful to them. I typically am able to only give a modest amount annually to support the causes I care most about. Leaving a planned gift is a way for me to give more to those causes and make an even bigger impact.

I also hope that my gift, in some small way, might encourage other people from varied backgrounds to consider leaving planned gifts to charities.

What else would you like readers to know about you, or why you choose to make this gift?

I believe that green spaces and the natural environment are important to all of us. The Allegheny County Parks, and all parks, are an important part of our environment that we should save and protect.

October 21-27 is National Estate Planning Awareness Week. You can show your support by making a donation to preserve your nine Allegheny County Parks now, and for generations to come.