The Sussex County Youth Philanthropy Board (YPB) of the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF) awarded $10,000 to three Sussex County nonprofit organizations at a grants ceremony on April 18 at the CHEER Center in Georgetown.
The DCF’s Sussex County YPB is composed of 19 Sussex County students from public, independent and diocesan high schools. Since September, YPB members have been studying youth issues in their neighborhoods and schools, learning about community service and grantmaking, and visiting nonprofit organizations.
This year’s Sussex County YPB chose to focus on organizations that provide mental health and substance abuse counseling and services.
La Red Health Center – $3,000 will help with salaries of their behavioral health consultants to allow more patients to be seen.
FORGE Youth & Family Academy – $3,000 will help with their Teen Impact program to teach youth better life choices.
Survivors of Abuse in Recovery – $4,000 will help provide an additional 50 treatment sessions to victims of sexual assault in Sussex County.
The Delaware Community Foundation sponsors a Youth Philanthropy Board in each Delaware county to encourage high school students to become more involved in philanthropy. Each board of high school students is allotted a pool of money to give as charitable grants.
The students learn about philanthropy and effective grantmaking, study youth issues in their neighborhoods and schools, solicit grant proposals, conduct site visits, and award grants to those they determine to be most deserving.
Retired Delaware educator Phyllis Wynn established the Youth Philanthropy Fund in 1999 because she wanted to encourage youth to become more involved in philanthropic ventures. Students who serve on the YPB are nominated by their principal or guidance counselor.
“The Youth Philanthropy Board program does more than give kids the chance to make a difference,” DCF President & CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay said. “It gets them out into the community to experience firsthand the impact their work has on people’s lives.”
2017-18 Sussex County YPB
Student Grade School
| Morgan | Absher | Senior | Woodbridge High School |
| Colin | Anderson | Junior | Delmarva Christian Academy |
| Josh | Bredbenner | Senior | Worcester Preparatory School |
| Kristin | Esterly | Senior | Woodbridge High School |
| Harrison | Gale | Senior | Cape Henlopen High School |
| Nyra | Giles | Senior | Laurel High School |
| Hector | Herrera | Senior | Sussex Academy |
| Anna | Ives-Michener | Senior | Cape Henlopen High School |
| Cade | Keeler | Junior | Sussex Central High School |
| Maddy | Lester | Junior | Greenwood Mennonite School |
| Kaitlyn | McKinney | Senior | Seaford High School |
| Cailey | Murphy | Junior | Sussex Academy |
| Isaac | O’Neal | Senior | Delmar High School |
| Vasmi | Patel | Senior | Delmar High School |
| Kasiyah | Tatem | Senior | Sussex Tech High School |
| Thomas | Turnbaugh | Senior | Laurel High School |
| Brendyn | Vanderslice | Junior | Laurel High School |
| Karen | Ventura-Lopez | Senior | Sussex Central High School |
| Hayley | Wilson | Junior | Sussex Tech High School |
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