Rebecca Klug :: Delaware Community Foundation

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The Circle in Georgetown to be Lit in Green for National Philanthropy Day the Week of Nov 16

Posted by Rebecca Klug

· Monday, November 9th, 2020

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | November 9, 2020

Buildings around The Circle in downtown Georgetown will be lit in green for National Philanthropy Day the week of November 16, 2020.

The Delaware Community Foundation (DCF) and the Town of Georgetown will celebrate the impact of philanthropy and especially the people who make it happen, increasing the quality of life in Sussex County. The DCF’s Southern Delaware office is located at 36 The Circle in Georgetown.

“Philanthropy means more than writing a check or making a donation, it’s about wanting to see our community succeed,” said Mike DiPaolo Vice President for Southern Delaware at the DCF. “Nonprofits in Sussex County make a difference in each of our lives, every day, and their successes are our successes. Whether it’s in eastern Sussex or western, for the arts, churches, education, or helping to address homelessness and hunger, the resources nonprofits need to meet their goals come from individuals and businesses across our county.”

“Organizations like the DCF play a unique role in advancing philanthropy in Sussex County, allowing individuals and businesses to structure their giving in a way that can bring maximum impact,” said Stuart Comstock-Gay, DCF President. “By working with Sussex County nonprofits day in and day out, we can leverage our experience to help funding get to organizations that are doing the work on the ground.”

National Philanthropy Day is celebrated every November 15. It was first recognized in southern California in 1986 and has grown as a way to recognize the individuals and institutions who work in philanthropy and whose efforts better our communities every day.

The DCF was established in 1986 by a group of concerned citizens who saw an opportunity to improve the quality of life in Delaware. The DCF’s Southern Delaware Office was established in 2002 to bring DCF charitable giving opportunities, programming and resources to Kent and Sussex counties. For more information about the DCF, to speak to someone about grant resources or to establish a fund, please contact Mike DiPaolo at 302-856-4393.

Nuns dancing down a hallway of a senior residential care facility with residents looking on, smiling, and clapping

Rich in Spirit: Family, Faith and the Little Sisters of the Poor

Posted by Rebecca Klug

· Wednesday, July 22nd, 2020

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Development Director Debbie Strengari and Sister Cecilia join us from Little Sisters of the Poor in Newark to discuss providing community-centric, residential care for the elderly poor.

Little Sisters of the Poor received a $40,000 grant from the Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund to help fund the PPE, cleaning equipment, and staff needed to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus and care for residents of the Newark facility. The Little Sisters were the first nursing home in the state to experience deaths from the virus. Since those difficult early weeks of the outbreak, they’ve received support through a partnership with Christiana Care, and have been able to establish new protective measures, including frequent testing, to keep their residents healthy. Now faced with the reality of life in lockdown, the Little Sisters and their residents are using new technology, as well as socially-distanced activities, to stay connected with one another and their families outside the facility.

We also talk with Sheila Bravo, president & CEO of the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement (DANA), and one of the DCF’s key partners in establishing the Strategic Response Fund.

All six episodes in this second season of Building Opportunity will feature stories about how the Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund has helped nonprofits meet the needs of our community during this crisis. DCF President & CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay is our host.

You can listen and subscribe to the show on Apple, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Find all podcast episodes at delcf.org/podcast.

DCF Awards $306,800 in Scholarships for the 2020-21 School Year

Posted by Rebecca Klug

· Monday, July 20th, 2020

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The Delaware Community Foundation (DCF) has awarded $306,800 in scholarships for the 2020-21 school year, helping 165 students throughout the state pursue secondary education.

Each year, the DCF awards scholarships to students from funds established by generous people who care about education and understand that it can be costly. This year, 165 new and renewed scholarships from over 50 different funds were awarded to these students.

There is no cap on the number of scholarships or the amount students may receive. Funding from many of the scholarships may be applied to the costs of textbooks and fees, in addition to tuition. Some are one-time awards, and others are renewable.

“Many of our donors who care about education choose to create scholarship funds to build opportunities for students where they otherwise may not exist,” DCF President and CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay said. “Our goal is to help philanthropists who care about education support young people working toward building successful futures.”

See a list of new 2020-21 scholarship winners.

For information about how donors can create scholarship funds at the DCF, contact Joan Hoge-North at jhoge-north@delcf.org.

Love INC volunteer carrying a box of food

See the Person, Not the Problem: Helping Neighbors in Need

Posted by Rebecca Klug

· Wednesday, July 15th, 2020

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Susan Kent, executive director of Love INC of Mid-Delmarva, joins us to talk about providing housing and support for the homeless, while building a comprehensive social-service delivery system with a network of churches and nonprofits in Sussex county.

Love INC of Mid-Delmarva received a $50,000 grant from the Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund to provide shelter for the homeless in Sussex County. The organization strives to build strong, holistic relationships with clients in order to provide compassionate, comprehensive aid. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they’ve partnered with hotels to provide shelter for the most vulnerable members of the homeless community.

We also talk with Cynthia Pritchard, president & CEO of Philanthropy Delaware, and one of the DCF’s key partners in establishing the Strategic Response Fund.

You can listen and subscribe to the show on Apple, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Find all podcast episodes at delcf.org/podcast.

Arsht-Cannon Fund Supports Delaware’s Latino Families with $582,248 in Grants

Posted by Rebecca Klug

· Monday, July 13th, 2020

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The Arsht-Cannon Fund (ACF) at the Delaware Community Foundation has awarded $582,248 in grants to Delaware’s nonprofit organizations that are reaching out to Latino families with accessible and needed educational programs at this time of crisis.

To address the devastating and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Latino families, FY 2020-21 grants ranged from direct relief to meet basic needs of qualified immigrant families in crisis, to support for the development of innovative and sustainable programs by collaborating nonprofit partners. In between, funding has been dedicated to a variety of programs that support learning and, ultimately, integration and empowerment.

“Amid the rising needs of families and the challenges faced by Latino-serving nonprofits, 2020-21 grant funding was prioritized to our nonprofit partners who redesigned their critically needed programs to reach families safely, effectively and with love, excellence and sustainability,” ACF Executive Director Dr. Christine Cannon said.

FY 2020-21 grant awards focused on:

Language Learning and Family Literacy

ESL@Lutheran Church of Our Savior – $20,000 (second year of grant) Multi-level classes and online English instruction

PolyTech Adult Education – $20,000 (second year of grant) Family Literacy Program for parents and their children

Literacy Delaware – $20,000 to strengthen southern Delaware’s ESL tutoring program

Reading Assist – $20,000 to support AmeriCorps reading tutors at Academia Antonia Alonso Elementary School

Pre-K through Career Planning Programs

Nativity Preparatory School of Wilmington – $17,500 to support the Hispanic Services Program, a 12-year educational/support program for Latino boys from Wilmington starting at age 10.

YMCA of Delaware – $13,000 for the Water Wise Program for 150 dual language learners at Academia Antonia Alonso Elementary School

Project New Start – $12,500 to support and prepare Latinos for employment and community reentry post-incarceration

Arts and Cultural Education

Three 2020 Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations – $2,750 each at the Milton Public Library, Route 9 Library and Innovation Center and Dover Library

The Delaware Contemporary – $6,000 to support Building a Creative Future, a weekly arts program for at-risk youth

Health Supports for Learning

National Alliance for Mental Illness – Delaware – $19,448 to support the Hispanic Services Initiative throughout Delaware

Autism Delaware – $9,000 to provide the Family Peer Support Program to families with children with autism

Rosa Health Center – $25,000 to provide comprehensive care including health education to Latino families in central Sussex County

Educational Advocacy

Delaware Campaign for Achievement Now – $30,000 to expand Juntos Delaware, a Latino advocacy fellows training program

Community Collaborative Partnerships

Trinity Episcopal Parish – $40,000 to support bilingual counseling and referral services for Latino families between the parish and the Empowerment Center/Friendship House in Newport

La Esperanza Community Center – $107,550 to expand the La Colectiva-inspired Family Coaching and Navigation Program in southern Delaware

First State Community Action – $100,000 for the Sussex County Relief Program, which supports payments to cover the basic needs (food, housing, utilities, etc.) of qualified Latino immigrant families in crisis. It is integrated with the Family Coaching and Navigation Program.

ChristianaCare Caregiver Relief Fund – $15,000 to provide direct support to families of Latino healthcare providers – frontline caregivers

La Colectiva de Delaware – $114,000 for management, operations and communications; leadership awards and Collaborative Planning Team funding

About the Arsht-Cannon Fund

The Arsht-Cannon Fund was established in 2004 through the gift of the estate of the Honorable Roxana Cannon Arsht and S. Samuel Arsht to the Delaware Community Foundation. The endowed fund benefits Delaware’s Hispanic families by partnering and funding nonprofits that provide educational opportunities — improving the lives of all Delawareans.

Modern Maturity volunteers loading Meals on Wheels food onto a cart for delivery to seniors

Modern Maturity’s Modern Solutions: Feeding the Heart of Kent County

Posted by Rebecca Klug

· Wednesday, July 8th, 2020

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Carolyn Fredricks, president and CEO of Modern Maturity, discusses how the largest nonprofit senior center in the state has adapted quickly to provide essential services to seniors across Kent County.

Modern Maturity has received a total of $100,000 in grants from the Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund to deliver meals and provide grocery shopping services for seniors in Kent County who are among the most vulnerable to the virus. As the Meals on Wheels provider for the county, they’ve expanded operations significantly. At a peak moment during the pandemic, volunteers were cooking 2,500 meals per day and performing 3,000 wellness checks per month. They’ve also started teaching remote exercise classes on Facebook and YouTube, and hosted a socially-distanced tailgating party at their center in Dover.

We also talk with Sheila Bravo, president & CEO of the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement (DANA), and one of the DCF’s key partners in establishing the Strategic Response Fund.

You can listen and subscribe to the show on Apple, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Find all podcast episodes at delcf.org/podcast.

New DCF Board Members Chanta Howard-Wilkinson, Nick Lambrow and Louisa Phillips

Howard-Wilkinson, Lambrow and Phillips Join DCF Board of Directors

Posted by Rebecca Klug

· Thursday, July 2nd, 2020

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The Delaware Community Foundation (DCF) today welcomes Chanta Howard-Wilkinson, Nick Lambrow and Louisa Phillips to its Board of Directors.

The DCF also thanks outgoing board chair, Kelly Firment, along with departing board members Lynn Kokjohn and Jim Mazarakis. The 2020-2022 officers are Bill Dugdale as board chair, Drew Fennell as vice chair, David Singleton as treasurer and Cindy Szabo as secretary.

The new board members are:

Chanta Howard-Wilkinson, JD, SHRM-CP

Chanta Howard-Wilkinson is a human resources consultant with Vantige, Inc., where she helps clients strategically integrate effective human resources processes, programs, and practices in their daily operations. Previously she was the Associate Director of Equal Employment Opportunity at Kings County Hospital Center in Brooklyn and she was a Deputy Attorney General in the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.

Howard-Wilkinson holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Rutgers University School of Law, a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers College, and a Certificate in Human Resources Management from Villanova University. She is admitted to practice in New Jersey and the District of Columbia, and completed the Superior Court of the State of Delaware Mediation Training in Conflict Resolution.

An active volunteer, she lives in Lewes and is a member of the Lewes Public Library Board of Commissioners, Delaware Public Media Board of Directors and the Beebe Health Care Medical Foundation board of ambassadors.

Nick Lambrow

Nick Lambrow was named Regional President for M&T Bank Delaware in 2011. Prior to that appointment, he served for eight years as the Regional President for the Chesapeake and Central Maryland Division, which included the Eastern Shore, and parts of Central, Southern, and Western Maryland. In his current role, Lambrow has direct responsibility for the commercial efforts and market outreach within the region, as well as coordinating the activities of the bank’s Business Banking and Retail departments.

Lambrow was recently appointed by Governor Carney to serve on the Delaware Public/Private Partnership Board of Directors. He serves as a trustee of Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library, trustee of the Christiana Care Health System, Director of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, Member of the Delaware Business Roundtable and Director of the Wilmington Alliance Corporation.

A graduate of Loyola College with a degree in Business Administration, Lambrow began his career with a predecessor to M&T Bank, the First National Bank of Maryland (later Allfirst). Throughout his career, he has held a range of managerial positions throughout the bank’s Maryland and Greater Washington markets. He and his wife, Diane, live in Wilmington.

Louisa Phillips, RN, FACHE

Louisa Phillips retired in January 2017 as the Senior Director of Operations for the Cardiovascular Service Line at Bayhealth Medical Center after beginning her healthcare career as a tray girl in the dietary department of Kent General Hospital. Her diverse experience includes Clinical, Human Resources and Operations Leadership in both nonprofit and for-profit environments.

Phillips earned her Diploma in Nursing from Milford Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from Wesley College, a Master’s Degree in Human Resources from Wilmington College, a Post Masters Certificate in Nursing Administration from Villanova University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Wilmington College. An avid lifelong learner, she earned a Master of Science Degree in Nursing from Wilmington University in 2014.

Phillips is the incoming chair of the Fund for Women. She is the immediate past chair of the Southern Delaware Board of Directors of the American Heart Association and was the recipient of the Richard H. McCarty Friend of Heart Award for Distinguished Lifetime Service and the Great Rivers Affiliate Leadership Legacy award. She is the current secretary of Bayhealth Foundation and a member of the boards of Planned Parenthood of Delaware and Mary Ann’s List.

Phillips lives in Dover with her husband Jerry Fritts and labradoodles Franky and Jax. She is the proud mother of two daughters – Meghan Phillips-Schepens, Nurse Practitioner, Bayhealth Neurosurgery, and Molly Phillips, history teacher at Dover High School – and grandmother to Cooper Schepens. She enjoys political advocacy, gardening and helping others become successful.

Heroes at Home: Serving Veterans in Crisis

Posted by Rebecca Klug

· Wednesday, July 1st, 2020

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Father-and-son team Retired Major Kevin Conley and US Army Specialist Dylan Conley join us this week to discuss Warriors Helping Warriors, a grassroots organization in Middletown that connects veterans to employment opportunities, health care and housing.

Warriors Helping Warriors received a $10,000 in grant from the Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund to continue providing case-management for veterans. Kevin Conley cofounded the organization in 2010 when he returned from Afghanistan and faced his own difficulties navigating the healthcare system. During the pandemic, they have pivoted quickly to provide a safe environment for residents to shelter-in-place and self-quarantine in the event of testing positive for COVID-19.

We also talk with Cynthia Pritchard, president & CEO of Philanthropy Delaware, and one of the DCF’s key partners in establishing the Strategic Response Fund.

You can listen and subscribe to the show on Apple, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Find all podcast episodes at delcf.org/podcast.

Two kids sitting at a table laughing while working on a drawing project

DCF Awards $240,000 in Focus Grants

Posted by Rebecca Klug

· Monday, June 29th, 2020

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The Delaware Community Foundation has awarded $240,000 in Focus Grants to programs enriching the lives of Delaware youth and Latino communities.

During the pandemic crisis, community needs have changed, and many nonprofits have changed their business models, stepped up services and cancelled events. For this reason, the Focus Grants program was modified this year to allow recipients to use the grants for operations and pandemic-related needs as well as for the original projects.

This year’s Focus Grants recipients are:

Youth Serving

Choir School of Delaware – $12,250
To expand their transportation program for choristers as they expand their program to include a summer session.

Multiplying Good (SIA4Good- Serving the State of Delaware) – $12,250
To support the Students in Action (SIA) program to prepare Delaware youth for leadership and public service.

Read Aloud Delaware – $9,800
To continue expanding the Volunteer Reading Program in New Castle County.

CAMP Rehoboth – $12,066
To support LGBTQ+ youth in middle and high schools through promoting and strengthening school GSA clubs.

Arise Delaware – $7,350
To support building relationships among special needs participants and volunteer “buddies,” and among parents.

Jobs for Delaware Graduates – $12,250
To provide academic, workforce preparation, and life skills education to some of the most at risk middle- and high-school students in Delaware.

Summer Learning Collaborative – $9,800
To support the six-week Tyler’s Camp program for Sussex County middle school students, including sports, arts, STEM and academics.

YearUp Wilmington – $12,250
To support a workforce development program for young adults who have not progressed past a high school diploma or GED.

Urban Garden Initiative – $5,145
To expand their student gardening program to a workshop series that will serve about 200 students at five Wilmington community centers.

Mom’s House of Dover – $4,900
To provide free child care and other support services to low-income single parents who are pursuing secondary or post-secondary education.

Latin American Community Center – $12,250
To implement a new trauma-informed youth drugs and violence prevention program.

Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch Up – $11,144
To begin providing an Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) home visiting program to families at imminent risk of their children being removed to foster care.

Plastic Free Delaware – $4,900
To host high school students from across the state for a new Youth Environmental Summit.

Teen Warehouse – $12,250
To support the Teens in Motion program for personal development and soft skills training designed to move teens to employment.

United Way of Delaware – $12,250
To implement their Step on It program to increase the capacity of two middle schools in Wilmington Promise Communities by engaging community stakeholders.

Christiana Care Health Systems – $5,145
To support the annual spring overnight field trip of the First State School, which serves chronically ill children and adolescents.

Latino Serving

Habitat for Humanity Sussex County – $21,250
To support the anticipated growth of Latino clients in the Sussex County Habitat for Humanity’s (SCHFH) Family Empowerment Program for financial literacy education.

TeenSHARP – $11,750
To support the Delaware Goes to College Academy (DGCA), which provides academic advising and college guidance in English and Spanish to Latino high school students and their families across Sussex County.

Children and Families First – $8,500
To allow the Sussex Community of Hope Latino Community Outreach project to translate outreach and survey materials into Spanish.

ESL Lutheran Church of Our Savior – $4,250
To expand the English as a Second Language program to serve the growing population of non-English speakers in Sussex County from South and Central American countries.

La Esperanza – $8,500
To support a New Citizenship Program to provide education, outreach, and full naturalization preparation for eligible Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR).

Literacy Delaware – $8,500
To expand Literacy Delaware’s services into Sussex County.

Autism Delaware – $8,500
To expand the Autism Care Team (ACT) program in Sussex County, with a focus on Spanish-speaking families in Sussex County with a child affected by autism.

Sussex Tech Adult Division – $12,750
To provide continuing GED instruction for English Language Learners in English and Spanish at James H. Groves High School in Sussex County.

Photo: Summer Learning Collaborative’s Tyler’s Camp

A Link in the Chain: Ending Cycles of Violence and Socioeconomic Inequality in Wilmington

Posted by Rebecca Klug

· Wednesday, June 24th, 2020

· 1 Comment

Margaret Guy, executive director of Stop the Violence Prayer Chain Foundation, talks about providing educational and social services to children and families who live at or below the poverty level, and who are often impacted by domestic and gun violence.

Stop the Violence Prayer Chain Foundation received $2,500 in grants from the Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund to continue providing essential supplies for children in Wilmington during the crisis. In the past, the organization has offered after-school tutoring, educational trips, life-skills classes and apprenticeships, and has even partnered with Comcast to produce a children’s show. Now they’re finding new ways to connect with a community affected by the social and economic impacts of the pandemic.

We also talk with Sheila Bravo, president & CEO of the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement (DANA) and one of the DCF’s key partners in establishing the Strategic Response Fund.

You can listen and subscribe to the show on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player. Find all podcast episodes at delcf.org/podcast.

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