On Tuesday, December 3rd, Mid-Shore Community Foundation will host Mid-Shore Gives 2024, an online Giving Day Event to benefit local nonprofits in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot Counties.

“Mid-Shore Gives is a way for us to support our nonprofits, while engaging the community,” said Buck Duncan, President of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation. “Last year’s event was a success, with 77 participating organizations, the event raised $86,564 for local nonprofits! We hope to make an even greater impact this year.”

Nonprofit organizations, including those under fiscal sponsorship, serving Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot Counties, are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity. Participants are provided with the tools and resources needed to have a successful charitable campaign, including best-in-class fundraising technology, and there is no cost to participate.

Businesses are invited to join the Mid-Shore Community Foundation in sponsoring this year’s event.  Thanks to generous sponsors, prize money and incentives are awarded throughout the day.

Individuals are encouraged to participate in fundraising. If your favorite nonprofit is participating in Mid-Shore Gives, you can raise funds on their behalf or you can fundraise for the Giving Day in general. Simply, create a fundraising profile and invite your friends, family, and colleagues to join you in giving back.

The giving begins on Tuesday, December 3rd at midnight! Donations will be accepted online at midshoregives.org. All donations go to the designated nonprofits. The minimum donation is $10.00, and all donations are tax-deductible.

For additional information or to get involved, visit midshoregives.org or contact Heather Pickens at [email protected].

www.midshoregives.org

Mid-Shore Community Foundation recently welcomed Wayne Cole, Ronnie Edelman, and Carrie Manuel to its Board of Directors.

“We are excited to welcome Wayne Cole, Ronnie Edelman, and Carrie Manuel to our Board of Directors,” said Buck Duncan, Mid-Shore Community Foundation President. “We are fortunate to have talented and supportive volunteers, with diverse skill sets and backgrounds.”

Officers and directors for FY25 are Moorhead Vermilye, Chair; Alice Ryan, Vice Chair; Carrie Manuel, Treasurer; David Nagel, Assistant Treasurer; Andy Meehan, Secretary; Joe Anthony, JoAnn Asparagus-Murray, Heather Bacher, Kevin Cashen, Bill Christopher, Wayne Cole, Ronnie Edelman, Stephanie Folarin, George Fox, Linda Friday, Aaron Gabrielian, Heather Guerieri, Kirk Helfenbein, Joe Holt, Ruth Ann Jones, John Lewis, Becky Loukides, Harriette Lowery, Bryan Matthews, Greg Meekins, Nancy Mugele, Jenny Rhodes, Steve Rideout, Tolbert Rowe, Otis Sampson, Brett Summers, and Tracy Tyler.

Wayne Cole (Caroline County) – Cole is the co-owner and CFO of WIN Transport Inc., a transportation brokerage firm located in Caroline County. Wayne currently sits on the Caroline County Ethics Commission and is on the Caroline County Social Services Advisory Board. He is a Board Member of Choptank Community Health Systems, a member of the Board of Directors of the Caroline Foundation, the Finance Chairman for the Union United Methodist Church, and he is very active in the Lions Club. In the past, he served two terms on the Caroline County Board of Education, where he attended school, and served on numerous state committees, including the Finance Committee and Conference Committee through the Maryland Association of Boards of Education. He was the charter President of the Federalsburg Jaycees and the charter President of the South Caroline Little League.

Ronnie Edelman (Kent County) – Edelman originally from New York State, where she attended college and law school. After working for New York City’s Health Services Administration as a health educator and as a trouble shooter for the Education Task Force in the Mayor’s Office, she began a 30-year career with the U.S. Department of Justice. She was hired in 1975 through the Honors Program as a trial attorney in the Fraud Section of the Criminal Division and progressed to positions as Principal Deputy Chief in the Office of Special Investigations, the Terrorism and Violent Crime Section, and the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division. Her work included the investigation and prosecution of criminal fraud conspiracies throughout the U.S., the denaturalization and deportation of World War II Nazis who entered the U.S. in violation of our immigration laws, nation-wide oversight of terrorism investigations and prosecutions, and the drafting of counterterrorism policy and legislation. Ronnie was a frequent visitor to Kent County before moving to Galena in 2006. She is active in many Kent County community organizations and non-profits, including Kent Attainable Housing, Chestertown RiverArts, Mid-Shore District AARP Tax Foundation, the League of Women Voters of Kent County, Chestertown Havurah, Kent County Library Foundation, WC-ALL Council at Washington College, and Echo Hill Outdoor School.

Carrie Manuel (Dorchester & Talbot County) – Manuel is the Controller at Easton Utilities Commission. She graduated from Fairfield University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. Carrie worked extensively with many local not-for-profit organizations during her years in public accounting and recognizes their invaluable benefit to the Mid-Shore region. Carrie is a member of the MSCF Finance Committee and while in public accounting, she performed the MSCF Annual Audit.

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About Mid-Shore Community Foundation

Established in 1992, Mid-Shore Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity with a mission to enhance the quality of life throughout the Mid-Shore Region of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot Counties. A trusted partner to both donors and nonprofit organizations, the Foundation manages 590 charitable funds and $137 million in charitable assets for the local community. Since its founding, the Foundation has awarded more than $78.4 million in grants and scholarships. For more information, visit https://www.mscf.org.

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Mid-Shore Community Foundation honored six award recipients and celebrated philanthropic achievements at its Annual Awards Event on December 8th at the Tidewater Inn in Easton, Maryland.

“This year’s award recipients have made a meaningful difference in the lives of others,” said Buck Duncan, President of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation. “We are honored to recognize and support their important work.”

The Town Watch Award, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership and service in the Mid-Shore Community, was presented to Shavonte “Shay” Lewis-Sisco. Shay is the Community Impact and Engagement Manager at the Eastern Shore Area Health Education Center and is involved in many areas of the community, serving as a Board Member for Cambridge Waterfront Development, a career counselor for DCPS, and working with Moving Dorchester Forward.

The J. McKenny Willis, Jr. Award, which recognizes nonprofit organizations for providing outstanding service to the community, was presented to Barbara Parker of The Mainstay and to Dr. James Bell of Mid-Shore Early Learning Center. Barbara serves as the Board President of The Mainstay, a nonprofit live music venue in Rock Hall that is dedicated to the performing arts. James serves as the Board President of Mid-Shore Early Learning Center, a nonprofit childcare center in Easton that provides early childhood care in an inclusive, enriching, and diverse environment.

Three Special Recognition Awards were presented for notable achievements in the Mid-Shore Region.  Beth Brewster was recognized for her accomplishments as the driving force at the Chesapeake Culinary Center in Denton, which offers culinary training programs and provides incubator services for small food-based businesses. Krista Pettit, Director of One Mission Cambridge, was recognized for her work in providing resources and assistance to those in need in Dorchester County. Chris Branch and Shawn Tucker, both teachers in the Dorchester County Public Schools, were recognized for their leadership in establishing a Gentlemen’s Club to provide opportunities and activities for young men in Dorchester County.

In addition to the awards, each honoree received a donation to designate to the charity of their choice and forty-one nonprofit organizations received grant checks.

“The work of the Community Foundation is a collaborative effort,” said Duncan. “With your help, in Fiscal Year 2023, we distributed $7.4 million in grants and charitable expenses, including $1.7 million in scholarships to local students.”

 

Mid-Shore Gives 2023, the online Giving Day Event to benefit local nonprofits, resulted in $86,564 for participating organizations!

In just 24 hours, more than 591 donations were made to 77 participating organizations. Since inception in 2022, the event has raised $150,000 for nonprofit organizations in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot Counties.

The event is held on Giving Tuesday, the international giving day, which is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.  Hosted by the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Mid-Shore Gives assists local nonprofits with their fundraising efforts.  Participating organizations are provided with the tools and resources needed to have a successful charitable campaign, including best-in-class fundraising technology.

Thanks to generous sponsors, prize money and incentives are awarded throughout the day. This year’s sponsors include Easton Utilities, Envision Wealth Planning, Mason Investment Advisory Services, Nagel Farm Service, PepUp, The Easton Group at Morgan Stanley, and The SRPA Group at Baird.

“Mid-Shore Gives is a way for us to support our nonprofits, while engaging the community,” said Buck Duncan, President of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation. “This is a fun event for both donors and nonprofits, and 100% of all gifts go to local charities.”

To learn more about Mid-Shore Gives, visit midshoregives.org.

The Roberta B. Holt Scholarship Fund at Mid-Shore Community Foundation (MSCF) celebrated its 10^th anniversary this year by awarding $560,000 in scholarships to deserving Caroline County students. Over the last 10 years, the fund has awarded $2.8 million. The story behind the fund is about a successful woman from Caroline County who wanted her assets to be used toward bettering her fellow man – specifically supporting the educational endeavors of students in need of financial support to achieve their goals.

Roberta “Bobbie” Baxter Holt was a native of Federalsburg. She graduated from Federalsburg High School and then received her bachelor’s degree in sociology at the University of Delaware, a master’s degree in social work at the University of Minnesota, and a doctorate in social work from the Catholic University of America. She was a research associate in the Laboratory of Brain Evolution and Behavior at the National Institutes of Mental Health and had a long successful career as a psychotherapist with a family-oriented practice in Chevy Chase, Maryland. She also served on the faculty of Georgetown University in what is now the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family. She lived in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

“She remained connected to her Federalsburg roots. She exemplified her personal philosophy of doing something productive every day to further yourself or humankind. She was determined to use her success and the assets of her estate to encourage others to do the same. Her brother, Haines Holt, established this extraordinary scholarship program to fulfill her commitment to education,” comments Buck Duncan, President of MSCF.

Education was something Bobbie valued.  Haines states, “As the executor of her estate, I knew she wanted the funds to help people in Caroline County further their education.”

Although Bobbie never had children of her own, she influenced many children, including the life of one of her closest friends who shared her memories of Bobbie, stating, “She came from a small provincial town, went far, and yet remained humble . . . She was a supportive friend to young people. My daughter asked, ‘Did she have a glimmer of the impact she had on people?’”

Bobbie was exposed to the needs of the Caroline County community while working as a volunteer toward the end of her life with the Caroline County Department of Social Services. In setting up the scholarship fund at MSCF in honor of his sister, Haines engaged friends Clay Railey from Chesapeake College and Dale Brown, a principal in Caroline County, to help him find students who needed educational support. During the early years when the scholarship was awarded, students received funding toward one year of their college programs. Since then, students receive support for all four years if they are attending a four-year college. An additional change since the scholarship’s early days is that it supports students attending trade schools and provides scholarships for non-traditional students furthering their education.

“Trade schools and adults returning to get their education are growing numbers in the scholarships we award,” Haines adds.

“I know a lot of people think about the legacy they want to leave in their communities. Bobbie certainly did — this fund is changing lives generationally,” he concludes.

Mid-Shore Community Foundation awards scholarships to high school seniors in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot Counties.  In FY23, MSCF awarded 221 scholarships, totaling $1.7 Million. The majority of the Foundation’s scholarships, including the Roberta B. Holt Scholarship, are awarded through a Pooled Scholarship Application – students complete one online application and the Foundation matches them to all scholarships for which they meet eligibility.  The 2023/24 Pooled Scholarship Application will open on December 1, 2023.  To apply visit www.mscf.org.