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June 20, 2025

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5 News Notes

Women & Girls Fund Announces this Year’s Grants for Programs Benefitting Area Women and Girls

April 22, 2022 by Women & Girls Fund

The Women & Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore has announced its list of recipients for the 2022 grant cycle.  Twelve local non-profit organizations received awards totaling $50,432 for programs addressing critical needs facing women and girls in the five Mid-Shore counties of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot.

The grants went to 3 new applicants and 9 non-profits that have been awarded Women & Girls Fund grants at least once before.

First-time grant recipients are Aaron’s Place, Minorities in Aquaculture, and Talbot Hospice.

Repeat recipients are CASA of Caroline, Critchlow Adkins Children’s Centers, Compass Regional Hospice, For All Seasons, Horizons of Kent and Queen Anne’s, Haven Ministries, Kent Attainable Housing, Talbot Community Connections, and Tilghman Area Youth Association.

To help select grants, the Fund’s board recruits two dozen volunteer grant readers who work in teams for three months to review each application.  Using their reports and recommendations, the Board of Directors makes the final award decisions.

“The grant reading process is one of my favorite things we do as an organization”, said Allie Prell, who co-chairs the Grants Committee with board member, Beth Spurry.  “It allows our volunteers to learn about organizations in our communities, be part of what we do, and see first-hand how the process works,” she added.

“This was our second year of adjusting to Covid, and though it is very different from our usual in-person meetings with applicants, the reading groups have been able to accomplish a great deal via zoom and phone conferences,” Mrs. Prell continued. “Thanks to their efforts, the Board can do the work of connecting donor dollars with the organizations whose programs match our mission.”

This year’s grant recipients will reach children, teens, and adults through a broad range of programs on issues addressing such things as life skills development, academic enrichment, specialized mental health counseling, first-time homeownership, and end-of-life care.

Aaron’s Place is a well-established human services outreach organization in Caroline County.  Services include food distribution, GED and ESL classes, rental and utility assistance, and senior care.  This grant will support the “Mommy and Me” program that seeks to prepare young women to be mothers and teaches young girls grooming skills while building self-esteem.  New mothers come for free baby supplies and stay for the assortment of classes that will help them learn to care properly for themselves and their babies.

Minorities in Aquaculture, founded in 2020, seeks to address the lack of diversity and inclusion in the male-dominated aquaculture industry.  It bridges the gap between minorities and sustainable seafood by creating a supportive space for professional growth while actively changing the current demographics in aquaculture. Through academic and industry partnerships, MIA will identify girls and young women interested in science, primarily sustainable aquaculture, and offer paid internships with partner aquaculture organizations to eliminate any financial barriers that might impede their academic or professional progress.  This grant will provide support for internships.

Talbot Hospice is a fully licensed medical hospice that offers comprehensive care in homes, nursing facilities, at Hospice House (the only residential program in Talbot County), and partners with the local hospital to serve hospice patients who cannot leave the acute care setting.  In operation since 1981, it now has 75 staff and 175 volunteers, who in 2020-21 made more than 4,500 visits in homes and facilities to provide hospice care and daily living tasks.  Recently, more than half of the patients at Hospice House were women and 61% of them received free or subsidized room and board through the Community Supported Care program.  This grant will help cover the cost of meals and personal care items, often not fully paid by Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance, for women who need the Hospice House to pass in a dignified and peaceful way.

Now in its 20th year of awarding grants, The Women & Girls Fund has given more than $782,000 to 105 unique non-profits in the Mid-Shore region.  Its mission is to support under-funded programs and initiatives that aid women and girls, raise awareness of community needs, and advance women’s philanthropy in the region.  A component fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, the Fund has built a growing permanent endowment of more than $1.2 million dollars with donations from individuals and businesses around the Mid-Shore.

“The Women & Girls Fund is so grateful to all our donors who have enabled us to support these wonderful organizations over the past 20 years, and who continue to support our mission in the community. We also owe a debt of gratitude to our grantees that continue to work tirelessly to improve and enhance the lives of women and girls in our communities”, said Women & Girls Fund Board President, Kathy Deoudes.

IRS-designated non-profit organizations in the Mid-Shore whose programs specifically target the needs of women and girls are encouraged to apply for a grant.  Grant applications for the 2023 grant cycle are due by November 1, 2022.  Guidelines and a downloadable application form are available at https://womenandgirlsfund.org/grant-guidelines.

For more information, call 410-770-8347, email [email protected] or visit www.womenandgirlsfund.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: 5 News Notes Tagged With: grants, local news, women

Md. Democratic Women Hail Harris Selection as ‘Monumental’ Moment

August 12, 2020 by Maryland Matters

Growing up in the suburbs of New York City, as a young girl interested in politics, Del. Wanika B. Fisher (D-Prince George’s) never imagined that she’d see someone who looked like her at the highest echelons of American politics.

Now that U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) has been selected to become former vice president Joe Biden’s running mate, Fisher — who like Harris is half Black and half Indian-American, a child of immigrants — is ecstatic.

“I’m super excited,” Fisher said in an interview Tuesday, moments after Biden’s decision was made public. “She’s like my spirit animal because we’re both half-Asian and half-Black. We’re also both former prosecutors.”

Leading Democratic women in Maryland reacted generally with approval — and in some cases, joy — after hearing the news. Some spoke or wrote of the nomination in very personal terms.

“I cannot put into words how monumental a moment this is for black and brown girls across our country,” Del. Stephanie M. Smith (D-Baltimore City) wrote on Twitter. “This is a first step. It takes the right mix of heart, smarts and AMBITION to meet this moment. Sen. Harris is ready to lead and I’m ready to battle for her chance!”

Smith, who is a graduate of two historically Black colleges and universities, hailed the fact that Harris, who did her undergraduate work at Howard University, is the first graduate of an HBCU on a national presidential ticket.

Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) — the first African-American and the first woman to hold the speaker’s gavel in state history — tweeted that she was “thrilled” by the choice.

“Black women are the backbone of our party and our country and I believe this is the winning ticket we need to defeat Trump,” Jones said.

“Joe was definitely listening” to people who told him how important it would be to select a Black woman, Fisher said.

State Sen. Mary L. Washington (D-Baltimore City) said Harris will enter the pantheon of other Black women who have been trailblazers in American politics, like the late congresswoman Shirley Chisholm (D-N.Y.), former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.) and former U.S. secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

“We’re witnessing history again,” Washington said in an interview, “when we are standing at a time that’s been defined by really toxic, racist, anti-LGBT culture coming from the White House.”

Women praised Biden for selecting Harris even though they clashed at times during the Democratic presidential debates — especially when Harris suggested in one televised moment that some of the policies on school busing that Biden embraced during his early career as a senator harmed Black girls like her.

“I think it says a lot for him to pick her,” Washington said. “She gave him a solid punch, and to come back to her speaks well of him.”

Harris’ performance on the debate stage — and during high-profile Senate hearings — helped her outshine other women that Biden vetted for the VP slot, Washington said.

“For me, what’s really key here is she stood on a national stage and was unafraid to call out the past, to speak truth to power,” she said.

Speaking on MSNBC Tuesday afternoon, former Maryland congresswoman Donna Edwards hailed Harris’ ability “to go toe-to-toe on policy” with any Republican.

And unlike some of the other candidates Biden was considering, Harris has relationships on Capitol Hill and executive experience from her time as California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney that would serve her well as vice president — or if she’s ever required to take over from Biden, Maryland Democrats said.

“I think she’s obviously got the skill and stamina,” Fisher said. “And she’s been around a lot of the players on the Hill. A lot of the other women would have to rely more on staff. I think Kamala is definitely in a place to govern.”

But before there can be governing, Biden and Harris must first get through an intense campaign against President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Asked by Chuck Todd on MSNBC Tuesday how Harris would do in a debate against Pence, Edwards paused for a moment.

“Wow,” she replied.

By Josh Kurtz

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Maryland News Tagged With: Biden, democrats, election, kamala harris, vice president, women

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