Community Alliance for the Performing Arts (C.A.P.A.) - $2,500.00
Setting the stage for youth to succeed by fostering the growth and diversity of performing arts on the Eastern Shore
This grant will aid the organization’s ability to assist Mid-Shore children, aged five through eighteen, by providing need-based scholarships. For 2007, CAPA is expanding its original SummerFame program by two weeks with added in-depth sessions and smaller class sizes; also added are two one-week SummerFame programs to be offered at Tilghman Elementary School. In the fall, CAPA will add singing and dancing to its after-school performing arts program. All of these projects provide a nurturing environment within which to reinforce positive attitudes, self-confidence, and newly learned skills.
www.capafund.org

Channel Marker, Inc. - $5,000.00
Providing prevention and support services to individuals, their families and the communityto maximize the mental health potential of all
A grant for support services for Talbot County elementary school girls is part of the Primary Mental Health Project aimed at learning skills and other school-related competencies. This program screens Talbot County students in grades K-3 to identify children in need of early intervention mental health services. The project sought to serve a total of 65 students in the Talbot County schools during the 2006-07 school year. Channel Markers, Inc. has over twenty years of intensive community experience of providing mental health services.
www.channelmarker.org

Easton Day Care Center, Inc. - $3,000.00
Providing quality childcare for children in Talbot County
This grant supports the Help a Child Grow initiative by providing tuition assistance to Easton Day Care for families headed by single mothers who have the significant need and are working or attending school in order to further their careers and move toward economic sustainability. In operation since 1970, it currently operates five accredited facilities throughout the county.
www.eastondaycare.org

Easton Recreational Opportunities and Clubs for Kids, Inc. (Easton ROCKS) - $5,000.00
Providing needed after-school activities in Talbot County
Easton ROCKS after School provides Easton Elementary students in grades one through five with a fun, safe, and educational place, before and after school, to participate in enriching special interest programs and physical activities. Programs are open to all regardless of their ability to pay the nominal charge. The goal is to improve academics and physical fitness, build school and community spirit, foster friendships, and provide a wide array of programming.With this grant, Easton ROCKS will be able to purchase the curricula for Girls Inc. Operation SMART: Science, Math, and Related Technology. The new “Just for Girls” programming will have math, science, health and social skills, and physical fitness components.

For All Seasons, Inc. - $3,500.00
Providing affordable, easily accessible quality care, prevention, support, intervention, and therapeutic services to residents of the Mid-Shore
This grant will provide for two clinicians to develop and facilitate a pilot Mother-Daughter Connection Program. Twelve mothers and their middle-school age daughters will have the opportunity to increase their healthy communication patterns and develop strategies for the mothers to assist their teenagers in ways the daughters finds supportive. For All Seasons, Inc. provides affordable, easily accessible quality care, prevention, support, intervention, and therapeutic services to residents of the Mid-Shore.
www.forallseasonsinc.org

Prince Theatre Foundation - $2,500.00
Providing a variety of cultural and educational programs out of The Prince Theatre in Chestertown
This grant will support tuition assistance, staff salary assistance, and educational materials for theatre workshops to be held between June 2007 and May 2008. The workshops at The Prince Theatre are designed to have students strengthen skills in the areas of theatrical performance and further develop their self-expression, self-esteem, literacy, decision making skills, and ability to work independently and collaboratively. Storybook Theatre is an after-school program to be run in two sessions in fall 2007 and spring 2008. Playmakers Summer Program will offer a daily, 5-week summer camp that culminates in a final, large-scale community production.
www.princetheatre.org

St. Martin’s Ministries - $3,000.00
Offering a full array of supportive services to Mid-Shore residents from its location in central Caroline County
This grant will provide dental care for the women and children living at Saint Martin’s House. The women in residence there are each in the process of making a life change. They are enrolled in educational classes, they seek jobs, and they participate in structured programs in order to learn life skills such as parenting, self-esteem, and personal financial management. They receive regular counseling for the problems that have led them to seek shelter at Saint Martin’s House.
www.stmartinsministries.org

Shared Opportunity Service, Inc. (SOS)/Kent Family Center - $5,000.00
Serving residents of Kent County
This grant will support a second year of the successful Girls on the Run of Kent County, which, in the course of training girls ages eight to thirteen for a 3.1 mile run, promotes healthy attitudes including teamwork, self-acceptance, positive body image, conflict resolution, and nutritional awareness. In addition to the 2007-08 school year program, there will be a summer 2007 session.  Kent Family Center’s mission is “to assist families in becoming healthy, stable, and self sufficient and to offer them information, guidance, and support.”
www.kentfamilycenter.org

Visions Learning Center (Visions America Community Development Corporation) - $3,000.00
Serving residents of Dorchester County
This grant provides funds for a pilot program, Learning and Lifestyles. During an eight-week summer program, minority and at-risk students will learn computer skills and increase their reading, writing, and language proficiencies. Life skills include cooking, childcare, and the development of career goals. Visions Learning Center is a community-based organization located in Dorchester County that offers services from senior care to small business development courses. It is Visions Learning Center's goal for the Learning and Lifestyles program to foster self-esteem and self-confidence as well as improved academic success.

Community Alliance for the Performing Arts (CAPA) - $1,500.00
Setting the stage for youth to succeed by fostering the growth and diversity of performing arts on the Eastern Shore
This grant was used for need-based scholarships for CAPA’s 2006 summer programs, SummerFame, Curtain Call, and Curtain Call Junior, as well as the Performing Arts Workshops for kids. These youth programs serve children from the Mid-Shore ages 5 – 19 and build self-esteem through acting programs set in a nurturing environment. CAPA’s mission is “to set the stage for youth to succeed by fostering the growth and diversity of performing arts on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.”
www.capafund.org

CASA of Talbot County - $3,000.00
Advocates for every abused and neglected child in the Talbot County court system
This grant was made to support CASA of Talbot’s efforts to provide services in Queen Anne’s County. In order for the program to begin operation by FY 2008, a needs assessment must be conducted, followed by informational and planning meetings, and the creation of a management plan. All of this is being done at the request of and in partnership with The Hon. Thomas G. Ross, County Administrative Judge for the Circuit Court for Queen Anne’s County.
www.casaoftalbot.org

Channel Marker, Inc. - $5,000.00
Providing prevention and support services to individuals, their families and the community to maximize the mental health potential of all
A grant for support services for Talbot County elementary school girls is part of the Primary Mental Health Project aimed at learning skills and other school-related competencies. This program screens Talbot County students in grades K-3 to identify children in need of early intervention mental health services. The project sought to serve a total of 65 students in the Talbot County schools during the 2006-07 school year. Channel Markers, Inc. has over twenty years of intensive community experience of providing mental health services.
www.channelmarker.org

Healthy Families Queen Anne’s/Talbot through
the Queen Anne’s County Health Department - $3,500.00
Serving families with recognized risk factors for child abuse and neglect
This grant was used for The Healthy Families Sustainability Project to fund the home visiting staff during the second half of FY 2006. The program provides neurologically based childhood development curriculum to 44 high-risk families in Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties. Healthy Families QA/T serves a target population of residents who are first-time parents, eligible for Maryland’s Children’s Health Insurance Program, and who have been identified as being at-risk for poor parenting outcomes. Eligible families are offered Healthy Families and voluntarily engage in an intensive, strength-based service that begins during pregnancy and continues until the target child starts school.
www.talbothealth.org

New Beginnings Youth Center - $5,000.00
Serving low-income Dorchester County residents
This grant supported the People of Courage Program, a 3-month program for people wanting to re-enter the workforce, embark on their own business, or return to school. Based on an individual assessment, each participant’s program was geared toward advancing the appropriate skills. The goal of the program is to serve a total of 20 persons in two sessions.

Shared Opportunity Service, Inc. (Kent Family Center) - $2,500.00
Serving residents of Kent County
This grant funded a 10-week session of Girls on the Run© as part of the Kent Family Center’s After School Youth Program. The experiential curriculum is a nationwide program geared for girls ages 8-13 which promotes healthy character development skills as the girls train for a 3.1 mile run. Kent Family Center’s mission is to assist families in becoming healthy, stable and self sufficient, and to offer them information, guidance and support.
www.kentfamilycenter.org

Summer Days Math & Science Camp for Girls - $1,800.00
Serving girls from across the Mid-Shore
Our grant was used to fund two new positions for Summer Days for its 2006 summer sessions. At each of the two sessions, a Junior Counselor was added to the staff thus enriching the camp experience by being a valuable role model and mentor for the campers. Summer Days provides an excellent setting for young girls to explore the fields of math and science, to gain self-sufficiency, and to develop life-skills through education in a fun and safe setting.
www.mathandsciencecamp.com

Talbot Community Connections, Inc. - $2,500.00
Working with the issues of safety, security, health and well-being of the residents of Talbot County
This grant provided funding for the purchase of a set of anatomically detailed dolls which are being used with victims of child abuse in the forensic interview at the Child Advocacy Center located in the pediatric wing of the Memorial Hospital at Easton. Also, the grant helped to defray the cost of the training necessary for the proper use of the dolls. Talbot Community Connections, Inc. was formed as a non-profit organization to raise funds to answer the unmet needs of the Talbot County Department of Social Services.
www.dhr.state.md.us/talbot.htm

Talbot Mentors, Inc. - $3,000.00
Bringing together caring adults with Talbot County children who can use a friend
This grant was used to support mentoring services, such as volunteer screening, mentor training, and matching procedures. Currently, there are 65 mentor/mentee matches, of which 40% are girls. The goal was to add 12 new matches during the 2006-2007 school year. Talbot Mentors mission is “to match children in Talbot County with volunteer mentors in order to support those young people in the challenges and opportunities through friendship, guidance, and education.”
tmentors@goeaston.net

Caroline County Mental Health Clinic of the
Regional Mid-Shore Mental Health Services - $5,000.00
Provides mental health services to Caroline County residents
This grant provided the funds for a 12-week support group for “at-risk” parents of children from birth to six years of age. Through this program, the families received parenting skills and coping mechanisms giving them tools to help strengthen their families and improve their quality of life.
www.carolinehd.org

CASA of Caroline - $3,750.00
Advocates for every abused and neglected child in the Caroline County court system
This grant provided funds to CASA of Caroline (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for volunteer recruitment, pre-service training and continuing education. Founded in 2002, CASA of Caroline currently has 10 advocates and hopes to recruit an additional thirty. These volunteers work to meet the needs of Caroline County’s most vulnerable young people who find themselves in the judicial system through no fault of their own.
www.carolinecasa.org

CASA of Talbot County - $1,000.00
Advocates for every abused and neglected child in the Talbot County court system
Because cases have become more complicated by parental addiction and mental health issues, the need for more extensive training has evolved. A grant was made to provide increased training through the purchase of additional training materials and videos.
www.casaoftalbot.org

Clare House for Women - $5,000.00
A sanctuary for women in need in Dorchester County
The Community of St. Francis Clare House, which is located in Cambridge, opened in 2004 and has served as a sanctuary to over 20 women in need. The organization has provided housing, meals, transportation, medical assistance, and access to community services to area women who are disadvantaged or in transition due to prison release, illness, substance abuse, escape from domestic abuse, or homelessness. This grant was used to help fund the position of Administrative Coordinator for the house, which allowed the organization to serve more women more efficiently.

Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence - $4,000.00
Provides shelter, counseling, and advocacy services to Mid-Shore residents
The Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence, located in Denton, serves as the central access point of access for assistance on domestic violence within the counties of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot. In 2003-2004, MSCFV provided services to 628 individuals. This grant provided funding of the organization’s “Client Needs Fund” which makes one-time payments to post-crisis victims of domestic abuse with financial transitional needs.
www.mscfv.org

St. Luke’s Nursery School - $1,250.00
A pre-school for children in the Bay Hundred region of Talbot County
This grant provided scholarship assistance for children from low-income families or who had working single mothers residing in the Bay Hundred area of Talbot County. Located in St. Michaels, and in operation since 1979, the pre-school offers a quality program that helps prepare children for school in a safe and enjoyable atmosphere.

Mental Heath Association in Talbot County - $3,000.00
Provides services for Mid-Shore residents
This grant helped to fund a second printing of “My Child’s Journal.” Written in English and Spanish, the Journal is distributed cost-free to every woman across the Mid-Shore during her seventh month of pregnancy. The goal is to prepare women from all socio-economic income levels for their children’s birth and to help cement a long-term relationship between parent and child.
www.mhamdes.org

New Beginnings Youth Center - $5,000.00
Serving low-income Dorchester County residents
New Beginnings Youth Center in Cambridge opened in 2001. It provides mentoring, tutoring and after school programs for at-risk youth and parents who live in the low-income neighborhoods it serves. Statistics, kept by the Cambridge Police Department, show a significant drop in all categories of crime since the center opened its doors. Our grant was used to fund two programs at the Center. The first program brought young mothers together in an informal setting to learn life and conflict resolution skills, while the second sought to create “ . . . a belief by girls that they can achieve,” by providing structured summer and after school programs. The model established at New Beginnings is being used in other communities across the state.
www.nbyfs.org

Pickering Creek Audubon Center - $2,412.00
An environmental resource serving the Mid-Shore
This grant funded a “Lifeskills” program in conjunction with the Talbot County Family Support Center. The eight-week program provided young mothers of children under four with opportunities to develop parenting skills and a healthy lifestyle while learning about their environment.
www.pickeringcreek.org

St. Michaels Housing Authority - $6,300.00
Serving residents of the Bay Hundred region of Talbot County
This grant provided scholarship funds in 2004 at TLC Childcare Center in St. Michaels. TLC is the only infant day care provider in the Bay Hundred area of Talbot County. The mission of the childcare program is to help keep parents in the work force while alleviating one of their most pressing concerns – finding safe, stable childcare.

Summer Days Math & Science Camp for Girls - $1,200.00
Serving girls from across the Mid-Shore
A grant provided scholarship funds and helped to purchase much needed computer equipment for the summer camp program. The computer equipment aided in the administration of the camp, was used for the campers’ math and science research, and was used to create a slideshow for the end-of-the-session ceremony.
www.mathandsciencecamp.com

Talbot County Family Support Center - $1,490.00
Serving residents of Talbot County
A grant was to be used to fund a program that educated young women about the dangers and difficulties of teen pregnancy and parenting. Called the “Realities of Teen Pregnancy – a program by teens for teens,” it was to send a panel of teen mothers into local schools and community organizations to discuss the realities of their lives. Because of a change in funding at the State level this program was never undertaken so the grant money was returned to the Women & Girls Fund.

CASA of Talbot County - $5,000.00
Advocates for every abused and neglected child in the Talbot County court system
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) was created in 1990 to advocate for every abused and neglected child who is in the Talbot County court system through no fault of their own. This grant was awarded to fund a training resource center of videos, books and pamphlets for CASA’s many volunteers. The training resources were also made available to the other CASA organizations on the Mid-Shore.
www.casaoftalbot.org

For All Seasons - $3,360.00
Serves women and girls throughout the Mid-Shore
This grant provided funding for two professionals to develop and facilitate after school groups for “at-risk” girls. The groups’ aim was to maintain connections with peers and adult women in the community, while at the same time increasing self-esteem and self-expression through verbal and creative activities. The groups covered a broad range of topics relating to the many needs of these girls.
www.forallseasonsinc.org

Summer Days Math & Science Camp for Girls - $900.00
Serving girls from across the Mid-Shore
Summer Days provides an excellent setting for young girls to explore the fields of math and science during its two-week sessions. This grant helped provide scholarship money and also helped bring a renowned forensic scientist to the camp. The Summer Days Math & Science Camp for Girls was started in 1994 to help introduce girls to math and science and to promote the pursuit of science careers for women. Since careers in the sciences have not typically been valued or nurtured among girls in the United States this program seeks to fill that gap.
www.mathandsciencecamp.com

Talbot County Family Support Center - $3,000.00
Serving residents of Talbot County
Our grant funded prenatal classes for Spanish-speaking and adolescent mothers, part of the underserved population of our community, instructing them in the importance of pre and postnatal care. The participants learned the importance of prenatal and newborn infant care in assuring safe births and healthy babies.