Women & Girls Fund

Women & Girls Fund grants address homelessness and youth program needs

In her address at the Women & Girls Fund Awards Luncheon, Beth Spurry, president of The Women & Girls Fund, said she was heartened that many of the 2011 grants are supporting organizations that address two increasingly critical needs: providing shelter for homeless women and families, and offering after-school programs for youth. Of the grants awarded on April 29th, five went to programs that shelter the homeless or provide affordable assisted living facilities for seniors, and seven went to organizations that provide academic, healthy life-style or enrichment programs for young people, especially young women and girls.

Spurry explained that, in recent decades, the number of homeless women throughout the country has increased faster than the number of homeless men. She quoted from a study by the National Coalition for the Homeless, explaining that homeless women are at disproportionately high risk of dying at a relatively young age, while homeless children tend to fall behind their peers in school.

Since the housing market collapse, Spurry noted, homelessness has nearly doubled in many American communities. Domestic violence, she said, is the direct cause of homelessness for more than half of all homeless women in the nation, while homeless women and girls have often experienced adult partner abuse, foster homes, and childhood sexual abuse.

After-school programs that operate from 3 to 6 pm, meanwhile, are another critical need, Spurry said. “This time of day is called ‘the danger zone’ by law enforcement, as it is the prime time for violent juvenile crime,” she explained. Afternoons, she said, are also “when kids are most likely to become victims of violent crime, be involved in all kinds of accidents, experiment with drugs or alcohol, and become pregnant.”

Spurry said she was pleased that so many grants this year will fund programs that combat homelessness or enrich the lives of children and teens on the Mid-Shore.

“I discovered a renewed zeal in my own heart for the work that we do that benefits families, and therefore our community, in truly transformational ways,” she said.

Women & Girls Fund Presents "Return To Afghanistan"

Women & Girls Fund's co-sponsorship of Return to Afghanistan in Easton during October and November, 2010, was an enormous success. The program offered unique opportunities to learn about Afghan culture, history, humanitarian issues and refugee challenges. Notable spokespersons and photographers from Afghanistan offered insights and images of this intriguing land and the enduring spirit of its citizens.

As part of the broad-ranging program, Dr. Khaled Hosseini, author of the international bestselling novels, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, made a rare appearance along with former Afghan Ambassador to the United States Said Jawad. The moderated panel discussion, An Evening with Khaled Hosseini, attracted a standing-room-only audience to the Avalon Theatre.

In addition, the Chesapeake Film Festival hosted a screening of The Kite Runner at the Avalon Theatre, and there were two photography exhibitions that ran for several weeks: Images from Afghanistan at the Waterfowl Building, and Steve McCurry: Afghanistan Photographs, at the Academy Art Museum. It was Steve McCurry's iconic "Afghan Girl" image of a refuge named Sharbat Gula that appeared on the cover of National Geographic in 1984.

Women & Girls Fund speaker series features NPR's Diane Rehm

A Conversation with Diane Rehm, featuring the National Public Radio talk show host, was the fourth in an ongoing series of events sponsored by the Women & Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore, featuring nationally-known women of outstanding achievement.

The National Public Radio talk show host, whose conversations with newsmakers are heard by more than 2.1 million listeners each week, delighted a large and responsive audience at the Avalon Theatre in Easton, October 1, 2010.

Rehm answered questions from the audience about the newsmakers, celebrities, authors and journalists she's interviewed over the past thirty years, from former president Bill Clinton, former vice president Dick Cheney and South Africa's President Nelson Mandela to authors Maurice Sendak and Maya Angelou.

"We were thrilled to present Diane Rehm as part of our mission to celebrate accomplished women", said Beth Spurry, president of the Women & Girls Fund. "We hope our speaker series inspires women here on the Mid-Shore to join us in our efforts to turn success for our underserved women into reality."

Diane Rehm

The Women & Girls Fund and Chesapeake College Co-Sponsor “Women Who Lead – Focus on the Law” Panel
*Event looks at all aspects of legal system on the Mid-Shore* On Wednesday, October 7th, the Women & Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore and Chesapeake College continued their series of “Women Who Lead” panels with a discussion of women and the law. The panel discussion, began at 7pm in the Todd Performing Arts Center at the college, was led by Chesapeake College President Dr. Barbara Viniar. The event was free and open to the public. Women & Girls Fund board member Hilary Spence, who chaired this event, said: “This panel discussion is timed to coincide with the fact that October is ‘Domestic Violence Prevention Month’ in Maryland. Participants will explore how our legal system functions on the Shore, the unique contributions women make to it, and how it can be used to promote the safety and well-being of our communities.” The panel was comprised of five distinguished women who serve in leadership position across every part of the legal system including policing, prosecuting, advocacy, judgment, correction, and rehabilitation. They included: The Honorable Karen Jensen, Caroline County Circuit Court judge; Jeanne Yeager, Executive Director of the Mid-Shore Council on Domestic Violence; Dr. Andrea Lange, Associate Professor of Sociology at Washington College; The Honorable Jo Ann Asparagus, Domestic Relations Master, 1st Circuit Court of Maryland; and Lt. Wanda Green, Patrol Division Commander, Talbot County Sheriff’s Office. Karen Jensen was appointed to the bench in 1999. Prior to that, she served in private practice for 12 years concentrating on civil litigation, family law, child protective services, and municipal law. Among the things Judge Jensen will be addressing on the panel will be juvenile justice issues including why juveniles can be tried as adults for some crimes but not others. Andrea Lange came to Washington College from The American University in Washington DC, where she served as Assistant Professor in the Department of Justice, Law and Society and received the University’s “Outstanding Teacher” Award. In addition to teaching courses in criminology and sociology at Washington College, Dr. Lange is the project director for CMAP, which through a grant from the Maryland Governor’s Office on Crime Control and Prevention, maps crime throughout the state. She will address human trafficking and how to curb it. During Jo Ann Asparagus’s long legal career on the Mid-Shore she has served in private practice in Talbot and Caroline Counties and worked with Legal Aid, the Offices of the Public Defender, and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Caroline County. Prior to being appointed Domestic Relations Master for Caroline County this year, she was the Domestic Relations Master for the 2nd Judicial District for 12 years. Master Asparagus will address the effect of court decisions on families. Jeanne Yeager has been involved in addressing domestic violence at the local, state, and federal level for 20 years. Prior to coming to the Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence (MSCFV), she was the Executive Director of the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Community Education Coordinator for the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence. At MSCFV she has launched several new initiatives for addressing the victims of domestic violence. She will speak about the ways in which the legal system can protect women and their families from domestic violence. Wanda Green has been employed at the Talbot County Sheriff's Office for 27 years. She began her career as a correctional officer with Talbot County in 1983 and later transferred to the enforcement division, becoming the first female officer for Talbot County. Throughout her career, Lt. Green has been an inspiration for other female officers as well as the women of the community. This is an informal event that will include interaction between panel members, the moderator and the audience. Dr. Barbara Viniar explains: “I’ll ask some questions, the audience members will ask some questions, and the panel participants will engage each other. This will be an interesting format in which to feature fascinating, informative people.” In addition to addressing specific areas of the law, panelists will also discuss their own career paths and opportunities for women in criminal justice professions. The Women & Girls Fund is a permanent endowment associated with the Mid-Shore Community Foundation. It channels contributions into grants supporting under-funded programs and initiatives that target problems facing women, girls, and families in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot Counties. Since its inception seven years ago, the pooled resources of the Fund’s donors have provided 64 grants totaling $193,126.00 to 44 area non-profit organizations. For more information about the panel discussion, please call the Women & Girls Fund office at 410-770-8347.
Lawrence-Lightfoot talks about life after 50 Sociologist speaks on embracing the third chapter of life "A packed audience of women, and some men, chatted excitedly Tuesday evening before Dr. Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot took the stage at the Avalon Theatre in Easton. More than 200 people were there to listen to the sociologist as she discussed her book, The Third Chapter: Passion, Risk and adventure in the 25 years after 50. The event was the third in the Women & Girls Fund of th Mid-Shore Presents Speaker Series." (cont.) To read this article in its entirety, download a .pdf copy from the August 30, 2009 edition of the Star Democrat>	Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot

Davenport Honored at annual fund luncheon

By Courtney Feroli, The Star Democrat

QUEENSTOWN — A beautiful, warm day created a relaxing atmosphere for the seventh annual Women & Girls Fund luncheon held Monday at the Hunter’s Oak Golf Club in Queenstown. As women enjoyed their lunch, they looked on as 14 area organizations were presented with more than $40,000 in grant funding.

“Over the seven years the Women & Girls Fund has been in existence we have steadily increased our involvement with the communities of the Mid-Shore,” said Dr. Valerie Lamont, president of the Women & Girls Fund. “Part of our outreach effort involves creating partnerships with community based groups, businesses and service organizations. These partnerships allow us to demonstrate ‘the power of pooled resources’ and enable us and our partners to have an impact greater than the sum of our individual parts.”

Tracy Davenport

“Part of our outreach effort involves creating partnerships with community based groups, businesses and service organizations. These partnerships allow us to demonstrate ‘the power of pooled resources’ and enable us and our partners to have an impact greater than the sum of our individual parts.”

Attendees of the luncheon also saw Tracy Davenport receive the 2009 Women & Girls Fund award for her ongoing efforts with her camp, Summer Days Math and Science Camp for Girls, held every June at Washington College in Chestertown.

Read or download a PDF of the article from the Star Democrat >

“A Conversation with Women Who Lead” Panel

On March 25, 2009, close to 200 people came to Chesapeake College for a panel discussion on leadership co-sponsored with the college by the Women & Girls Fund. The event was part of a week-long celebration of the inauguration of Dr. Barbara Viniar's as the first woman president of Chesapeake College.

Participants in the event are pictured at the left and included (bottom row, left to right) Susan Sygall, co-founder & CEO of Mobility International USA; Karen Harris Oertel, owner of Harris Crab House; (top row, left to right) Dr.Valerie Lamont, president of the Women & Girls Fund; Dr. Barbara Viniar; Rev. Allison Stokes, founder of Women's Interfaith Institute; Victoria Jackson-Stanley, Mayor of Cambridge, Md.; and Alice Bower, founder of the Women & Girls Fund.

Celebrating Women Who Make a Difference

The Women & Girls Fund launched its inaugural Speakers Series with best-selling author & journalist Cokie Roberts’ appearance at the Avalon Theatre in August. We couldn’t have asked for a better beginning. Ms. Roberts is a consummate professional and a wonderfully warm and witty woman. Everyone associated with the Fund is grateful for her recognition of its work throughout the Mid-Shore and for her efforts on its behalf.

In October, acclaimed photojournalist Paola Gianturco was the second speaker in this series. Ms. Gianturco presented a compelling multi-media program based on her book Women Who Light the Dark that highlighted the efforts of courageous women to surmount daunting economic and social problems plaguing their communities through their own creativity and hard work.

Additional speakers for this exciting and well-received series are planned for 2009. Watch for announcements of these events in your local newspapers and on this website.

Photojournalist Documents Women's Issues
By Courtney Feroli, The Star Democrat
Photojournalist Paola Gianturco makes statements through photographs. At a presentation recently at Chesapeake College at Wye Mills, Gianturco focused on "Women Who Light the Dark" based on her book of the same name that documents the lives of women through pictures and stories. "Women all over the world deal with issues that make their lives dark," Gianturco said. "Many of the women in these countries don't have access to resources to help them deal with these issues so they use their imaginations. Their imaginations light the dark." (cont.) Download PDF of the entire article >
	Paula Gianturco

Educating Girls Saves A Country
By Sarah Pearce - Star Democrat

Women’s history and futures brought Cokie Roberts to the Avalon Theater in Easton, Thursday night for an event to benefit the Women andGirls Fund of the Mid-Shore.

Roberts, whose column, writen with her husband Steve, appears regularly in The Star Democrat spoke with humor and admiration about the country’s founding mothers and her own mother, emphasizing the importance of educating girls, at the event for which Roberts donated her time.

Roberts said she visited the Avalon Theater Web site and learned the movie, “The Princess Bride,” would soon be playing. “Isn’t that interesting?” she said. “Because the message of the Women and Girls Fund couldn’t be more different than the Princess Bride.” (cont.)

Download PDF of the entire article >

Cokie Roberts

2008 Grants Award Luncheon Is Record Setting Event

On April 28th, 238 supporters of the Women & Girls Fund gathered at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Cambridge to honor and salute the 14 non-profit organizations that were the recipients of this year’s grants.

Everything about the 2008 grant cycle and luncheon were record breaking, says Fund president Valerie Lamont. She adds: “The Fund had twice as many applicants for grants this year and over 100 more attendees at the Awards Luncheon.

The increased number of applicants made the Grants Committee’s work both challenging and exciting. In the end, the committee was able to present a diverse group of programs, addressing specific & substantive needs of women, girls and families, to the board for approval. These programs will impact all five Mid-Shore counties and, we hope, generate positive results for years to come".

Valerie Lamont

Fund president Valerie Lamont
addressing the group at the
Awards Luncheon

The Fund had twice as many applicants for grants
this year and over 100 more attendees at the Awards Luncheon

A record-breaking 238 people attended
this year's Grant's Award Luncheon.

A total of $35,554.55 was awarded this year in grants. Since its inception six years ago, the pooled resources of the Fund’s donors have provided $152,516.55 in grants to 44 area non-profit organizations. For the full list of grant recipients please click on the Grants page.

Sister Patricia Gamgort, the founder and executive director of St. Martin’s Ministries in Ridgley, Maryland was also presented with the 2008 Women & Girls Fund Award at the luncheon. This award honors a community member who has made continuing personal contributions towards understanding and addressing the needs of women, girls, and families on the Mid-Shore. In addition, State Senator Richard Colburn presented Sr. Patricia with The State of Maryland “Governor’s Citation” as well as certificates recognizing her accomplishments from the Maryland House of Delegates and Senate. Click on Awards to learn more about Sr. Patricia and other Women & Girls Fund Award winners.

Taking the Show on the Road

The Women & Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore has launched a series of informational forums designed to better acquaint non-profit organizations and community members in Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Caroline Counties with the Fund’s mission and goals.Fund president Valerie Lamont explained the initiative this way: “The Women & Girls Fund is well known in Talbot County where it was founded and has its office. We want to be equally well known in the other four counties we serve so are holding these forums to give potential grantees, donors, and perspective donors a more complete idea of how we operate and what kinds of programs we fund.”

The first forum was held on November 7th at the Dorchester Family YMCA in Cambridge, Maryland. After a brief multi-media presentation about the Fund, representatives of 14 non-profit organizations shared the work of their own organizations and explored ways in which they might work together. The meeting closed with a question and answer period that provided an opportunity for the organizations to learn more about the Fund’s grant application process.

Lamont adds: “The board of the Women & Girls Fund was truly impressed by all of the work being done by non-profit organizations in Dorchester County. We plan additional forums in Kent, Caroline, and Queen Anne's Counties in 2008 and hope that organizations there serving women and girls will seize the opportunity to spread the word about what they do and to connect with people who might help them to do it.”

Inspiring Women Journal Celebrates Extraordinary Ordinary Women

"Tell us the story of a woman who inspires you."

With this simple invitation, seven local women launched the Inspiring Women Project in July to acknowledge and celebrate women in Kent and northern Queen Anne's County who live their lives in a purposeful way that inspires those who know them.

Seventy-five people accepted that invitation, sending the Project stories about 65 local women who are, to them, shining examples of grace under pressure, courage in the face of adversity, simple kindness, and generous hearts. "We received stories from neighbors, friends, acquaintances, fellow church members, former students, co-workers, mothers, daughters, daughters-in-law, nieces, cousins, and even one husband," Gail Newman, a member of the Project team, recalled. "One story arrived by email from the Marianas Islands. While these women might not think they're special in any way, the stories we received make it clear that others think they are indeed very special."

Now the Project is sharing the stories and photographs of 14 of those "extraordinary ordinary" women in the Inspiring Women Journal. Selecting the women to be featured in the Journal was not an easy task, according to Suzanne Straub Moore another Project team member. She explained: "We wanted to choose women whose stories were representative of all of the stories we received, and of the many ways in which they inspire others. We chose some who have had an impact far beyond Kent County, and some who are an inspiration in a much more personal way. Some have worked hard to turn their dreams into reality, and some have dedicated their lives to meeting the needs of others."

The Inspiring Women Journal was designed and edited by Karen Reed of the Tidewater Trader, with photographs by Tracey O'Connell of Creative Focus, both of whom generously donated their time and professional talents. The Project team is also grateful to Choptank Electric Trust, Peoples Bank of Kent County, Carla Massoni, Alice Ryan, Dr. Pat Fanning, and the staff and members of Curves in Chestertown for their financial support.

The Inspiring Women Project team also hopes to use the journal to reach out to young girls in our community at a critical time in their lives, the middle school years, by providing them with positive role models and a tool to help them have confidence that they too can live extraordinary ordinary lives. The Project team is currently working on developing a partnership with the Character Counts! program to give each girl in Chestertown, Rock Hall, Galena and Sudlersville Middle Schools a copy of the Inspiring Women Journal and offering journal writing workshops to help her get started writing her own story.

The Inspiring Women Journal goes on sale First Friday, December 7, at The Compleat Bookseller, which is hosting a reception for the women featured in the Journal, and at Curves and Gabriel Designs in Galena, Durding's in Rock Hall and Curves in Chestertown. Proceeds from the sale of the Journal will support programs that benefit women and girls in Kent and northern Queen Anne's Counties through grants from the Women & Girls Fund, an endowment fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation. To learn more about the Fund, go to www.womenandgirlsfund.org.

Governor's Citation presented to Women & Girls Fund by Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley

Maryland’s Governor Honors Women & Girls Fund

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley awarded the Governor’s Citation to the Women & Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore on March 10, 2007. This citation was conferred in conjunction with its fifth anniversary and recognizes the Fund as “an important source of grant money and professional support to non-profit organizations in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties.”

View Governor's Citation

Non-profit Aims to Improve Lives of
Women and Girls on the Mid-Shore

Chesapeake Business Ledger - November 2006

The history, goals and accomplishments of the Women & Girls Fund were traced by an extensive article in the Chesapeake Business Ledger. The Fund’s efforts to incorporated best practices and strategic planning strategies into its activities were highlighted.

View The Article >