Community Foundation announces annual report, recognizes community volunteers

Nov. 20—The Community Foundation of Frederick County held its annual report to the community Thursday, and while things had to be a bit different this year due to the ongoing pandemic, the foundation still made its message known: Nothing tops philanthropy.

Held at the Clarion Inn Frederick Event Center, the ceremony was also simulcast online, a first for the Community Foundation. Organizers said it was necessary to stream the presentation online to keep the number of people in the room more limited than usual.

What wasn't limited was the success of the Community Foundation's numerous campaigns, even in spite of the continuing financial issues caused by the pandemic.

"When the pandemic first began, our donors rose to the occasion, helping with emergency funding," Elizabeth Day, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, said during the evening's opening remarks.

"They also continued their philanthropy for non-COVID grant-making and scholarships," she said. "That year of unprecedented events prompted us to title last year's annual report 'Nothing STOPS Philanthropy.'"

Now, after another unprecedented year, Day said the efforts of the donors continued to be impressive, leading the foundation to name this year's report "Nothing TOPS Philanthropy."

The annual report shows a number of successes for the Community Foundation, perhaps most notable being that of the Forever Frederick County Campaign.

Announced in June 2019, the Forever Frederick County Fund supports a number of grants to help projects in the county. The foundation, through the fund, will direct grant money to a wide variety of community needs based on the foundation's Human Needs Assessment Report.

When it was announced, the Forever Frederick County Campaign had a goal of raising $20 million. Since the kickoff, the campaign has already surpassed the goal, raising $21.8 million.

The annual report shows the Community Foundation was able to make more than $5.1 million in grants in the county, funding a number of organizations, educational programs, arts programs, historic preservation, COVID-19 emergency relief along with a number of other recipients.

The foundation also granted $1.8 million in scholarships to a total of 392 students this year, according to the report.

The evening included recognition of Hermine Bernstein and Rose Dorsey Chaney as this year's Wertheimer Fellows for Excellence in Volunteerism, along with Stella Henson as the Wertheimer Fellow Youth in Action.

Bernstein, founder of the Frederick chapter of Blessings in a Backpack, was recognized for her efforts to make sure school children don't go home hungry on the weekends.

"Under Hermine's guidance and leadership, the program has grown to feed more than 3,300 children in 27 schools by creating a partnership with Frederick County Public Schools," Day said. "She has worked tirelessly to recruit and mentor volunteers, many of whom became school coordinators, operations coordinators, steering committee members, board members and more.

"You can't say no to Hermine," she added.

Bernstein thanked the Community Foundation for the honor.

"Blessings was a true labor of love, but it never would've happened without the financial and hands-on support of so many wonderful people," she said. "They say that it takes a village to raise a child, and Frederick is definitely the best."

As a recipient of this year's award, Bernstein was granted $25,000 by the Community Foundation, which will go directly into the Blessings in a Backpack Fund.

Chaney was recognized for her role as a founding board member of the African American Resources Cultural and Heritage Society. Chaney's $25,000 will go to form the David Key Memorial Fund for AARCH Society in honor of Key, who served as the AARCH Society's president from 2009 to his passing in June this year.

Chaney said she is grateful for the opportunity to set up the fund in his memory.

"He was truly the wind beneath the wings of AARCH," she said.

The fund will help complete Key's dream of the building of the African American Heritage Center.

"It will be a place where visitors can learn about the African American experience in Frederick County through the stories, exhibits, research, programs, dialogs and activities," Cheney said.

AARCH's website says the center is due to open in 2023.

Henson was recognized for a number of community activities in which she's become involved, despite being only 17. Henson founded The Kids of Backyard Theater program, in which she and some friends put on a play during summer vacations, collecting donations for local organizations.

The program has raised more than $1,000 for Blessings in a Backpack, SHIP of Frederick County and others. She is also heavily involved with the Spanish Speaking Community of Maryland, offering translation work for its clients.

Henson was given $2,000 by the Community Foundation to give to a nonprofit of her choice, which she gave to the Spanish Speaking Community of Maryland.

Follow Patrick Kernan on Twitter: @PatKernan