Unity Campaign: FCC Foundation will use funds to help parents go to college

Patrick Kernan, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
·2 min read

Mar. 17—Education is an important step toward improving one's future. That's why Deb Powell, executive director of the Frederick Community College Foundation, feels it's important for the community college to participate in the United Way's annual Unity Campaign.

Donations made to FCC during the campaign will help financially-eligible parents who want to better their education, she said.

The FCC Foundation is an important part of how the community college helps to make college affordable for its students, Powell said in a phone call Wednesday.

"Last year, we awarded more than $1 million to more than 1,000 students to help cover the cost of books, tuition and things like that," she said.

This is the second year the FCC Foundation has taken part in the United Way of Frederick County's Unity Campaign, an annual fundraising effort that brings together a number of the county's nonprofit organizations to help the 37 percent of households in need of financial assistance.

Donors can give directly to any of 34 nonprofit organizations; campaign sponsors will match their donations. The campaign runs through March 31.

Powell said the FCC Foundation's involvement with the Unity Campaign will help fund the college's Parents Lead program. The program helps pay child care expenses for parents taking courses, according to the college's website.

"We're offering scholarships to eligible parents so they can work in the daytime, and come in once a week at night and continue their education at FCC, and complete at least up to the first 31 credits of their program," Powell said.

The Unity Campaign's goal is to help ALICE households, which the United Way defines as "asset-limited, income-constrained, employed." Powell said the Parents Lead program is an important step in helping some of those households.

"Someone who wants to be a phlebotomist at the hospital, they have to get training for that, but those jobs are in demand here," she said. "And we need people who are going to be chefs at the restaurants... We really are tied into the workforce."

If you are interested in donating to this or any of the programs that will benefit from the Unity Campaign, go to unityfrederick.com.

Follow Patrick Kernan on Twitter: @PatKernan