A total of $90,879 has been granted by the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore to 19 local nonprofits. The awards are made possible through the Community Needs Grants program, which makes grants twice a year to nonprofits serving Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties for programs covering a wide range of needs on the Lower Eastern Shore. This Fall’s grants will support veterans, shelter animals and pets, underserved youth, the performing arts, health, and more.
“Our Community Needs Grants allow us to reach a diverse range of causes, each important to the Lower Eastern Shore” notes Community Foundation President Erica Joseph. “As new community challenges emerge over time, the Foundation is able to adapt and respond, creating endless grant making possibilities.”
The following nonprofits received program funding:
• American Red Cross Delmarva Chapter Greater Chesapeake Region - to provide Eastern Shore residents with emergency financial assistance for disaster response and door-to-door smoke alarm installation.
• Atlantic General Hospital Foundation - to pilot a telemedicine network with Pocomoke High School which will provide interactive video conferencing to medically underserved students.
• Bay Area Center for Independent Living - to provide individuals with disabilities and their families complimentary memberships to Bay Area CIL's therapeutic heated swimming pool.
• Chesapeake Housing Mission - to purchase materials for critical home repairs for local veterans.
• City of Salisbury - to expand the City of Salisbury Youth Civics Council which provides meaningful opportunities for youth grades 7-12 to engage in civic leadership and service learning.
• Del-Mar-Va Boy Scouts Council – to start new “Outreach Packs” in Somerset County elementary schools, providing opportunities for underserved students to participate in Boy Scouts.
• Eastern Shore Ballet Theatre, Inc. - for the 2019 production of the Nutcracker and the 2020 Spring production.
• Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay Council, Inc. - to support STEM outreach programs for girls at Pocomoke Elementary and Middle Schools.
• He Himself Ministries – for an aviation and aerospace technology program for youth ages 8-21, in partnership with UMES.
• Humane Society of Wicomico County - to provide vaccines and microchips to shelter animals and pets of low-income families, as well as low-cost spay/neuter services.
• M4Reactor / Tri-County Council Foundation, Inc. - to buildout classrooms for M4Reactor’s new Makerspace in Salisbury, where anyone can come and learn or experiment with 3D Printing, robotics, laser cutting and more.
• Maryland Coastal Bays Foundation, Inc. – for the “Protect Our Sand and Seas Be Waste Free” campaign in Ocean City which aims to reduce plastics and promote responsible disposal of cigarette butts.
• Maryland Food Bank Inc. - to provide food for pantry programs in schools in the tri-county area.
• Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra - to support the annual Holiday Joy Concert in Ocean City.
• Mid-Shore Pro Bono, Inc. - to provide a wide range of pro-bono legal services to low-income residents of the Lower Eastern Shore.
• Telamon Corporation - to help disconnected youth obtain documentation (e.g. identification, birth certificates, diplomas) necessary for entering the workforce.
• The Lower Shore Land Trust - to facilitate a new five-year strategic plan for the organization.
• United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore – for the Imagination Library program which delivers monthly books to children ages birth to 5 years old.
• Women Supporting Women Inc. - to support the "Your Healthiest You" conference, which will provide education and resources for breast cancer survivors and their families/friends.
The semi-annual Community Needs Grant (CNG) Program benefits organizations serving the Lower Shore of Maryland with a $5,000 maximum award per nonprofit. Applicants must be 501c3 nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations providing non-sectarian programs, or eligible programs within government agencies serving citizens on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland. The next deadline for CNG grant applications is February 1, 2020. For additional information visit CFES.org or call 410-742-9911
