The Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore has awarded a series of Community Needs grants totaling $50,587 which were distributed recently to 15 nonprofit and government organizations in the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland.
The grants will benefit, either directly or indirectly, the residents of the region and are being awarded this spring from the Foundation’s Community Needs Funds. The next deadline for qualified nonprofit organizations to apply for community needs grants is August 1, 2010.
“The needs of the nonprofit organizations serving our region of the Eastern Shore continue to grow,” said Spicer Bell, the Foundation’s president. “To help meet needs throughout Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester Counties, we are pleased and excited to be able to help fund these worthwhile programs.”
Grants in the current grant cycle were awarded to the following nonprofits.
Arts and Culture:
Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art (Wicomico) to provide expanded opportunities, in partnership with MAC, Inc., for seniors to experience the arts and cultural programming available at the Ward Museum.
Conservation and Environment:
Hazel Farm Property Foundation, Inc. (Wicomico) to help support a National Get Outdoors Day event on June 12th to bring kids and families to the Hazel Farm Property to encourage healthy lifestyles and activity in the great outdoors.
Lower Eastern Shore Heritage Council, Inc. (Somerset) to provide matching funds to support the development of a Smith Island Recreation Trail including interpretive signage, observation deck and a high-powered telescope.
Lower Shore Land Trust, Inc. (Worcester) to implement five regional outreach events to assist the LSLT in its effort to create an effective volunteer base by attracting, training and retaining quality volunteers to serve in leadership roles.
Worcester County Tourism (Worcester) to provide support for marketing and promotional materials for the soon to be developed Assateague Water Trails.
Youth:
Friends of Assateague State Park, Inc. (Worcester) to provide coordination, training, enrichment and evaluation for the 2010 Coastal Stewards and Civic Justice Corps programs that will provide a crew of 60 students with employment at Maryland State Parks.
It Takes a Village to Help Our Children Foundation, Inc. (Somerset) to provide transportation for participants in the summer and after-school program that focuses on reading for kindergarten through second grade and middle school students.
Kids of Honor, Inc. (Somerset) to expand the Kids of Honor Youth Excelling in Academics Program in Wicomico County and Somerset County.
4STEPS Therapeutic Riding Program (Wicomico) to provide equine therapy programs for at-risk youth in partnership with the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Health and Human Services:
University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Lower Eastern Shore) to provide for health screenings at eight local senior centers in partnership with MAC, Inc. The screenings will include blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol and will be complemented by pharmacy counseling.
Somerset County Health Department (Somerset) to implement drug and alcohol education and prevention for pre-school children and students enrolled in an after-school program at the Somerset Intermediate School.
Easter Seals of Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore (Worcester) to support a satellite office in Pocomoke to provide speech therapy programs for children living in that area.
Atlantic General Hospital (Worcester) to support the installation of an automatic external defibrillator in the offices of five physicians who are part of the Atlantic General Health Systems.
Diamond Dreams Youth Baseball and Softball Association (Wicomico) to help support special teams to provide exercise programs specifically for young people with disabilities working in partnership with Dove Pointe, Chimes and BayShore Services.
Worcester County Local Management Board (Worcester) to support a program for 25 fathers who have been adjudicated for abusive behavior towards children or spouses by taking a proactive approach towards ending this behavior.
More information on how to apply for a Community Needs Grant.