The Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore honored four award recipients and celebrated annual grant-making efforts at its 35th Annual Meeting and Report to the Community on November 1st. The Foundation celebrated a total of $6.3 million in grants made in fiscal year 2019, including more than $600,000 in scholarships to local students.
“In our 35th year we are celebrating not only $6.3 million in grant making this past year, but also $84 million in grant making since our founding in 1984.” says CFES President, Erica Joseph. “This event is a true celebration of the hands, heads, and hearts that have come together these past 35 years to make the Community Foundation what it is today.”
The Mary Gladys Jones Volunteer of the Year Award was awarded to Mr. Ace Parker for his many years of dedicated service to others. Through his passionate desire to help those in our community who are most vulnerable, Mr. Parker has put thousands of hours into volunteer activities. As a member of the Rotary Club of Salisbury, he has led and participated in many service projects. More than 20 years ago, he decided Rotary needed to become involved with the Meals on Wheels Program, growing the program to delivering more than 4,000 meals annually. Knowing the success of this program depends on those delivering the meals, he has personally recognized the efforts of all volunteers and continues to recruit new ones. Mr. Parker goes the extra mile, showing compassion for those who are less fortunate and encouraging other volunteers to do the same. Mr. Parker will receive a $1,000 gift to designate to the charity of his choice.
The Nonprofit Award of Excellence honoring Richard A. Henson was awarded to Chesapeake Housing Mission. Operating in the lower four counties of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Chesapeake Housing Mission serves three of the poorest counties in Maryland. Their mission is to provide vital home repair to low-income families, enabling them to stay in their homes while making those homes warmer, safer and drier; and giving clients freedom and independence in their most difficult years. In 2018 they completed 85 projects using 53 volunteer groups. With 1,449 volunteers in all, CHM has helped over 450 clients in its first 10 years of operation. Such a serious and longstanding problem is a challenging task, but what makes Chesapeake Housing Mission even more remarkable, is that they have accomplished all of this with minimum staff and a shoe-string budget. In honor of their award Chesapeake Housing Mission will receive $5,000 to support their work.
The Frank H. Morris Humanitarian Award was awarded to Pam and Macky Stansell for their exemplary leadership, vision, integrity, compassion, cooperation and dedication to community and philanthropy. This couple is most deserving of this award, not only for the many ways they embody the term “humanitarian”, but most notably because they do none of their philanthropic work with the goal of having attention focused on them. They have dedicated decades of their lives to service through time, talent and treasure. A few examples include their support as volunteers, donors and advocates to Coastal Hospice, Ocean City Development Corporation, Art League of Ocean City, Worcester County Humane Society, Believe in Tomorrow, Worcester County Developmental Center, U.S. Kennels, Rackliffe House, Stephen Decatur High School, Atlantic General Hospital, Berlin Little League, Delmarva Public Radio, Wor -Wic Community College, Maryland Coastal Bays, Diakonia, and the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore.
The diversity of the causes they support and the many ways they “show up” make it clear that it’s not about naming opportunities or awards, but about doing what they think is right, what is needed and what matters to them. In honor of the award, a $1,500 gift will be made to the charity of Mr. and Mrs. Stansell’s choice.
The Chairman’s Award was presented to John Allen for his dedication to the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore and his many other philanthropic efforts. He is an unabashed ambassador for the Community Foundation and has served on the Foundation’s Board of Directors since 2010, serving as the Chairman of the Board in 2017 and 2018. Over his many years of service John served on the Executive Committee, Community Initiative Grant Committee, Scholarship Committee, Community Needs Grant Committee, Nominating Committee, Legislative and Regulatory Policy Committee, and Bylaws Review Committee. In addition to his dedication to the Community Foundation, his service to our community includes serving on the Board of Directors for Boy Scouts of America, YMCA Mentoring Program, University System of Maryland Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lower Eastern Shore, Greater Salisbury Committee, and Salisbury Wicomico Economic Development, among others throughout Maryland and Delaware.
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