Fund for Women Presents Record $178,926 in Grants to Sussex, Kent and New Castle County Nonprofits Helping Girls and Women
The grants were presented at a ceremony at the Duncan Center in Dover on May 12. Each recipient organization addresses the Fund for Women’s mission to empower women and girls in Delaware to achieve their potential. This year’s recipients are:
Catholic Charities, Inc. ($15,000): “Empowering Female-Headed Households” provides the financial support needed to maintain or reestablish permanent housing and case management services to restabilize the household. The holistic approach used by Catholic Charities helps to ensure long-term success.
Delaware Adolescent Program, Inc. (DAPI) ($14,856): “Comprehensive Wellness Needs of Delaware’s Pregnant and Parenting Teens” provides physical, mental and emotional interventions to allow the teens to focus on academic and life skills. The ultimate goals are high school graduation and self-sufficiency.
Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition ($5,000): The “Wise and Well” program will deliver outreach, screening and cancer support services to more than 200 African-American and Hispanic women in Sussex County. The program will decrease the barriers to accessing health support and wellness information by meeting women in their communities.
Delaware Theatre Company ($3,001): “The Grace Cottage Playwriting Residency” offers a six-week program to the adjudicated girls housed at Grace Cottage. Participants are asked to write and stage a two- or three-person play about a moment in their lives. During this process the youth develop self-esteem, improve reading/writing skills and give a voice to a group of individuals who are voiceless to the community.
Forum to Advance Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (FAME, Inc.) ($15,000): The “STEM Enrichment Program” provides advanced science, technology, engineering and math education during out-of-school hours for 7th-12th grade students. The program addresses the need to effectively motivate and prepare underrepresented minorities and girls to succeed in college and become leaders in STEM professions.
Friendship House, Inc. ($8,000): “Financial Empowerment for Women in Transition” teaches women who have experienced addiction, domestic violence, sexual and physical abuse, etc. to properly manage their finances. This program offers a supported transition back into society through financial literacy.
Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay ($10,000): “Wallet Wise” and “Smart Cookie” give girls the tools to successfully manage their money, be smart shoppers, develop basic financial skills and feel empowered to become financially independent women.
Girls Incorporated of Delaware ($14,926): “Girls Inc. of Delaware’s Eastside r- Evolution” will provide after school and summer day camp programs for under-served girls ages 6-18 in Wilmington’s Eastside and Brandywine Village communities. The goal of the program is to keep girls engaged in school and motivated for academic success to ensure that they graduate on time and are prepared for post-secondary education or job training.
Girls on the Run Delaware ($4,968): “Girls on the Run Scholarship Program” will empower underprivileged girls with the tools needed to make the right choices about fitness and diet while building self-esteem. This program will provide scholarships to girls who otherwise would not be able to participate in this 20-lesson curriculum and 5K run that helps girls become healthier, more confident independent thinkers and problem solvers.
La Red Health Center ($15,000): “Expansion of Women’s Health Services in Northern Sussex County” will provide a full spectrum of gynecological services at their new clinical site in Milford. This new site will provide residents in a federally designated medically underserved area with increased access to affordable, high-quality women’s health care.
Martha and Mary’s Place, Inc. ($14,000): The “Esteem, Empower, Employ” project will assist newly arriving women at Martha and Mary’s Place with one month’s room and board, dental care not covered by Medicaid, a clothing allowance to buy work clothes, and roundtrip bus passes to get to job interviews and other appointments. This project serves women who have successfully completed an in-patient residential treatment program.
New Venture Fund ($15,000): The “Delaware Contraceptive Access Now (Delaware CAN)” project is designed to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, premature births and Medicaid costs for pregnancy-related services. The goal is to ensure that all women of Delaware can get same-day access to all methods of contraception by providing customized training and technical assistance to all publicly funded health centers and the largest private providers in the state.
Pathways to Success, Inc. ($4,400): “I Choose Success” – Sussex County High Schools Follow-Up Sessions will educate and empower young ladies (ages 15-19) to make informed choices with an emphasis on preventing unintended pregnancies. The program involves a one day girls’ summit with interactive follow-up sessions at area high schools throughout the school year.
Planned Parenthood of Delaware ($15,000): “Teen Council: A Peer Education Program to Prevent Teen Pregnancy” has demonstrated significant effects in changing attitudes, behaviors and beliefs among participating teens. The program provides participants with medically accurate, age appropriate sexuality education by training teens to teach other teens.
Survivors of Abuse in Recovery, Inc. (SOAR) ($14,970): “Help for Female Victims of Sexual Assault” provides professional mental health services to victims of sexual assault who are unable to afford part or all of their psychotherapy treatment fees. The professional and effective interventions SOAR provides are critical in helping victims become survivors and recover from their trauma.
YMCA of Delaware ($15,000): “Girls in Fitness Together (GIFT)” at the Dover and Central YMCAs focuses on engaging high school aged females in positive activities during out-of-school hours. The GIFT program emphasizes healthy behaviors, physical fitness and positive peer relationships through leadership and prevention workshops aimed at improving life skills.