Sussex County Fund for Women celebrates holidays, enrolls new members
For a special event called T’was the Sixth of December, nearly 100 women gathered from Sussex and New Castle counties at the East Coast Garden Center to celebrate the holiday season. Sponsored by the Sussex branch of the Fund for Women, the party was for fun, but also commemorated the needs of Delaware women and girls.
Five new members were enrolled including Denise Stewart of Rehoboth, Arlene Littleton of Georgetown, Mary Jo Tolliver of Wilmington, Carol Fehrenbach of Lewes and Arsie Burton of Seaford.
As a main feature of the event, local artisans presented their merchandise for guests to enjoy and purchase. Vendors included Azura, Josephine’s Daughter, Mary Kay Products, Coolspring Cottage and East Coast Garden Center. Founder and owner of East Coast Garden Center and Fund for Women member Valery Cordrey decorated the hall for the occasion and sold holiday greenery and flowers.
Representatives from the CHEER Center in Georgetown spoke about how a grant from the Fund for Women helped fund programs for elderly women in Sussex County.
Created in 1993, the Fund for Women at the Delaware Community Foundation is a permanent endowment and additional source of funding for programs that address the unmet needs of women and girls in Delaware. The original goal of the fund was to obtain 1,000 founders, each contributing $1,000, to create a $1 million lasting endowment.
More than 1,000 men and women have become founders, and due to their generosity and fundraising success, the endowment now exceeds $2.8 million.
During the festivities, founder and Sussex Chair Lynn Kokjohn explained how the Fund for Women organization lends a hand to Delaware women and girls through grants. As a result of the endowment fund’s earnings, $125,000 in grants to 13 nonprofit organizations have been awarded this year.
The Sussex County Advisory Committee is busy planning the next event. A fashion show will be held at Independence in Millsboro April 14, 2013. Local Fund for Women founders and grant recipients will model fashions and accessories from area stores. Reservations will be required for this event.
For information regarding the Fund for Women, go to www.delcf.org/ffw or contact Kokjohn at 302-841-4333.
