SoDel Cares awards nearly $100,000 in grants to local nonprofits

Gathered for the SoDel Cares check presentation in back are (l-r) John Wolfle, Sue Garson, Anna Seiffert, Andrea Finn, Louis Papp, Clay Serman, Barbara Greenway, Dave Humes, Stephanie Mastrangelo, Beth Weatherby, Art Payne, Tim Hunter, Ruthann Messick, Chad Robinson, Susan Crawford, Cpl. James Hatfield, James Spadole, Patti Grimes, and Donna Murawski. In middle are Christine Salvato, Connie Kaden, Tamisha Hopkins, Brenda Baker, Jacki Coveleski, Barbara White, Harry Papaleo, Doris Griffin, Lana O’Hollaren, Jennifer Fuqua, Mary Anne Hoopes, Patricia Rivera, Jo Allegro-Smith, Kim Wright, Tarrie Miller, Sandy Scheibe, Mark Sievers, Autumn Wiltbank, Nancy Phillips, Betsy Plowman, and Michelle Whetzel. Seated, second row are Sarah Gilmour, Mary Maloney, Fay Blake, Laura Glascoe, Clare MacDonald, Tom DiOrio, Brenda Milbourne, and Sally Beaumont. In front are Stacy Penaranda, Kelly Loeser, Karen Kern, SoDel Cares President Lauren Herlihy, Casey Christophel, and Demaris Miller. STEVEN BILLUPS PHOTO

Steven Billups

March 16, 2020

Event Date:

Thu, 03/05/2020 - 10:45 am

SoDel Cares, the philanthropic arm of SoDel Concepts, recently awarded nearly $100,000 in grants to Delaware organizations. The checks were distributed Feb. 25 at the hospitality group’s corporate office in Rehoboth Beach. SoDel Concepts owns 12 restaurants in coastal Sussex County, and SoDel Cares was founded in 2015 to honor the philanthropic work of the company’s founder, the late Matt Haley. The foundation helps local organizations that assist children, at-risk youth and adults, and the elderly.

“The primary mission of SoDel Cares is to contribute in a positive way to the communities in which we do business,” said Scott Kammerer, SoDel Concepts president. In addition to the primary fall fundraiser, the organization holds the SoDel Cares 5K in Rehoboth Beach and the SoDel Concepts/Woodford Reserve Food Fight at The Clubhouse at Baywood in Millsboro. “The new events have allowed us to help more organizations than before,” Kammerer said. “It’s a lot of work to pull off each fundraiser. Organizing them is a team effort; the whole SoDel family gets involved. I am incredibly proud of them and their dedication to our community.”

SoDel Cares accepts grant requests from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31. The board reviews the grants in January. Currently, board members include Lauren Herlihy, president; Nelia Dolan, vice president; Lindsey Barry, immediate past president; Kammerer, past president; and Alan Levin, senior consultant to SoDel Concepts.

Grants range from $500 to $10,000, and the nonprofits are notified at the beginning of February. This year’s recipients include: Meals on Wheels Lewes-Rehoboth, Sussex Family YMCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters DE, Lewes In Bloom Children’s Learning Garden, Lutheran Church of our Savior ESL Program, Cape Henlopen Educational Foundation, Delaware Adolescent Program Inc., Food Bank of Delaware, Camp Barnes, Read Aloud DE, Freeman Foundation, Milton Community Food Pantry, Fresh Start Scholarship Foundation, Cape Girls’ Basketball, Sussex Central HS Mentorship Program, La Esperanza, Southern Delaware Therapeutic Riding, Community Resource Center, Harry K Foundation, Cape Henlopen Food Basket, Pathways to Success, West Rehoboth Children and Youth Program, Primeros Pasos, Surfers Healing Children with Autism, and Rehoboth Beach Boys & Girls Club.

For information about SoDel Cares and SoDel Concepts, visit sodelconcepts.com.