While March brings spring showers and flowers, it also means it’s scholarship time at the Community Foundation. Each year, thousands of students across Frederick County complete the online scholarship application with hopes of getting financial support for their education.
Frederick County is home to more than 1,300 farms and 181,500 acres of farmland. Agriculture is one of the oldest and largest industries in the county, generating an economic impact of nearly $1.5 billion annually. Agriculture is vital to Frederick County and educating and inspiring future farmers has been top of mind for several Community Foundation donors.
The Community Foundation of Frederick County has been doing important work in the community for more than three decades – building partnerships, funding grants to nonprofits, awarding scholarships. But if you peel back the layers, what is really at the heart of the work done in a community foundation, is love.
In 1976 President Gerald Ford designated February as Black History Month, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
Part of the Community Foundation’s mission is to “connect people who care with causes that matter.” In 2013, two anonymous donors created The Saint Peter Claver Scholarship Fund to honor this saint while awarding scholarships to students who fit the essence of his life work. These donors, through the fund, are also caring for people as Saint Peter Claver did centuries ago.