20051229 Community Foundation of Carroll County announces Philanthropists of the Year Award

20051229 Community Foundation of Carroll County announces Philanthropists of the Year Award.

Community Foundation of Carroll County announces Philanthropists of the Year Award.

December 29, 2005 by Kevin Dayhoff

Writers note: A shorter version of this article titled, “CFCC on lookout for good deeds in honoring philanthropists” appeared in the Westminster Eagle on 01/05/06

“Charitable giving comes from the heart and mirrors the soul. Community philanthropists deserve to be recognized,” said Kathy Brown, the Director of Shepherd’s Staff as she multi-tasked at the front desk, answering questions and waiting on customers.

“It’s marvelous what the Foundation is doing for families in Carroll County.”

Brown was referring to a recent announcement that the Community Foundation of Carroll County (CFCC) is looking for “nominations to recognize the exceptional generosity and strong commitment of extraordinary local philanthropists.”

Audrey Cimino, CFCC executive director noted, “This is something we have wanted to do for quite sometime. We want to recognize those heroes who give of their time and money to make a better community. And it’s not always the huge donations – it is the accumulation of all the small donations that make things happen. You could not put a price on the volunteerism hours.”

According their website, CFCC is an umbrella organization to facilitate philanthropic activities in Carroll County since 1993. That is when a steering committee of “James Wise, Arthur Valenzano, Calvin Seitz, Peggie Roland, Donald Hull, George Giese, William Gering, and Audrey Cimino, began the process of making the Community Foundation of Carroll County a reality.”

“Beginning with a gift of sixty thousand dollars from the Estate of Rosa B. Null, a Hampstead, Maryland resident, the Community Foundation has grown to 3.4 million dollars in endowments, operations funds, scholarships and funds managed for other community organizations.”

The press release announcing the new awards program states: “The Community Foundation of Carroll County is requesting nominations to recognize the exceptional generosity and strong commitment of extraordinary local philanthropists.”

Cimino said in the announcement, this “is the beginning of what we anticipate will be a long-tradition of honoring the philanthropic efforts of Carroll County residents and businesses. Often, the long-term impact of those efforts is not recognized. Our goal is to honor and thank those in our local community who consistently respond to needs with generosity and leadership.”

CFCC marketing chair Fred Teeter gives a lot of credit to CFCC Board Chair Linda Ryan for “getting behind this effort and giving it some legs. “The Foundation came up with this project because there is no countywide recognition program to recognize philanthropists in [Carroll] County. The objective is to award an individual or family, a business, an organization, and a youth who exemplify the spirit of giving through financial support, and volunteerism.”

“Through its partnership with the Carroll County Times,” CFCC will recognize Carroll philanthropists “during the first annual Carroll County Philanthropists of the Year awards program on April 5, 2006,” the announcement continued.

Hampstead mayor Haven Shoemaker thinks the award program “is a fantastic idea.”

When asked what private sector contributions means to municipalities, Shoemaker, president of the Carroll Chapter of the MD Municipal League said, “town governments can’t do it alone… [Hampstead] is just all-local government… We operate on a shoestring budget and without philanthropy; taxes would be a lot higher than they already are. For example, we really appreciate the Hampstead Lion’s Club providing citizens with recreation, baseball programs, and the like…”

“Charitable donations mean everything to us,” Brown said, referring to Shepherd’s staff, a Westminster based Christian outreach and emergency support center. “We depend on the charity giving of the community because we don’t accept any county state or federal funding.”

Commissioner Perry Jones said, “The generosity of the community has been critical to Carroll County being the great place that it is for all our families. Carroll is very fortunate to have the Community Foundation.”

Timmi Pierce, the new executive director of the Historical Society of Carroll County remarked that she had already discussed with her staff who to nominate. “Volunteerism is really a core element for a community. Carroll County has a rich history of generosity in the community that goes to back to the founding of the county.”

A nomination form must be completed in its entirety for each nominee, and mailed to the Community Foundation of Carroll County, P.O. Box 170, Westminster, MD 21158, postmarked by Thursday, January 12, 2006. Nomination forms are available on the web at www.carrollcommunityfoundation.org or by contacting Lisa Aughenbaugh, CFCC Project Manager, 410-876-8772 or Fred Teeter, 866-775-2185.

Forms are also available at the office of The Westminster Eagle, 121 E. Main St., Westminster, MD 21157, during regular business hours.