MARY'S GIVING FUND
The Mary Durstine McArtor Reynolds Memorial Giving Fund was established to honor and continue Mary’s lifelong pursuit of meaningful giving to others. Thus, it’s both a memorial to Mary’s beautiful life and a conduit to giving that is true to Mary’s priorities, goals, and approach. Specifically, our vision is to foster thriving and productive futures for children. And more specifically, through micro-giving grants, we develop and support meaningful, renewable programs that directly improve the health, well-being, education, and welfare of children, particularly in underserved communities. Your donations enable us to support current programs and scale future giving.
Mary's Kids
April 26, 2025
children so far and counting...
The Programs have directly engaged
​
7,403
OUR PROGRAMS
Click name to jump or scroll to program
Hilton Head Island, SC
Sponsored since 2024
Boardgamers Enrichment for Personal Development
Neighborhood Outreach Connection
NOC has worked tirelessly since 2008 with its donors, partners, and volunteers to lift children and families out of poverty in Beaufort County, SC. For every dollar donated to NOC, 90 cents goes into NOC’s frontline core programs to help neighbors in need – after school/summer education and enrichment programs, health and wellness, and workforce/community development. With the support of Mary's Giving Fund, NOC provides high risk students with a new program in which board games are used to help them learn how to think critically, analyze situations, and build social skills. Students are supported by the NOC field team of staff and volunteers as they grow to understand how to positively impact their own lives through increased personal development and improved social and emotional skills. At the end of the sessions, each participant receives a board game to take home to further their skills and to bond and build stronger relationships with their families and friends.
Benjamin Blessings in a Backpack Club
The Benjamin School
The Benjamin Blessings in a Backpack Club is a student volunteer organization based at The Benjamin High School. The club orders, packs and delivers 160 bags of food each Friday to Jupiter Elementary Boys & Girls Club afterschool program participants, many of which experience food insecurity. Mary's Giving Fund's support will pay for five weeks of food delivery to ensure the students do not go hungry over the weekend.
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Sponsored since 2024
Hen Hud Sportsfest
Hendrick Hudson School District
Montrose, NY
Sponsored since 2024
​The HenHud Sportsfest brings together elementary school students with high school coaches and athletes in various “mini” clinics encompassing most of the high school sports teams. The elementary students can attend as many as six different clinics in order to introduce them to the basics of each sport. The goal of the project is to introduce students to athletic activities to which they may not have otherwise had access due to monetary constraints. They learn about being a member of a team and what that means in the sports environment. Each participant receives a lunch and tee-shirt. Parents and spectators are enthusiastic supporters! Overall this program provides a great experience for the elementary students as they get to enjoy themselves and learn about sports and good sportsmanship.
New Mommy Care Packages
Banner Lake Community
Hobe Sound, FL
Sponsored since 2024
Mary was many things, but above all she was a mom. She knew how important this one role is in life and how challenging it can be for some. The New Mommy Care Packages project was the brainchild of Reese Habicht, a 2024 Pine School graduate (both of Mary’s children are alumni as well). Reese chose this project for her senior capstone as she saw a need to help new babies get a fresh start in life and to help them feel welcomed and wanted. Mary’s Fund provided the funding for these beautiful care packages for underserved moms and their babies in the Banner Lake Community of Hobe Sound. The packages include essential and educational items for newborns that otherwise are a challenge for these moms to provide on their own.
"Now I Know" Human Trafficking Prevention Education Program
Human Trafficking Coalition of the Palm Beaches
West Palm Beach, FL
Sponsored since 2024
Established in 2005, the Human Trafficking Coalition of the Palm Beaches (HTCPB) is a volunteer-driven organization that has become the hub for human trafficking prevention, providing education for youth, caregivers, educators, professionals, and community members and resources for agencies that serve survivors of human trafficking. HTCPB is a district-approved vendor educating over 4,000 Palm Beach County middle and high school students in 2023. With the high-impact support of the Mary’s Giving Fund, our “Now I Know” Human Trafficking Prevention Education program will expand to additional schools and youth outreach programs and now include security webcam covers for all students. By reaching students at a young age, prevention programs can help instill healthy boundaries, critical thinking skills, and resilience against manipulation tactics used by those who exploit others. By raising awareness and mobilizing resources, schools can become key players in the fight against exploitation within their communities. This expansion will provide an opportunity to broaden the Coalition’s community footprint and deepen our ability to carry out our mission to end this crime of exploitation in Palm Beach County through prevention education.
Mary's Secret Garden
The River Center
Jupiter, FL
Sponsored since 2024
The River Center is a local nature center and aquarium where children, families, and adults come to learn more about the Loxahatchee River watershed. Mary’s Secret Garden provides a natural play space for children to run, jump, climb, crawl, feel, smell, hear and more. It engages all the senses. Children (and adults) learn faster and retain more when more than one sense is used in an activity. Studies have shown that children will spend more time playing in natural playscapes than on more traditional playground equipment. Nature helps children to develop cognitive skills such as creativity, problem-solving, symbolic play, and intellectual development. It can also help them to develop social interaction and teamwork skills with other children in the same area. Natural play also keeps children moving and active which improves their physical health and helps them to develop balance, motor skills, and coordination. It will also improve their mental health by lowering anxiety and helps them to feel more confident in trying new things. All these benefits are available to the adults that are with the children - if only they will let out their inner child. The River Center is excited to offer this new experience for our visitors.
Mobile Eye and Ear Alert
Junior League of the Palm Beaches
West Palm Beach, FL
Sponsored since 2024
One of Mary’s favorite volunteer projects was Eye and Ear Alert, a longstanding Junior League community effort that relies on volunteer medical professionals to screen the vision and hearing of four and five year old children in economically challenged locales. With the assistance of Mary’s Giving Fund, the project will now go mobile with a start in Pahokee this fall and rotating through the Glades areas of Palm Beach County in the coming years. Each child will receive a fun-filled back pack and breakfast, both good and needed participation incentives, as well as financial assistance for potential follow-up doctor visits and eyeglasses as needed based on individual results.
Not the Puberty Word
The Pediatric Primary Care Center
Cincinnati, OH
Sponsored since 2024
The medical home for over 16,000 patients with over 30,000 visits each year, 85% of the families served are on public insurance and many have significant financial challenges. The topic of puberty is always a challenging topic to discuss, but now families and patients will have a resource guide which presents information in an accurate, culturally appropriate, meaningful way. The program entails handing out a book that explains puberty to underserved pre-teen/early teen kids at their well-child-care visit and having the physician discuss with the patient and caregivers the physical and emotional changes that occur during puberty. Providing the book on puberty at no cost to families will serve as a reference to answer some possibly embarrassing questions.
Student Ambassador Club & Retreat
Safety 4 Life
Boca Raton, FL
Sponsored since 2024
The Safety 4 Life Foundation empowers high school students through free educational programs and ambassador clubs. At the Student Ambassador Retreat, the areas of concentration -- road and internet safety, human trafficking, and safe law enforcement interactions -- are presented by experts in these fields. The present and future ambassadors from ten area high schools learn about the four elements which are linked to the highest causes of death and serious injury to teens. The student ambassadors will share their Retreat experience with other students by using the Safety 4 Life peer-to-peer educational system. The teenage years are a time for exploration, growth, and discovery but can also be filled with challenges and risks. By providing the necessary tools and information to teens, some of the risk factors can be removed. Students at the Retreat are provided shirts, food, educational materials for an interactive experience, information, and new friends. Enacting positive change through preventative measures is the goal for Safety 4 Life, and safer teens will result in safer communities.
Mary's Stars Shine Brightly in "The 'Burgh"
Homewood Children's Village
Pittsburgh, PA
Sponsored since 2024
Twelve students from Homewood area schools Lincoln Elementary and Westinghouse Academy are designing and creating a Homewood Community Mural along with support by acclaimed Homewood artist Ashante Josey and nationally renowned Pittsburgh muralist “Camo” (Cameron Nesbit). This mural project is the first phase of a three year “service learning through art” curriculum in which students learn community pride and awareness (through “Homewood Heroes” guest speakers such as Pittsburgh’s First Lady, a Westinghouse graduate, area business leaders and area activists), team building strategies, personal resilience and responsibility, and empowerment skills for effecting positive change in their community. The team of students is called Mary’s STARS (Student Teams of Artists Restoring Society), and their three year curriculum includes: Year 1 – basic art skills necessary for the design and creation of the mural (sketch technique, brush technique, color and design theory); Year 2 – writing, illustrating, and self-publishing a children’s book that focuses on urban youths who create a community garden to brighten a blighted area (copies of which will be given to Pittsburgh’s Children’s Hospital patients); and Year 3 – designing and installing the community garden envisioned in the Year 2 book project.
Mary's After-School Aeroponic Garden
Community Kids Place Out-of-School, The Community Group
Lawrence, MA
Sponsored since 2023
This indoor, mobile vertical garden and accompanying research-based curriculum engages Lawrence elementary school students in researching, selecting, and growing a variety of edible plants while utilizing innovative gardening technology. Mary's Garden participants grow foods that have a culturally relevant connection to their lives, selecting plants that are important to them and their families. Student volunteers act as Mary's Garden Ambassadors to share their learning and gardening expertise with their teachers, families and community members in an end-of-program showcase.
Emmie's Enchanted Memorial Gardens
Children's Enrichment Center (CEC) of First United Methodist Church
Jupiter, FL
Sponsored since 2023
Created to help honor a former CEC student who lost her battle with cancer, the funds provide for several outdoor garden spaces and enhance the science curriculum for 65 preschool students. Students are able to enjoy a prayer garden, two butterfly gardens and a vegetable/wildflower garden. They learn about butterflies and lady bugs from life-cycle posters and participate in hands-on experiments for growing both plants and seeds from growing kits and hydroponics - all provided by Mary's Giving Fund. This program is filled with many benefits of gardening, including physical and emotional health, healthy eating, creativity, and an appreciation and love for nature and the planet.
Mary's Enrichment Program
Quantum House
West Palm Beach, FL
Sponsored since 2023
Mary's Enrichment Program at Quantum House provides an immersive art experience for the children and their siblings at Quantum House. An artist and/or cultural organization visits Quantum House to present in one of the following art areas: art, music, dance, acting, or museum experience. The Program is held in the afternoon after the children have completed their therapy sessions, doctor's appointments, homework, and other commitments. This Program contributes to the overall health and well-being of the children and their siblings who are a part of the journey of healing from a serious medical condition. Quantum House provides pediatric healthcare for families receiving treatment at St. Mary's Medical Center and surrounding area hospitals. On average, Quantum House serves 1,700 families and provides meals, playrooms, computer labs, a business center, a fitness center, and an outdoor play are for its guests.
Pittman Parents' Night In
Ella C. Pittman Elementary School
Harvey, LA
Sponsored since 2023
Pittman Elementary is a Title 1 school where 85% of the students are below the poverty level. Pittman Parents' Night In program takes a twofold approach to improving the educational experience of their students. First, the program encourages caregivers and/or parents to come to a monthly meeting on a Thursday night during which they are shown how to review the weekly performance of the child's behavior and grades. And second, the program provides these children with supplies, food and other necessities for weekday evenings or weekends via both direct giving as well as raffles base on caregiver attendance (prizes include, for example, gift certificates for grocery stores or Walmart). The school officials and teaching staff are genuinely excited that this program will make a tremendous difference in the day-to-day lives and educational opportunities of their students.
Mary's Summer Strings Academy
Treasure Coast Youth Symphony
Stuart, FL
Sponsored since 2023
Responding to the need for string ensemble performance training, the Treasure Coast Youth Symphony (TCYS) offers a six-week summer session. All eligible students are provided needed funding for tuition thanks to the support of Mary's Giving Fund. Mary's Summer Strings Program offers up to thirty young string players an opportunity to expand and enhance their technical and artistic skills. During these sessions of reading orchestra and ensemble music of well-known composers, participants learn how to play well together and improve their ensemble performance skills. The Treasure Coast Youth Symphony offers a challenging environment for performance training that cultivates talent, inspires creativity, and instills lifelong character-building skills. Through its various programs and performances, TCYS continues to enrich the cultural landscape of our community and shape the future of classical music.
#Let's Talk
Local Volunteer Professional Counselors
Hilton Head Island and Bluffton, SC
Sponsored since 2023
#Let's Talk is a program offered to middle and high school students to reinforce real life information and practical life skills necessary to help empower teens to have positive mental health and be the best that they can be as they reach adulthood. Professionals address many different topics that are relevant to young adolescents, such as mental and physical health, self-care, social media, friendships, empathy and giving back to the community. The program is filled with information and engaging activities for the adolescents delivered by professionals in our local community.
Fieldtrip Transportation for Title 1 Schools
New England Botanic Garden
Boylston, MA
Sponsored 2023
Thanks to the generous support from Mary's Giving Fund, New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill will be able to provide safe, no-cost bus transportation for fieldtrips to the Garden for students from Title 1 schools in the greater Worcester (MA) area. During each fieldtrip, students will have the opportunity to explore nature, learn about native plants and ecosystems, and participate in nature-based, age-appropriate STEM activities focusing on issues such as bio diversity, tree equity, and environmental stewardship. New England Botanic Garden is located on 171 acres in Boylston, Massachusetts and welcomes nearly 200,000 visitors each year.
Guiding Hands
The Hands and Feet
West Palm Beach, FL
Sponsored 2023
The Guiding Hands program strives to bridge the gap between youth that have aged out of group homes, as well as some youth still in group homes, and individuals who want to support them. Many times these youths move into new apartments or homes and have nothing. With no family to support them in becoming an adult, The Hands and Feet pairs each youth with a volunteer who takes them shopping and teaches them life skills, such as how to budget and plan accordingly for their needs. The Hands and Feet provides a gift card to the youth to purchase these items. Through shopping The Hands and Feet encourages its volunteers to get to know these youths and for a bond and connection that will last not just one day but a lifetime.
Mary's Reading Nook
Hannah's Home of South Florida
Tequesta, FL
Sponsored 2022 to 2023
Hannah's Home started as a referral service for young pregnant women who were homeless or housing insecure. It currently houses eight women and their babies and provides long term support. The facility also has an on-site child care center. Employees and volunteers noticed when they read to the babies during a dedicated reading hour, that more of the moms were willing to read to them. Everyone noticed that reading not only relaxed the children and helped calm them down, but the children were more engaged as a result. Currently, the center's daily reading hour is around the time of day the kids are most fussy, and it has proven to be a game changer. Fortunately, Hannah's Home has an amazing volunteer that has taken ownership of the reading time and has trained the resident mothers and other volunteers to step in should she not be available. In addition, Mary's Giving Fund's donation has helped provide a reading "nook", a space unique to its own spot, with comfortable seating, ample lighting, bright and vibrant board books as well as a bookcase to store the books. Hannah's Home plans to sponsor a Name the Nook challenge on all its social media platforms with the qualifier being the name must include "Mary".
Summer Academic Enrichment and
Dinner Program
Tennis Rocks Tutoring and Music Association
Wilmington, DE
Sponsored since 2022
The mission of Tennis Rocks is to provide an opportunity for the underserved youth and families in Wilmington to fulfill their maximum potential academically, socially, and physically. Tennis Rocks uses tutoring and music to address education needs, and tennis to develop physical fitness, healthy lifestyles, and essential life skills. The free 7-week summer program sponsored by Mary's Giving Fund serves children from 1st - 12th grades. The program focuses on improving academic skills in Math, Reading Comprehension, English, Social studies and Science which will allow the participants to be successful during the upcoming school year. The overall goal is to combat the chronically high 65% high school dropout rate in Wilmington. Tennis Rocks has been able to achieve a 98% graduation rate from their participants.
Westgate Elementary School
Program Curriculum, Material & Supplies
Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast
West Palm Beach, FL
Sponsored since 2022
Too many children do not have access to education crucial for their future success: personal financial responsibility, budgeting, critical thinking, career readiness, and demonstrating an entrepreneurial drive. Junior Achievement exists so that all kids, regardless of background, receive the tools they need to build a future for themselves in which they are optimistic, economically self-sufficient and determined, with a belief in the power of free enterprise. Junior Achievement prepares students to develop successful financial management habits, empowers them to explore the potential of becoming an aspiring entrepreneur and provides them with the skills necessary to succeed in a global workforce. Junior Achievement has partnered with Mary's Giving Fund to offer programs to West Gate Elementary School, at which over 94% of its students are eligible for free/reduced priced lunches (which often correlates to students in need of more free enterprise and financial literacy education). Mary's Giving Fund provided for the program curricula, materials and supplies to support 730 students. These curricula used sequential themes, each with hands-on activities, to promote business and economics understanding and were delivered by community volunteers who provided real-world perspective.
Explore Palm Beach State College
Palm Beach State College
Lake Worth, FL
Sponsored since 2022
Palm Beach State College (PBSC) is the fourth largest college in the Florida College system, offering a variety of degrees and certificates to students. While PBSC offers onsite open houses and presents at local high schools, students may not be able to attend evening or weekend events due to jobs or lack of transportation. Mary's Giving fund provides transportation for Palm Beach County high school juniors and seniors to tour the five campuses of PBSC twice a year on a school day. With the help of Mary's Giving Fund, students learn not only about the programs offered at PBSC, but they also learn about financial aid and the admissions process. This career fair helps students understand their options for both traditional college degrees and for certificates in the trade and industry fields. Touring the campus in person allows students to see that college is possible and helps them navigate this challenging process.
Library Cart Book Support
Reilly Elementary School
Salem, OH
Sponsored 2022
In Spring of 2023, at Reilly Elementary School, in Salem, Ohio, where Mary spent her childhood, Mary's Giving Fund provided 215 new books to fill the librarian book cart. The Head Librarian, Kay Piero, takes the book cart to the 3rd and 4th grade classrooms at the school. Each books bears a book plate with the rose emblem signifying Mary's Giving Fund. This book initiative will positively impact 300 students at Reilly Elementary School. The school and the librarian are so excited that this idea has come to fruition in memory of Mary! Reilly elementary School has 24.4 students to every teacher. Moreover, 67.8% of the students are eligible for school lunches and the percentage of students on free and reduced lunch assistance is higher that the state average of 52.8%. With the support of our donors in the future, Mary's Giving Fund can stock the other elementary schools in the region.
Leaders in Training
Hilton Head Island Recreation Center
Hilton Head Island, SC
Sponsored 2022
Leaders in Training is a program designed by the Hilton Head Island Recreation Center. This program helped enable these teens (ages 14-16) with skills and experiences to develop a foundation of LEADERSHIP, INTEGRITY, and TOOLS they can use in their daily life to pursue other opportunities for growth in extracurricular activities, and to also prepare them for the workforce. The teens worked directly with head staff members throughout the summer camp program through 1 vs 1 meetings, staff trainings and a mentorship approach to develop their leadership skills. The teens finished the program with the confidence to overcome barriers, use their voice, solve problems, and use positive communication skills.
Apiary Program
Westover School
Middlebury, CT
Sponsored since 2021
After initially supporting the establishment of the bee hives in a safe space on campus, Mary’s Giving Fund now continues to support the ongoing maintenance and growth of the Apiary Program at the Westover School, an all-girls college preparatory school in CT. Students involved in the program engage in hands-on practical learning of beekeeping activities and gain an awareness and appreciation for honeybees and their impact on the natural world around us. The Program continues to impact nearly 300 students and community members annually. The students are looking forward to a successful spring harvest of honey and to producing their own honey and beeswax products to sell in the school store, as well as highlighting the honey in the school’s dining hall. Westover continues to enhance the program’s interactions with courses in Environmental Science, Biology, History and even Languages, all of which expand the reach of the program on its campus.
Service Leader Mentor and
Community Give Back Day
Western Reserve Academy
Hudson, OH
Sponsored 2021 to 2023
The WRA Service Leaders, a group of student leaders who design community service programs in which all WRA students participate, created a partnership program with Buddy-Up Tennis in the Spring of 2023. The Buddy-Up Tennis program is a high-energy adaptive tennis and fitness program for people with Down Syndrome ages 5+ which enables them to flourish, succeed, and reach their fullest potential by providing a unique environment that combines tennis, fitness, and social activities. WRA students will be Buddies who provide support, develop friendships and reinforce the Coaches' instructions.
Period Supply Program
Junior League of the Palm Beaches with Alliance for Period Supplies
West Palm Beach, FL
Sponsored 2021 to 2023
Many low-income women and girls struggle to afford menstrual products. The Junior League of the Palm Beaches (JLPB), in partnership with the Alliance for Period Supplies, provides period supplies to women in need. Mary's Giving Fund donates 50 packs of period supplies to girls at the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Beach County. With the donated period supplies, Mary's Giving Fund also provides an educational book on girl's health, The Care and Keeping of You, targeted to girls ages 8-12. During this time, the JLPB discusses period poverty with the girls to raise awareness and to destigmatize the biological process of menstruation.
Therapeutic Arts Enrichment Program
Calhoun County High School
Battle Creek, MI
Sponsored 2021 to 2022
CCHS, an alternative high school, serves students with economic, learning, and other challenges, and lacks funding for arts education. The school qualifies for Title 1 funds and free breakfast and lunch for the entire student body. Around half of the CCHS student body (more that 30 at-risk students) participated in the Therapeutic Arts Program last school year, and the program resumed with additional students in September 2022. Mary's Giving Fund covered the costs of supplies needed for the program every school year. Current enrichment options include photography, poetry, digital storytelling, painting and drawing, and gaming. CCHS is planning an end-of-school-year event for the community that will double as a program fundraiser and allow students to showcase and sell some of their creations.
Mary's Caballeros
El Sol, Jupiter's Neighborhood Resource Center
Jupiter, FL
Sponsored 2020 to 2023
Originally conceived as a way to teach boys aged 9-11 the basics of etiquette, netiquette, table manners, and other essential social and business practices, this program has continued to promote those skills while adding a critical male role model element. Now called "Los Caballeros de El Sol," in the past year the weekly program has given eleven young Hispanic gentlemen from low income families the opportunity to engage firsthand with successful Hispanic men. They have met four of their baseball heroes from the Miami Marlins, along with a physician, a police officer, and, during an exciting trip to a radio station, a professional DJ. The boys visited the Loggerhead Marine Life Center to learn about human impact on wildlife populations (after which they participated in a beach cleanup). They had the chance to tour Florida Atlantic University and ponder post-high school education opportunities, as well as purchase books at the Barnes & Noble. Consistent with the program's original mission, the boys practiced their social etiquette at a "Mary's Table" dinner, and attended a professional performance of The Nutcracker. The impact on the program's participants has been so positive that organizers have attracted additional sponsors, which has allowed them to expand the initial six-week format indefinitely.
A Growing Garden
The Edna W. Runner Tutorial Center
Jupiter, FL
Sponsored 2020 to 2023
"A Growing Garden" supports over 100 children and helps them learn the fundamentals of growing food organically. Many of the children come from families which face food insecurity and cannot prioritize fresh fruits and vegetables. The Center is offering Extended Learning Opportunities with guest teachers who help the children plant and harvest various fruits and vegetables, learn about gardening, the environment, sustainable practices, food preparation and cooking. At harvest time, children are able to take food home for their families and neighbors. Through a curriculum guided by the University of Miami and Florida Atlantic University, the children began planting in January of 2020. Five variations of fruit trees and six variations of vegetable plants now line the beds and garden path.
The Banquet of Salem
Salem Community Foundation
Salem, OH
Sponsored 2020 to 2022
The Banquet of Salem, where Mary spent her childhood, provides several age-appropriate reading books to underserved grade-school students and a meal to the students and their parents or guardians. Now in its third year of sponsorship, Mary’s Giving Fund provides the Banquet of Salem with reading books for the month of October. Scholastic Books were distributed at the Banquet of Salem to children and grandchildren in Mary's memory. The books were carefully selected and tied to the children's age, interests, and reading level. Mary's Giving Fund is recognized in the local paper, The Salem News, where Mary's story was a front page feature article (see Article in Gallery), and each book bears the rose emblem signifying Mary's Giving Fund. Once again, with the support of Mary's Giving Fund, the Banquet of Salem was a huge success and Salem's school-age children were the true beneficiaries.