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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 helping children thrive. And more specifically, through micro-giving grants, we develop and support meaningful, renewable programs that improve the health, well-being, education and welfare of children, particularly underserved children. Your donations enable us to support current programs and scale future giving. 

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Mary's Kids

November 3, 2026

children so far and counting...

40,467

The Programs have directly engaged 

​

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OUR PROGRAMS

Click name to jump or scroll to program
2026 Easter Outreach, CASA of Cuyahoga County, Cleveland, OH
Apiary Program, Westover School, Middlebury, CT
Annual Field Trip to Flamingo Gardens, Flamingo Gardens, Inc., Davie, FL
Apollo's Book Nook, Cleveland Kids' Book Bank, Cleveland, OH
ArtRX: Prescription for the Imagination!, Palm Beach Children's Hospital Foundation at St. Mary's Medical Center,
West Palm Beach, FL
Ask Max: Mobile K-12 STEM Outreach, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL
Backpack of Food Program, Wooster Hope Center, Wooster, OH
Basketball Showdown for Children with Physical Disabilities, Youth Challenge, Westlake, OH
The Banquet of Salem, Salem Community Foundation, Salem, OH
Benjamin Blessings in a Backpack Club, The Benjamin School, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Boardgamers Enrichment for Personal Development, Neighborhood Outreach Connection, Hilton Head Island, SC
Box of Rain Summer Maritime Program, Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park, Annapolis, MD
Children's Services Program Field Trips, Upper Valley Haven, White River Junction, VT
Creating Healing Environments for Hospitalized Children through Creative Expression and Personalized Spaces, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH
Emmie's Enchanted Memorial Gardens, Children's Enrichment Center (CEC) of First United Methodist Church, Jupiter, FL
Explore Palm Beach College, Palm Beach State College, Lake Worth, FL
Exploring Long Island's Marine Ecosystem, West Hempstead Union Free School District, Old Bethpage, NY
Family Visitation Center, Children's Home Society of Florida, West Palm Beach, FL
Female Wellness and Empowerment Initiative (FEWI), Youth Enrichment Services (YES), Pittsburgh, PA
Field Trip Transportation for Title 1 Schools, New England Botanic Garden, Boylston, MA
Girls Circle: Psychoeducation Groups for Girls, Pace Center for Girls, Palm Springs, FL
Good Neighbors Children's Dental Health Fund, Good Neighbors, Inc., Akron, OH
A Growing Garden, The Edna W. Runner Tutorial Center, Jupiter, FL
Guiding Hands, The Hands and Feet, West Palm Beach, FL
Hen Hud Sportsfest, Hendrick Hudson School District, Montrose, NY
Hands Together for Haitians, Haitian Youth Initiative, North Palm Beach, FL
Hilton Head and Bluffton Boys & Girls Club Summer Camp Initiative, Soul2Give, Hilton Head Island, SC
Junior Achievement BizTown, Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast, West Palm Beach, FL
Kids Ocean Heroes Activity Books, Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Juno Beach, FL
Leaders in Training, Hilton Head Island Recreation Center, Hilton Head Island, SC
#Let's Talk, Local Volunteer Professional Counselors, Hilton Head Island, SC
Library Cart Book Support, Reilly Elementary School, Salem OH
Mary's After-School Aeroponic Garden, The Community Group, Lawrence, MA
Mary's Care Closet, Miriam Foundation, Fountain Inn, SC
Mary's Creative Enrichment Program, Quantum House, North Palm Beach, FL
Mary's Giving Fund Birthdays and Boppies Fund, The Children's Home of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Mary's Giving Fund Summer Camp Program, Family Promise of Beaufort County, Bluffton, SC
Mary's Giving Library at Newport Health Center, New London Hospital, New London, NH
Mary's Manatee Market Cart, Lake Magdalene Elementary School, Tampa, FL
Mary's Night at the Theater, Dance Theater of Florida, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Mary's Reading Nook, Hannah's Home of South Florida, Tequesta, FL
Mary's Secret Garden, The River Center, Jupiter, FL
Mary's Sensory Garden, Providence House, Cleveland, OH
Mary's STARS, Imani Christian Academy, Pittsburgh, PA
Mary's Stars Shine Brightly in "The 'Burgh", Homewood Children's Village, Pittsburgh, PA
Mary's Summer Strings Academy, Treasure Coast Youth Symphony, Hobe Sound, FL
Mary's Table - Caballeros de El Sol, El Sol, Jupiter's Neighborhood Resource Center, Jupiter, FL
Mobile Eye and Ear Alert, Junior League of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL
Music Together for Infants and Toddlers, The Family Place, Norwich, VT
Nature's Nook Storytime, Hobe Sound Nature Center, Hobe Sound, FL
New Mommy Care Packages, Banner Lake Community, Hobe Sound, FL
"Now I Know" Human Trafficking Prevention Education Program, Human Trafficking Coalition of the Palm Beaches,
West Palm Beach, FL
Parents as Teachers (PAT) in Fayette County, The Learning Lamp, Pittsburgh, PA
The Pitt Stop, Ella C. Pittman Elementary School, Harvey, LA
Period Supply Program, Junior League of the Palm Beaches with Alliance for Period Supplies, West Palm Beach, FL
Power of Play, Home Safe, Lake Worth, FL
Preparing for Puberty, The Pediatric Primary Care Center, Cincinnati, OH
Project Grow, Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches, Lake Worth, FL
Service Leader Mentor and Community Give Back Day, Western Reserve Academy, Hudson, OH
Speed Interview Night Reception and Student Fuel Sponsor, Path to College, West Palm Beach, FL
Student Ambassador Club & Retreat, Safety 4 Life, West Palm Beach, FL
Student Business Center, Elev8hope, Stuart, FL
Summer Academic Enrichment and Dinner Program, Tennis Rocks Tutoring and Music Association, Wilmington, DE
Therapeutic Arts Enrichment Program, Calhoun County High School, Battle Creek, MI
Well Balanced, Universal Love ENT, Cleveland, OH
Westgate Elementary School Program Curriculum, Materials & Supplies, Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast, West Palm Beach, FL
Please Note: Mary's Giving Fund very much appreciates the opportunity to share the many successes of the charitable programs it supports, including through pictures and videos, which often capture moments that words alone cannot. In the increasingly complex digital world of today, however, sharing has its limits. As a result, if you see a picture on this website that you believe should be removed, please contact us at office@marysgivingfund.org. 
Creating Healing Environments
Creating Healing Environments for Hospitalized Children through Creative Expression and Personalized Spaces
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Cleveland, OH
Sponsored since 2026
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Support from Mary’s Giving Fund expands the reach of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation’s Creating Healing Environments for Hospitalized Children through Creative Expression and Personalized spaces program. This expansion covers the acquisition of additional sensory materials used to support creative self-expression and adaptive coping for children experiencing extended hospital visits.

Female Wellness and Empowerment
Female Wellness and Empowerment Initiative (FEWI)
Youth Enrichment Services (YES)
Pittsburgh, PA
Sponsored since 2026
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This initiative will serve female youth through gender-specific mentorship, health and wellness classes, exposure to prosocial and culturally relevant activities, and through career exploration with women in underrepresented fields. Mary’s Giving Fund will help cover the cost of transportation, activity fees, stipend incentives, personnel support, and program session meals.

Dental Health Fund
Good Neighbors Children's Dental Health Fund
Good Neighbors, Inc.
Akron, OH
Sponsored since 2026
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This dental health resource, provided by Mary’s Giving Fund, will provide children whose families use the Good Neighbors Food Bank with essential dental hygiene supplies. Supplies will be broken up into age-appropriate categories to ensure that each child gets what he or she needs for preventative dental care.

Junior Achievement BizTown
Junior Achievement BizTown
Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast
West Palm Beach, FL
Sponsored since 2026
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This is an experimental program that allows 5th grade students from 16 local elementary schools in Palm Beach County, FL to take part in an immersive, simulated town economy. Mary’s Giving Fund enables 195 students from Belle Glade Elementary and Gove Elementary to participate in the program where they will gain essential financial literacy and work readiness skills.

Birthdays and Boppies
Mary's Giving Fund Birthdays and Boppies Fund
The Children's Home of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
Sponsored since 2026
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This program contributes to the work of the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh by meeting two important needs of the patients they welcome. Thanks to support from Mary’s Giving Fund, children staying in the hospital during their birthday will be able to enjoy a celebration at no cost to their family. Additionally, it will provide the facility with hospital grade boppies, which are pillows that support children facing special feeding needs. The Hospital will retain some pillows for use and send pillows home with families that need them.

Mary's Sensory Garden
Mary's Sensory Garden
Providence House
Cleveland, OH
Sponsored since 2026
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Providence House supports families experiencing homelessness in Cleveland, OH. With support from Mary’s Giving Fund, they will renovate Mary’s Sensory Garden and be able to offer weekly developmental and motor lessons in the garden. They will also be able to stock the garden with sensory garden tools, equipment, decorations, planting materials, and signage. 

Parents as Teachers
Parents as Teachers (PAT) in Fayette County
The Learning Lamp
Pittsburgh, PA
Sponsored since 2026
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During this program, Parent Educators will visit pregnant women and families with children through age five at least once a month and incorporate books during home visits to help caregivers build their children's early literacy and school-readiness skills. Support from Mary’s Giving Fund will be used to supply 500 books for Parent Educators to distribute during home visits and Group Connections community events. 

Mary's STARS
Mary's STARS
Imani Christian Academy
Pittsburgh, PA
Sponsored since 2026
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Mary’s STARS is a revitalization of the previous Mary’s Stars Shine Brightly in the ‘Burgh
program. Now being conducted at Imani Christian Academy, Mary’s STARS (Student Reams of
Artists Restoring Society) allows the middle school “Art Guild” students to work collaboratively
on a mural that will be installed on school property. Students will have the opportunity to
develop leadership and teamwork skills by working with a professional consultant while
developing their mural. Mary’s Giving Fund will provide for everything needed to create the
mural, the consultant, and a banquet to ensure that the work and growth of the student’s is
properly celebrated.

Summer Camp Initiative
Hilton Head and Bluffton Boys & Girls Club Summer Camp Initiative
Soul2Give
Hilton Head Island, SC
Sponsored since 2026
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Soul2Give’s Hilton Head and Bluffton Boys & Girls Club Summer Camp Initiative is a
partnership that provides underserved children with essential supplies to ensure that every child
has what they need to be safe, comfortable, and prepared at camp. Mary’s Giving Fund helps to
provide every child with a bag, sunscreen, waterbottle, and healthy snacks. This initiative
removes financial barriers to accessing camp supplies so that every child could safely and
confidently enjoy camp.

MGF Summer Camp Program
Mary's Giving Fund Summer Camp Program
Family Promise of Beaufort County
Bluffton, SC
Sponsored since 2026

This program allows the children who are residing in the Family Promise of Beaufort County homeless shelter to attend summer camp through the Boys and Girls Club. Boys & Girls Club summer camps and programs offer affordable, safe, and fun experiences for all kids regardless of housing status, led by trained and caring adults. With outdoor activities, STEM, art, sports and more, kids and teens can try new things, make friends, and discover their passions. Mary’s Giving Fund helps to ensure that the children living in the homeless shelter can attend summer camp. Without this support, cost would be a barrier for these children. Being able to attend means they have a summer camp experience while giving their parents the ability to continue working. Camp also helps prevent the “summer slide” through fun learning activities that ensure children return to school ready to succeed.

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Mary's School Store
Mary's Manatee Market Cart
Lake Magdalene Elementary School
Tampa, FL
Sponsored since 2026

Lake Magdalene Elementary School is a PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) school. Through the PBIS system, students are able to earn positive behavior points for being respectful, responsible, and safe in multiple different settings including all subject areas, specials/electives, lunch time, and other miscellaneous categories such as being on time or executing an outstanding behavior. Mary’s Manatee Market Cart allows students to redeem their positive behavior points for items that incentivize them and encourage continued growth academically and behaviorally. Thanks to Mary’s Giving Fund, students have the option to choose between snacks, school supplies, fidget items, card games, and other prizes as rewards for their positive behavior.

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2026 Easter Outreach
2026 Easter Outreach
CASA of Cuyahoga County
Cleveland, OH
Sponsored since 2025

This program provides easter baskets for their 200 case-assigned children living in foster care. Baskets are assembled by staff and volunteers, and contain books, school supplies, personal care items such as toothbrushes, small toys, and candy and snacks. Baskets are customized for various ages groups including infants, toddlers, 3-6 year olds, 7-12 year olds, and 13-18 year olds to ensure that all children receive appropriate supplies. Mary’s Giving Fund sponsors this program to bring children both much-needed items and feelings of joy and inclusion as they celebrate the easter holiday.

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Annual Field Trip to Flamingo Gardens
Annual Field Trip to Flamingo Gardens
Flamingo Gardens, Inc.
Davie, FL
Sponsored since 2025
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This program provides free field trips, including school bus transportation when needed, to students attending Broward County Title I schools or children with special needs. Flamingo Gardens’ Environmental Education Programs provide students from PreK to
12th grade with high-quality educational lessons that meet Florida Department of Education standards, combined with hands-on wildlife immersion experiences. These field trips introduce young audiences to the astounding everglades and introduce them to zoology, botany, ecology, and the importance of nature preservation. Support from Mary’s Giving Fund makes these field trips accessible to students who would otherwise have been unable to attend.

ArtRx
ArtRx: Prescription for the Imagination
Palm Beach Children's Hospital Foundation at St. Mary's Medical Center
West Palm Beach, FL
Sponsored since 2025
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This program brings the transformative power of art
into the pediatric healthcare setting at Palm Beach Children’s Hospital at St. Mary’s Medical Center. Children receiving care at Palm Beach Children’s Hospital as well as their caregivers have the opportunity to express themselves, alleviate stress, and experience the joy of creativity amidst the challenges of medical treatment through guided art activities. This program fosters emotional healing, enhances coping mechanisms through creative problem solving, and creates a positive and enriching environment for young patients and their caregivers during their hospital stay.

Children's Services Program Field Trips
Children's Services Program Field Trips
Upper Valley Haven
White River Junction, VT
Sponsored since 2024
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This program serves children in Vermont and New Hampshire who have been homeless. Through the Haven's year-round programming, school-aged children both currently living in the Byrne Family Shelter and past residents may attend school year and full-day summer camp at no cost. Through safe, consistent, and trauma-informed programming, the CSP provides robust opportunities that nourish children and their social-emotional needs. Support from Mary's Giving Fund allows children experiences that give the chance to learn, play, and grow in ways that would otherwise have been far out of reach for their families. Children have the opportunity to enjoy summer activities such as hiking, swimming, and horseback riding, as well as special field trips including visits to New Hampshire's Seacoast Science Center, tubing on the Connecticut River, Sunapee State Park, and the Notch Climbing Gym.

Backpack of Food
Backpack of Food Program
Wooster Hope Center
Wooster, OH
Sponsored since 2025

This program serves five school districts throughout Wayne County, Ohio. Each student who participates receives a bag of mostly nonperishable food every Friday throughout the school year. The goal of this program is to ensure that students have food available for at least two meals over the weekend. Mary’s Giving Fund supports the purchase of food for the program allowing Wooster Hope Center to serve more school districts in Wayne County and to increase the amount of food going home with each child.

Basketball Showdown
Basketball Showdown for Children with Physical Disabilities
Youth Challenge
Westlake, OH
Sponsored since 2025
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This program serves participants with physical disabilities and teen volunteers through a competitive basketball tournament. In February, participants and volunteers from east and west Cleveland meet for three weeks to form teams and practice. Mary’s Giving Fund is the sponsor of the final community event of the program where families are invited to watch their kids compete at St. Peter School. After the final game of the tournament, Youth
Challenge Participants and St. Peter School students play a game together, furthering the disability awareness and inclusion learning experience.

Box of Rain
Box of Rain Summer Maritime Program
Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park
Annapolis, MD
Sponsored since 2025
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This program provides children from low-income housing the opportunity to connect with their natural environment and the unique maritime history of Annapolis with three programs. The Build-a-Boat Program is a 12-week winter program. The Summer Maritime Program is a multi-week summer camp. The Bay Stewards Afterschool program supports students’ social, emotional, cognitive, and academic development, encourages creativity and problem solving, reduces risky behaviors, promotes physical health and environmental stewardship, and provides a safe and supportive environment for youth throughout the year. Support from Mary’s Giving Fund helps to cover the cost of summer swim sessions and provide every child with access to a healthy meal during programming.

Power of Play
Power of Play
Home Safe
Lake Worth, FL
Sponsored since 2025
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HomeSafe is a nationally accredited nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting victims of child abuse and domestic violence in South Florida. The Power of Play Program equips Home Safe’s four residential group homes and SafetyNet with new Play Therapy tools that allow clients to express emotions, process negative experiences, and build coping skills in a safe, nonverbal way. Mary’s Giving Fund supports the acquisition of these interactive, hands-on resources which help youth engage more fully in therapy, enhancing communication, trust, and emotional regulation.

Mary's Giving Library
Mary's Giving Library at Newport Health Center
New London Hospital
New London, NH
Sponsored since 2025
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This program is a health focused literacy and wellness initiative designed to promote reading, connection, and learning for patients visiting the health center. Inspired by the spirit of generosity and community engagement embodied by Mary’s Giving Fund, this program provides free, high-quality books to pediatric patients in Newport Health Center’s rural service area, supporting both emotional well-being and lifelong learning. Mary’s Giving Fund’s sponsorship of this program creates a book collection that encourages both literacy and health literacy—helping families build confidence, connection, and comfort through the power of reading and conversation.

Mary's Night at the Theater
Mary's Night at the Theater
Dance Theatre of Florida
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Sponsored since 2025
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This program serves elementary school students from Title I schools across Palm Beach County by providing free access to live, professional dance programs. Students are invited to attend a special morning performance of The Bell - An Adaptation of The Polar Express at the Eissey. Mary's Giving Fund is the sponsor of the trip for three Title I schools, allowing 650 children to attend the performance. This school performance is abridged to fit into the school schedule and allow for a Q&A session. This enriching experience fosters arts appreciation and community connection to those who might otherwise never have the opportunity. 

Student Business Center
Student Business Center
Elev8hope
Stuart, FL
Sponsored since 2025
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This program supports children living in transitional housing who lack access to essential learning tools like computers and books. The Student Business Center is housed within Elev8hope’s transitional living facility. The center provides a dedicated space for students to learn, research, and complete homework in a safe, resource-rich environment. The program aims to empower youth through education and digital access, with plans to expand annually and become a permanent, year-round support system for students in need. Support from Mary’s Giving Fund allowed Elev8hope to establish the student business center through the acquisition of essential materials such as laptops, software, and a desk to create a space for students to further their education, build valuable skills, and envision a brighter future.

Apollo's Book Nook
Apollo's Book Nook
Cleveland Kids' Book Bank
Cleveland, OH
Sponsored since 2025
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Apollo’s Book Nook is a permanent, child-centered reading space inside the Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank to honor the life and legacy of Apollo Bohanon, a joyful five-year-old boy who passed away unexpectedly in 2024. Apollo adored books and loved to read aloud to others. This space ensures that children will continue to read in his name for years to come. Apollo’s Book Nook features literature that reflects children from every background, ensuring young readers see themselves represented in the stories they choose. Children, families, and community partners who visit the Kids’ Book Bank have access to the multicultural titles that can be taken home by children or used during volunteer and literacy activities on-site. It also offers a space for guest story times and reading programs in partnership with local educators and organizations. This project provides physical space, books, programming, and ongoing literary impact ensuring that Apollo’s passion continues to inspire thousands of children in the years ahead.

Exploring Long Island's Marine Ecosystem
Exploring Long Island's Marine Ecosystem
West Hempstead Union Free School District
West Hempstead, NY
Sponsored since 2025
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Exploring Long Island’s Marine Ecosystem is a 5th Grade Educational Fishing Experience that supports an education and recreational trip for students to experience Long Island’s marine ecosystem aboard a fishing boat. This immersive experience combines hands-on science learning with team building and recreational engagement. Through this program students learn about the biology of Long Island’s marine species, observe and discuss the interdependence of ecosystems, and have the chance to engage in safe, supervising fishing activities. They also have the opportunity to reflect on the role humans play in protecting marine life.

Mary's Care Closet
Mary's Care Closet
Miriam Foundation
Fountain Inn, SC
Sponsored since 2025
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Miriam Foundation is a non-profit organization in Fountain Inn, South Carolina that provides support and resources to girls from an underserved community through intentional in-school and after-school programs. Mary’s Care Closet is a program that allows the organization to provide girls in grade four through twelve with hygiene and self-care supplies. Supplies from the care closet are directly distributed to girls in grades four through eight during in-school program lessons on personal hygiene and self-care where girls learn how to take care of themselves and why self-care is important. Mary’s Care Closet is also available to girls in all Miriam Foundation programs throughout the year via requests made to leaders of the organization. Teachers and school resource staff members at the schools where Miriam Foundation has established programs may also request supplies from Mary’s Care Closet for students outside of the program as needs arise, allowing them to help the larger Fountain Inn community as well.

Music Together for Infants and Toddlers
Music Together for Infants and Toddlers
The Family Place
Norwich, VT
Sponsored since 2025
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The Family Place partners with the Upper Valley Music Center (UVMC) to offer weekly in-classroom Music Together sessions for around 30 children each year in their Early Childhood Care and Education Program’s (ECEP) infant and toddler classrooms. A teacher from UVMC visits each classroom to provide 30-minutes sessions each week that incorporate music, sing-along, rhythms, and dance. In addition to classroom sessions, videos and other resources are provided to children and families that allow them to explore together in their home environment. The program also features musical activities at ECEP’s two annual family events and provides training and support for ECEP classroom teachers throughout the year.

Nature's Nook Storytime
Nature's Nook Storytime
Hobe Sound Nature Center
Hobe Sound, FL
Sponsored since 2025
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Nature’s Nook Storytime program allows children to discover the wonder of South Florida’s wildlife and natural habitats through the magic of storytelling, imaginative play, and hands-on activities. It is hosted biweekly at no cost for children of all ages. Sessions are led by volunteers and blend literacy with environmental education and encourages a love of both reading and the natural world. Children have the opportunity to use props and costumes, sing songs, dance, play and create music, explore nature-inspired activities and meet non-releasable resident wildlife of the Nature Center up close.

Well Balanced
Well Balanced
Universal Love ENT
Cleveland, OH
Sponsored since 2025

Well Balanced is an after-school program as a part of Universal Love ENT that offers beginners yoga, meditation, and nutrition education. The program helps youth make healthy food and beverage choices in partnership with a chef and also teaches them about healthy snack alternatives. Students also learn the benefits of yoga and meditation to teach a healthy and active lifestyle to underserved children who need it most. Students are also allowed to keep the supplies from the program after the sessions end to encourage them to continue healthier practices at home. 

Hands Together for Haitians
North Palm Beach, FL
Sponsored since 2025
Hands Together for Haitians
Haitian Youth Initiative

Hands Together for Haitians, located in Palm Beach County, Florida, has long supported children of all ages by addressing their educational, cultural and financial needs. Mary’s Giving Fund is helping to reinforce this effort, specifically for children who are at the critical middle school and high school stages of life. Each Saturday during the school year, the Haitian Youth Initiative provides workshops that encourage character development and important life skills for youth on the precipice of adulthood. Mary’s Giving Fund in turn is providing the resources for key field trips that “book end” this monthly program and promote group bonding. The initial Fall field trip is a team-building exercise at Adventures Games in Ft. Lauderdale. And the culminating trip in the Spring is a challenging ropes course activity through Florida Atlantic University. Mary’s Giving Fund not only provides these exciting outdoor experiences for low-income youth, but the transportation and meals as well, allowing for fun days of learning and personal growth.

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Tools for Autistic Children
West Palm Beach, FL
Sponsored in 2025
Family Visitation Center
Children's home society of Florida

The Family Visitation Center provides families, under court order and CHS supervision, the opportunity to visit with children that have been removed from their homes and placed in foster care, typically as the result of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, or child abuse.  Many of these children are autistic or have learning disabilities and require the tools provided by Mary's Giving Fund to better interact and visit with their families.  Each child visit takes place in a well-furnished private room,  under the supervision of a CHS counselor, who monitors the child's safety and well-being.  Supervised visitations allow parents and children to spend time together to establish and strengthen bonds as they rebuild trust in a warm, friendly environment where moms and dads learn how to practice positive parenting and family connections begin to form. CHS also provides counseling and other services to parents and children with the ultimate goal of reunification.

Girls Circle
Palm Springs, FL
Sponsored since 2025
Girls Circle: Psychoeducation Groups for Girls
Pace Center for Girls
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Pace Center for Girls is a local nonprofit that believes that all girls, regardless of their story, deserve a safe and supportive space where they can become strong compassionate and successful women. The Pace Day Program combines education, counseling and life skills coaching for girls in middle and high school at no cost. Our year-round academics and counseling programs work hand-in-hand to achieve a holistic and comprehensive path to success. With the support of Mary’s Giving Fund, Pace is supplementing its impactful Day Program with the implementation of “Girls Circle: Psycho-Educational Groups.”  The content of the groups is gender-responsive and strength-based, focusing on promoting healthy development.  Psychoeducational groups are defined as groups that focus on providing guidance, support, collaboration, and skill acquisition, that address behaviors, feelings, and thoughts that may be contributing to concerns and challenges.  Examples of Girls Circle groups include, but are not limited to: Wellness, Effective Communication, Healthy Relationship Boundaries, Violence Prevention, Effects of Vaping, Grief and Loss, Coping Skills, Financial Management, etc. 

Project Grow
Lake Worth, FL
Sponsored since 2025
Project Grow
Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches

Adopt-A-Family Project Grown is a licensed afterschool and summer camp program designed to meet the unique educational, emotional, and social needs of elementary school students who have experienced homelessness. Since 1992, Project Grow’s unique curriculum utilizes a “whole child” approach centered on academic support, emotional development, parental engagement, and life -enriching experiences. The program operates 12 months a year and provides hands-on lessons, one-on-one tutoring, academic advising, mental health counseling, social emotional learning, healthy outdoor play, and extensive summer field trips. Mary’s Giving Fund supports the acquisition of art supplies, activity books, science experiments, and sensory kits used during Project Grow's summer camp. These creative learning activities are critical in helping students retain the educational gains they work so hard to achieve during the school year. In 2025, Mary’s Giving Fund was also the sole sponsor of a dramatic play “village” complete with a small-scale grocery store, coffee shop, doctor’s office, and kitchen, allowing kindergartners and first-graders to engage in developmentally essential imaginative play.

Kids Ocean Activities
Juno Beach, FL
Sponsored since 2025
Kids Ocean Heroes Activity Books
Loggerhead Marinelife Center
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The Kid’s Ocean Heroes Activity Book is an engaging, educational coloring and activity book designed to teach children ages 5 to 10 about ocean conservation through the story of Juno, a sea turtle who explores Florida’s fragile ocean ecosystems.  Incorporating interactive elements such as coloring pages, puzzles, and other activities, the Kid’s Ocean Heroes Activity Book fosters creativity and problem-solving skills, while reinforcing key concepts about marine ecosystems, biodiversity, and conservation.  Available in both English and Spanish, each activity book is included as part of LMC’s Oceans of Opportunity initiative, which provides Title I students in afterschool programs and who visit LMC for a field trip with backpacks of learning materials to continue their ocean learning at home.

Ask Max
Ask Max: Mobile K-12 STEM Outreach
Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience
Davie, FL
Sponsored since 2024
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This program brings hands-on science experiences directly to students in Palm Beach and Martin Counties. With a focus on Title I schools, the program uses a mobile outreach van to deliver engaging activities like gel electrophoresis and biotech workshops, sparking curiosity and inspiring future careers in science. Mary’s Giving Fund supports the acquisition of gel electrophoresis kits, classroom materials, and dye kits. The new gel electrophoresis activity sponsored by Mary’s Giving Fund enhanced Ask Max’s capacity to engage high school students
and contributed to the growing demand among teachers for the program.

Path to College
Speed Interview Night Reception and Student Fuel Sponsor
Path to College
West Palm Beach, FL
Sponsored since 2024

This event provides low-income high school students the opportunity to practice interview skills that are integral to successful college and job applications. Speed interview night is a public opportunity for 100 students and 100 volunteers to spend the night together in rapid fire speed interviews. The goal of this event is to provide participants with valuable practice and skills that will help them gain confidence, college, career, and job attainment. Mary’s Giving Fund sponsors the public reception that takes place before the speed interviews begin. During this time students and guests have the chance to mingle and assemble. They are welcomed by the founder of Path to College, hear remarks by a
local dignitary to prepare them for the night, and then process into the venue to gain important
practice in interviewing and networking.

NOC
Boardgamers Enrichment for Personal Development
Neighborhood Outreach Connection
Hilton Head Island, SC
Sponsored since 2024
young boy playing chess - boardgamers enrichment program

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.

bbb
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
IMG_1422.jpg
hen hud
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. 

children and parent at Hen Hud Sportsfest
New Mommy Care packages
New Mommy Care Packages
Banner Lake Community
Hobe Sound, FL
Sponsored in 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.

New Mommy Care Packages for Banner Lake Community
Now I Know
"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.

Class for "Now I Know" Human Trafficking Prevention Education Program
Mary's Secret Garden
Mary's Secret Garden
The River Center
Jupiter, FL
Sponsored since 2024
Group of children planting at Marys secret garden

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.

Eye and Ear Alert
Mobile Eye and Ear Alert
Junior League of the Palm Beaches
West Palm Beach, FL
Sponsored since 2024
young children having eyes and ears checked

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. 

Preparing for Puberty
Preparing for Puberty
The Pediatric Primary Care Center
Cincinnati, OH
Sponsored since 2024
Boys Body Book front cover
Not the puberty word book cover

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.

Safety 4 Life
Student Ambassador Club & Retreat
Safety 4 Life
Boca Raton, FL
Sponsored since 2024
Group of children at Student Ambassador Club and Retreat

 

The Safety 4 Life Foundation creates impactful programs that empower young lives with education that changes dangerous behavior. Our four elements, road and internet safety, human trafficking, and safe law enforcement interactions were chosen for the critical importance to the health and well-being of teens. Safety 4 Life provides safety experiences to accommodate the learning needs and interests of students. These free programs, thanks to the support of generous organizations such as the Mary's Giving Fund, are in the form of car crash reenactments, assemblies, workshops, safety fairs, ambassador clubs, and community events. Our peer-to-peer approach allows us to foster success in the future lives of teens.

Marys Stars
Mary's Stars Shine Brightly in "The 'Burgh"
Homewood Children's Village
Pittsburgh, PA
Sponsored since 2024
Young girl reading and writing at Homewood Children's Village

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. 

Aeroponic Garden
Mary's After-School Aeroponic Garden
Community Kids Place Out-of-School, The Community Group
Lawrence, MA
Sponsored since 2023
group of smiling children at Mary's After-School Aeroponic Garden

 

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.

CEC
Emmie's Enchanted Memorial Gardens
Children's Enrichment Center (CEC) of First United Methodist Church
Jupiter, FL
Sponsored since 2023
Front of building, CEC - First United Methodist Church

 

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.

Quantum House
Mary's Creative Enrichment Program
Quantum House
West Palm Beach, FL
Sponsored since 2023
Group of multi-ethnic children pretneding to camp at Mary's Enrichment Program

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 Parent's Night
The Pitt Stop
Ella C. Pittman Elementary School
Harvey, LA
Sponsored since 2023
Kids at the Pittman Parent's night in event

Pittman Elementary is a Title 1 school where 85% of the students are below the poverty level. This 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. 

Marys Summer Strings
Mary's Summer Strings Academy
Treasure Coast Youth Symphony
Stuart, FL
Sponsored since 2023
Children taking music lessons at Mary's summer strings at TCYS

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.

Lets Talk
#Let's Talk
Local Volunteer Professional Counselors
Hilton Head Island and Bluffton, SC
Sponsored in 2023
lets talk program offered to middle and highschool students

 

#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 transport title 1
Fieldtrip Transportation for Title 1 Schools
New England Botanic Garden
Boylston, MA
Sponsored 2023
Kids on a fieldtrip with transportation provided by Mary's Giving Fund

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
Guiding Hands
The Hands and Feet
West Palm Beach, FL
Sponsored 2023
Guiding Hands program bridges the gap between youth that have aged out of group homes

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. 

Hannah's Home
Mary's Reading Nook
Hannah's Home of South Florida
Tequesta, FL
Sponsored 2022 to 2023
two small babies enjoying reading time at Mary's Reading Nook

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".

Tennis Rocks Home
Summer Academic Enrichment and
Dinner Program
Tennis Rocks Tutoring and Music Association
Wilmington, DE
Sponsored since 2022
girl student with male tutor at a summer academic enrichment program

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
Westgate Elementary School
Program Curriculum, Material & Supplies
Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast
West Palm Beach, FL
Sponsored 2022 to 2025
Young hispanic girl drawing piture at Westgate Elementary

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. 

PBSC Career Fair Home
Explore Palm Beach State College
Palm Beach State College
Lake Worth, FL
Sponsored since 2022
Highschool students touring Palm Beach State College

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
Library Cart Book Support
Reilly Elementary School
Salem, OH
Sponsored in 2022
library cart with 215 books donated

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 book 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 than the state average of 52.8%.  The program is set to grow for the 2025-2026 school year providing additional books and adding Reading Comprehension Bookmarks increasing the students knowledge and comprehension and encouraging reading for pleasure, learning and success.

LIT Home
Leaders in Training
Hilton Head Island Recreation Center
Hilton Head Island, SC
Sponsored in 2022
chldren smiling at desk for Leaders in Training

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 Home
Apiary Program
Westover School
Middlebury, CT
Sponsored 2021 to 2024
children in apiary outfits

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. 

WRA Give Back Home
Service Leader Mentor and
Community Give Back Day
Western Reserve Academy
Hudson, OH
Sponsored 2021 to 2023
Child and mentor at Service Leader Mentor and Community Give Back Day

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 Home
Period Supply Program
Junior League of the Palm Beaches with Alliance for Period Supplies
West Palm Beach, FL
Sponsored 2021 to 2023
students packing boxes for Period Supply program

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 Home
Therapeutic Arts Enrichment Program
Calhoun County High School
Battle Creek, MI
Sponsored 2021 to 2022
two children at lake learning about nature
child taking a photo by a lake

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 Table Home
Mary's Table - Caballeros de El Sol
El Sol, Jupiter's Neighborhood Resource Center
Jupiter, FL
Sponsored since 2020
Four smiling young boys at El Sol

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.

Growing Garde Home
A Growing Garden
The Edna W. Runner Tutorial Center
Jupiter, FL
Sponsored 2020 to 2024
children learning about health at a Growing Garden

"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.

Banquet of Salem Home
The Banquet of Salem
Salem Community Foundation
Salem, OH
Sponsored 2020 to 2022
volunteers at table for The Banquest of Salem

 

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. 

PayPal
Mary's giving fund logo

Donate: Please click Venmo or PayPal on the left or mail a check to Mary's Giving Fund, 295 River Drive, Tequesta, FL 33469.  Because one donor offsets all of the expenses of Mary's Giving Fund, 100% of your donations will flow directly to the charitable programs and the children they support.

Corporate Matching Gifts: Please contact us for any additional information you or your employer may need to complete a matching donation.

Contact Us: E-mail us at office@marysgivindfund.org or please feel free to reach out directly to any member of our Advisory Board or our Board of Directors.

Non-Profit: Mary's Giving Fund is a Florida non-profit corporation and a public charity exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the International Revenue Code (Tax Identification Number: 85-0489830). 

Copyright

2026

Mary Durstine McArtor Reynolds Memorial Giving Fund, Inc.

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