July CEO Blog
“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” – Maya Angelou
As you read this, I hope you are enjoying the warm summer days and basking in the season at a slower pace. It’s important to enjoy the little things that make summer so special: beach days, baseball games, evening walks, ice cream, barbeques, and connecting with friends and family. Let’s not take these small moments for granted. They are truly a gift, something we can appreciate now more than ever.
On July 15th, we had a fabulous time at the Women’s Fund 4th Annual A Night to Shine for SHEroes event. And what a gift it is to celebrate! It was inspiring to shine a light on the SHEroes in our lives and to support the work of the Women’s Fund. Speaking of celebrations, a special thank you to all of you that joined us virtually and in-person for our annual meeting. We appreciate you and all our 22,000+ donors who have contributed to the Community Foundation of Lorain County over the last 40 plus years.
As we revel in the sweet summer months, we cannot forget that our young people will prepare to enter the new school year and head off to college in just a few short weeks. The Community Foundation knows our young people are our community’s future. Our Lorain County Scholars Connect program provides a bridge of support back to Lorain County through this impactful mentoring program. Over 100 members of our community have already signed up to be a part of this network, and you can join them in helping to change a young person’s life and future trajectory. Let’s do our best to hit our goal of 500 mentors and connect with the youth in our community to ensure that they have what they need to succeed in this new school year and beyond.
We can’t think about the fall without one of our favorite days of the year coming to mind: Connect to a Cause 2021, taking place on Thursday, September 16th. We are thrilled by the high level of engagement, with 65 participating non-profits in this 12-hour crowdfunding campaign. We are also excited to welcome our Connect to a Cause Business Champions that partner with the Community Foundation to provide a prorated match for all 65 participating non-profits. With a wide range of organizations included in the event, there are many ways to support the causes and organizations that matter most to you. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to get timely updates and details. We can’t wait to share more about this event.
I hope to see you out and about soon, enjoying these hot summer days.
Be well,
Cindy